After her cat wandered off and didn鈥檛 return, a Surrey animal lover not only hired a pet detective to track down the errant feline, but spent several days camping outside, and was prepared to fight off the neighbourhood coyotes, if necessary.
Lisa van Vliet told Peace Arch News Monday that Bear, her three-year-old black cat, didn鈥檛 return home on May 26.
Van Vliet began searching for the lost cat by contacting locals through the neighbourhood Block Watch program.
The first two nights after Bear went missing, van Vliet said she slept in her backyard, just in case she could hear a commotion between the cat and the coyotes.
鈥淗e鈥檚 just so little and innocent we thought he was done for, because we see coyotes across the street in the middle of the day,鈥� said van Vliet, who lives near 145 Street near 33 Avenue.
鈥淎t least if I was there, I could hear it and protect him,鈥� she said.
With no luck after two days, van Vliet contacted Petsearchers Canada, who arrived with two trackers and a bloodhound.
The bloodhound sniffed the cat鈥檚 harness, and tracked the scent to an overgrown lot north of 32 Avenue near 144 Street.
The trackers set a number of traps in the lot, and a thermal camera to track the cat鈥檚 movement.
Van Vliet committed herself to staying in the lot 鈥� with nothing more than a couple of blankets, a chair and cat food 鈥� every night until her pet was eventually trapped on June 2.
鈥淗ow do you decide to go to bed? 鈥極K, now I鈥檓 tired enough to let my cat get eaten. It鈥檚 5 p.m., I think dinner time is in order,鈥欌�� she said.
Van Vliet said she was traumatized after losing another cat eight years ago. She never got closure, and said it鈥檚 not something she wanted to experience again.
鈥淔or five years, you鈥檙e driving around and you see a black shadow near the grass. 鈥極h, is that him? Is that him?鈥欌��
Bear is recovering after seven days in the wild. Van Vliet said he sustained a sunburn, a couple scrapes and a puncture wound on his neck.
Aside from being a little spooked, though, the little black cat will be just fine.
