More than just a ‘smidge’ of kindness

This is the story of a great escape artist, also known as Smidge the cat, the kindness of strangers and her journey home.

KARA WEAVER

The circumstances of her great escape are told by her owner, Kara Weaver. This is the story of Smidge.

Buckle up for a wild ride friends.... And get ready to have some faith in humanity restored!

Almost two weeks ago while we were traveling from Texas to Wisconsin, our kitty decided to learn how to open the automatic windows. Worried something bad would happen since we don’t have window locks, I put her in the bus in the bedroom....“safe” where she could be shut in.

It was not safe.

One of the windows fell while we were moving and our crazy kitty, Smidge, jumped out while we were driving through Atlanta, Texas.

Literally, out of the moving bus!

Instantly, it felt as if I lost my mind and I began to panic. I was following the bus and, of course, I stopped immediately.

In an instant I lost sight of her - she’s fast.

By the time I reached the woods, she was too far into the thicket and brush. I could hear her and see her but she went deeper.

Frantically, I looked for an opening, someplace where I could squeeze to get in. We searched for hours in those awful woods, without another glimpse of my sweet, tiny ninja panther.

Even the dogs couldn’t find her.

In the midst of the search, I discovered we were next to an O’Reilly Auto Parts store, and managed to recruit the employees to help.

Sadly, even they didn’t have any luck. Exhausted and distressed, I left a note with the store for them to post and with tears streaming down my face, not knowing exactly where we were or anyone in this town, we had no other option but to continue our journey to Wisconsin.

I was torn apart, I couldn’t stand leaving but I didn’t know what else to do.

On that Sunday my son pulled up phone numbers and I called every place that was animal related in that town as I drove.

Yes, all of the resources. Animal control, all the vets, groomers, rescues....I even called close by businesses.

But the magic came from social media. I joined every group within a 30-mile radius of this small town of Atlanta. Post after post was written about her, I lost track of how many I had actually written. By the end of the first week, several people had volunteered to go out into the pandemic world and look for her, for us.

At first, we thought a cat at the shelter might be her, sadly no.

We thought a stray that popped up was her, again, sadly no. Then we thought the most awful, she got hit by a car and though that cat was not my Smidge, my heart sank for that kitty. None of them were our missing Smidge of a cat.

Eleven days had passed by without an actual sighting, yet I couldn’t and wouldn’t give up hope.

Almost two weeks in, a Thursday, one of the employees of O’Reilly called to tell me she was out by the dumpster.

Immediately I jumped into action and started messaging the people who have been helping me search for her.

ELIZABETH HARRIS

Enter Elizabeth Harris and her husband, Chester of Atlanta, this is Elizabeth’s accounting of what took place in those two days.

“I went to the parking lot of O’Reilly’s to just look around and leave some food and water on Wednesday, May 6, at about six or seven that evening, because my daughter, Crystal, just wanted me to try, because Kara Weaver could not really get anyone to do much more that share the post that she had put up on Facebook, so I was like ‘fine, I will take the bowls and water containers by there that she had given me and give it a shot.’”

I just knew since it had been 11 days that the cat was not going to be there but I looked around, called it, nothing. I went and walked around the adjoining tree line with the State Farm office, still saw nothing.

I left some food, then went to O’Reilly’s and asked and they said a black cat got run over like two days after they left, so I took all the stuff back to my daughter and said it was probably that cat and there was no use.

I texted Kara and told her but she called the police department and animal catcher and verified it was not her cat.

On May 7, the very next day, Kara texted me on messenger saying the employees texted her and said they had just seen it by the dumpster and the edge of the woods.

Kara begged us to go try to spot her, so Chester and I took off immediately. We walked around, called, shook food in a coke bottle where it would make noise, and told the employees what we were doing.

Then I suggested we back the truck up to the corner of the building, where we could see the whole side of the parking lot toward the wood-side and we just sat there, real quiet, for like two hours.

Finally we see a coon, then we see her come out with a white colored-up boy cat about six feet behind her.

We took a short couple of videos and immediately sent them to Kara and she just went crazy saying it was definitely her.

We then put a small pen in the parking lot with some food and again got back in the truck. She came out again slowly but when she saw me she took off.

I said to my husband ‘we are going need a live trap’, so we went home, borrowed the live trap from our friend Garry Rhoades that evening and went to Walmart where we bought four packages of wet cat food, the kind Kara said she liked.

We set the trap in the O’Reilly’s parking lot next to the woods and backed up our truck again in the same spot.

At approximately six that evening, three vehicles decided to park on the same side and work on their cars, so I thought it was over.

We did not see the cat during that time but they all left about nine or 10 that night, so we waited.

Sure enough, she showed up.

I was so glad she was not with her friend the coon and potential boyfriend, lol.

After five minutes of messing around behind, beside, in front of, everywhere but in it, she finally went to the front of the trap, sniffed the food, went right in and BAM...the door slammed shut!

We collected her, sent Kara a text and, of course, she went crazy because she was so excited.

Chester and I took her to our house and Facetimed with her family.

We got up the next day and took her to her foster Robin Champion at about three that Saturday evening over by Atlanta High School.

Robin kept her until that following Friday, May 15, when Sarah Harris from Dallas starting the transport train.

Sarah came to Robin’s house, picked her up and took her to Dallas. Smidge spent the night with her and the next day went just as the schedule says all the way until she got to her mama in Wisconsin on May 18.

KARA WEAVER

With us in Wisconsin and Smidge in Atlanta, Texas, some 900 miles away, you would think the happy ending stops there but you’re wrong!

As if people had not already shown me how compassionate, helpful and wonderful they can be more volunteers came forward through the various groups, offering to pull together a ride train to bring our kitty home.

In total, 11 people joined together to take part of the drive and get this, on their own, from a single Save Smidge group they set up in one day. I’m extremely humbled and blown away. I am beyond grateful to all the people who have been involved in this crazy miracle of a rescue mission. Also, if you’re one of the people who have been a sounding board to my panic, tears, soaring hope and massive let downs, thank you! I value each of you and am so appreciative of the time you took to console me.

I haven’t slept much, I know I’ve been crazy, but I appreciate your listening ears, advice, commiseration and support more than you’ll ever know. Just look how it comes back to you if you put love into the world.

Including her rescuer and her foster home, 13 separate people had a hand in bringing our kitty home.

SMIDGE’S JOURNEY

I don’t have words for this day, this experience. I thought about doing a video but I’m too emotional.

One of the worst experiences of my life somehow flipped a complete 180 and turned into a miraculous show of love, humanity and kindness.

Thankful, grateful, they aren’t even strong enough words for the blessing this has been to us.

Elizabeth started it all, with help from her daughter Crystal and husband Chester. With a trap borrowed from their friend Gary and her determination to catch our little ninja panther.

Robin fostered her until the train started and her friend Brandy donated a pet taxi for Smidge to ride in.

Sarah organized the initial start of the train, was the first driver and was Smidge’s first overnight home.

Then Elizabeth McCoulskey, Jessica Johnson, Cassie Himes and Cathy Ledjte-Piancone all drove her for a stretch the next day.

Hannah Menhusen was her last stop and she spent the night. Hannah was also the one who made this crazy, organized list of drivers....y’all it was color coded and everything.

In the morning she brought Smidge to Kelliee Beargi who brought her to Emily McGovern who brought her to the other Emily – Emily Brown.

She spent the night there and then Erin Larson met up with her and she met up with Debbie Hoist Cuthbertson.

I met up with Debbie to get our Smidge and her car was decked out. It was fabulous. Not only did Debbie bring our Smidge the last leg home, she made me an amazing scrapbook of the journey.

I didn’t know a single one of these humans two weeks ago, I’ve still only met one of them in person, yet each and every one of them went far out of their way to perform a random act of kindness. Spread love and it will come back to you in ways you could never imagine.

Kindness traveled 900 miles to return the great escape ninja kitty to her loving family. Even with a pandemic looming, the American people will always step up to help those in need.

Note: The last leg of the journey was actually slated for Staci Halbert, but she had a pet emergency as well. Our prayers are with her and our thanks as well.