Cat of the Month, February 2019: Seager

The Bothell Pet Hospital team has been looking forward to sharing Seager’s amazing tale. We call it the story of the cat who came home for Christmas. It was pretty much unanimous that Seager should be our February Cat of the Month!

Seager, a 5-year-old orange tabby, stole the hearts of everyone this past Christmas after he was brought in to Bothell Pet Hospital by a good Samaritan. The Samaritan thought they had just been feeding a friendly stray, but brought Seager in just to make sure.

And we are so glad—Seager had gone missing from his family more than a year and a half ago! Thankfully, his microchip was up-to-date and he was quickly reunited with his mom, Thelma. Seager may not have found his way back home at all if it were not for a kind stranger and an up-to-date microchip. A good reminder for all pet owners on the importance of up-to-date microchip information!

Seager’s story is one of family. He came to the Knight family as a gift from daughter to mother when Seager was just 6 weeks old. From day one, he was an amusing and delightful little guy who loved to climb on the shoulders of his loved ones and wrap himself around the backs of their necks. He was happy to hang there as long as they would let him stay, just like a happy squirrel in a tree.

His life was off to a great start when he went missing. His family had taken great care to make sure he was up-to-date on all his shots, neutered, and microchipped. Then one day, he was just gone.

“Our hearts bled for that little guy for one year and nine months,” Thelma remembers. “We walked the neighborhood, knocking on doors and searching the streets, in the event that he had been hit by a vehicle. I searched all the online sites for rescued animals and, with each page, I held hope that I would see his face among the rescued, only to be disappointed and have my heart broken again.”

Thelma admits that she started to lose hope. “ Then one morning, my phone rang with a call from Bothell Pet Hospital. I looked at my caller ID, wondering why they were calling me. When I answered, a kind voice said, ‘Is this Thelma’? I answered, ‘Yes.’ She continued, ‘A kind gentleman brought a kitty in this morning. We scanned for a chip and it said that his name is Seager and he belongs to you.’ I began to scream, weeping and asking, ‘Are you sure??? Please say it again!’ She repeated her statement and I asked, ‘May I come and get him RIGHT NOW?’ She replied, ‘Yes, you may.’ I went to get him immediately and he snuggled in my arms, as if to say, ‘I never forgot you.’

“The void that was ours for one year and nine months has now been filled to overflowing with his warm precious love and amplified purr,” Thelma continues. “His return was an abundant blessing for which I will always be grateful.”

Seager is now back to his old, playful ways. He is relishing his old toys and his favorite activity of playing with paper bags and boxes. Often, Seager will bounce around the room, tossing a ball or chasing a squeaky toy and then delighting in a long, well-deserved nap. In fact, he has learned to open every door in the house, taking great pride in opening the bedroom door and proceeding to find the perfect spot on the family bed.

At home, Seager is surrounded by a large family, including: a toy poodle named Savannah Fleur De Rough (Flower of Red), two more kitties named Sadie and Sam, and a 30-year-old cockatiel named Freeway. (The latter was inherited later in life, so he doesn’t have the traditional household “S” name.) And we must not forget about Seager’s outdoor friends: Sargent Squirrel and Simon and Samantha the crows.

All in all, it’s a house filled with love and music and family and the exceptionally loud purrs of Seager, the cat who came home for Christmas.

Bothell Pet Hospital reminds everyone to make sure their pets are microchipped and the information on that microchip is up to date. It truly can help bring your pet home!