Munew's Excellent Adventure

By Robert Thomas

What is black and white and read all over?

If you answered a newspaper you would be wrong as for the past nine days the answer was Munew.

Munew is a black and white domestic long hair cat. He is just under six months old and has been with the MacNevin family since he was just six weeks old. He is not yet neutered as he needs to be six months old when he can have the operation.

Sometime on the morning of January 4th Munew escaped and was gone for a total of nine days when he was found and caught by a neighbour.

“Munew would have escaped when our dogs were being let out or let in,” Heidi MacNevin said.

With the cold weather and not wanting to tell her children Munew was in kitty heaven MacNevin went on a relentless search to hopefully find the wandering feline. It was a search that included not only social media but also posters and offering a reward for his safe return as Munew was somewhere out on the lamb perhaps out facing the sometimes frigid tempertures and windchills which dipped into the -30C range a few times.

“With the weather yes there were times when my husband and I thought he was a goner, which only pushed us harder to find him as neither of us wanted to have to tell the kids Munew was 'gone'. we did contact the city and the humane society to check if he had come in deceased,” she said.

During the seemingly relentless pursuit Munew likely became the most well known and notorious cat in Moose Jaw as his famly put the word out they were looking for him.

“In total (that I know of) he was posted to 7 different social media sites and multiple groups on facebook (every group I could post him I did) as well as we contacted the radio stations, put ads out in kijiji, moose jaw express, moose jaw today and MJ live, hung posters, handed out flyers, and went door to door asking if anyone had seen or picked him up within our block,” she said about the search for the apparent freedom loving feline.

As the search intensified tips came in to help get Munew home and very few people were ignorant or rude. Munew’s notoriety even spread as far as Regina as the word was out there was a posse in pursuit.

“We got mostly a positive response with lots of advice and ideas for things to try to get him home as well as part of the reward was donated by Street Cats Regina after them seeing all my posts (they told me lots of times pets show up only after a reward is offered)...... only a few people got rude or sent ignorant messages.”

After he was caught by a neighbour MacNevin said her theory is that shortly after the feline snuck outside he was taken in by someone in the neighbourhood and hung out inside a nearby home.

Asked it she thought another family might be in search of Munew as they have now lost a pet she said it is unlikely and there is a good chance he was let go because of their search.

“We could tell by Munews hair that his collar was removed very shortly before he was found.... so no I don't think anyone else is now looking for him I think they knowingly let him go so he could finally come home.”

MacNevin does ask if anyone finds an animal they believe to be a stray that they report it in case their family is looking for them.

“Munew was never reported to any animal rescue agency, the humane society, or any of the vets so were pretty sure that whoever did have him was originally planning on keeping him. I think it was only due to our persistance and offering a reward that we were able to get him home. we made it very well known that we wouldn't stop our hunt for him until he returned,” she said.

“The only thing I would add after going through the hunt that we did and knowing many animals are lost each year if someone finds an animal even if they believe its a stray always at least call them into the humane society if they’d like to have it ask to be put on the adoption list. But give the animals family a fair chance to find them. keeping someones pet is the same as keeping a human family member.”

Despite Munew pulling a Harry Houdini escape in sub-zero weather she said “I don't think Munew used any of his lives up on his adventure.”

So what is in Munew’s future?

Precautions are being taken and he is soon off to see the vet .

‘We were told there's a deterrent spray we can use on the doors, as well Munew is getting fixed and microchipped...… and we now put a family member on him when the dogs are going in or out of the house..... although since he came home he seems to run away when the doors open rather then towards them.”