WELCOME HOME, GARY!

Gary, captured on a wildlife camera, smells anchovies and ponders.

In case you’ve missed this legendary escape and return saga, Gary has returned home after eighteen days on the loose. Gary (named after his previous owner’s grandfather) had only been in his new home on SE Madison and 23rd for a few days when, in the middle of the night, he pushed through a second-story screen window and fell out! After his dedicated humans put out 5000 flyers around the neighborhood, he was caught on camera all the way south of 8th and Powell. With the help of many neighbors, he was eventually lured into a humane trap via anchovies—so relatable, Gary. We got to interview Gary and one of his humans Jessica about their experiences:

Gary, what did you miss most about Inside when you were Outside?

Gary: I missed making biscuits on mom’s belly and always having my kibble available to me. Mom said I had the appetite of a teenage boy when I came back!

Can you tell us something you learned from your experiences on the loose?

Gary: I learned to make friends with my fellow feral felines. I also learned that I can’t resist an anchovy, even if it’s in a scary trap.

Jessica, what is something you learned from your experiences getting Gary back home?

I learned how to rely on my community in times of stress and about all of the local resources in the area that we relied on to help get Gary home. If it weren’t for the Good Samaritans in our neighborhood and those who are active on NextDoor, we likely never would’ve found him.

Cat comrades and Gary-devotees celebrated Gary’s return home with a picnic potluck in Colonel Summers Park on May 24, and they all lived happily ever after and never fell out of a window again.