Heartbroken Family Searching for Missing Cat, Emma

MATTITUCK, NY — A heartbroken family is searching desperately for their cat, Emma, who went missing on December 19.

Kendal Bayer, who lives on Grand Avenue and Woodcliff Drive in Mattituck, said Emma went missing Monday when she and her husband Michael opened the door for a moment in the morning to try and woo in a feral cat they've been caring for; Emma may have slipped out the door, she said.

Emma does not like the cold and may be hiding or trapped in a garage, window well, shed, or enclosed fenced area where she can't get out freely, she said.

The white kitty is about five years old and was found on the street in Brooklyn before the couple moved out to Mattituck full-time, Bayer said.

"She was dumped," Bayer said. "We were back from summer vacation, walking down the sidewalk toward a restaurant, and she came to us, pleading. We ended up bringing her inside because a friend said she'd find her a home."

The Bayers decided to keep Emma, and learned to calm her, taking her outside to the street in the city with a harness.

"Our new routine included bringing her down daily and letting her enjoy the front yard, or the alleys that led to the back where our feral boy, Thomas, lived. They were good friends, and would run off together for an hour or so," she said.

"In fact, Emma became friends with all of our cats. Now they all share our deck and backyard. We keep bowls of food and a heated shelter on the deck, and every one of the cats, including neighbors' cats, for a total of five cats, loves the new cat community thing going on in our backyard."

Emma, Bayer said, is "an opportunist, but very loving in her own hesitant way. She will shower you with attention if she wants something from you. Otherwise, she backs into sitting on your lap, or comes when you are asleep and not aware. She's strong and goes after what she wants."

The Bayers have consulted an animal communicator, who told them to look behind two houses on Maple Lane; he told them that Emma was alive but was "tired, sore and confused." He said, too, that she was outside, near a home or building, and could possibly have gained access to a detached garage." He also said that she hadn't had food or water, "and her energy wasn't as 'vibrant' as he wanted to see it," she said.

Emma will likely come to the sound of dry cat food shaking in the bag, she said.

Their cat is a beloved member of their family, Bayer said. "My son is two years old and one of his first five words was 'Emma,'" she said.

If you've seen Emma, please call 917-660-4217.