Sightings

Sightings: Most recent on top. Thank you to all of the kind people calling/texting us with sightings – we truly appreciate you! Huge thanks to Halo’s Pet Rescue (Karen) for all of her help and support! Huge thanks to Heart & Soul Dog and Cat Rescue for reviving the search for Calam and asking their foster parents to post on social media groups – we truly appreciate it.

Over 150 posters have been hung up – some are shown below. It takes some work to check and maintain these – it’s disheartening when some posters are missing. Original versions didn’t have the corrugated plastic backing, nor were the backs sealed with packing tape. Newer versions are laminated, in two sizes (letter/tabloid) – please let us know if a poster is damaged or needs replacement in your area. I wish I could request for all of the all-black cats to be checked for microchip to see if they match Calam’s, but I cannot. I have contacted Amazon Delivery to see if any of their drivers recall having transported a cat from Maple Ridge to a neighbouring town. I have even contacted the College of Veterinarians of BC to request that any all-black cats brought in to a vet’s office be checked for microchip but no response.

We have a microchip reader so if you’re able to hold an all-black cat (with a few white hairs on his chest) that’s been visiting your place, that is new to your neighbourhood, that seems hungry and lost – please contact us so we can check for its microchip and see if it matches Calam. Calam has no tattoo.

Aug 14 – 229 St & 139 Ave – Family called us as a black cat went inside their garage. Very friendly, healthy and decent size. Might be the same cat from yesterday as it’s in the same area. This cat has no microchip and no response to being called Calam.
Aug 13 – 229 St & 136 Ave – I arrived too late to see the cat but neighbours reported it is a very friendly black cat that hangs out with all the neighbours – likely an outdoor neighbourhood cat.
Aug 10 – Some very kind kids called us to report a black cat at Abernethy and 128 Ave. Unfortunately there were a lot of kids trying to help and it was difficult to keep the cat from running away. Couldn’t get close enough to see it, let alone scan it for a microchip 😦
Forgot to get the names of this beautiful family. First sighting was on 124 Ave & 219 St – they kept eyes on the cat until we arrived. The cat was hanging out under a car and didn’t respond to us, couldn’t see any white hairs on its chest and a bit on the fluffy side. Second sighting is on 216 St and 123 Ave – but this could be the same beautiful cat we saw at Hanna’s house (currently #16 below).
Huge thanks to Lynn and Christine for containing another doppelganger in their garage – found at 211 Street and River Road. This cat was super friendly and we were able to use our scanner to check for a microchip. Sadly it was not a match to Calam’s. Christine works for a vet and can check for the owner’s registration.
Huge thanks to Debbie who was able to contain a cat that has been showing up on their property in Mission since winter. I thought the cat’s fur was fluffier than Calam’s but we read that cats can sometimes grow more fur when exposed to the elements. We weren’t sure how to use our scanner safely on a cat who wasn’t responding to us so we took it to Katie’s Place and found out it belongs to someone in Mission. We provided our contact info in case they need to know where their cat has been going and returned this cat to its stomping grounds as advised by Katie’s Place.
A sighting in Surrey (Milestone Moving) confirmed the cat they’ve been seeing, contained and took to the vet, has a tattoo so it cannot be Calam.
Another doppelganger at 228 Street and 136 Avenue. SUPER friendly cat, loved getting belly rubs. Airtag on its collar, no name on the collar. No white hairs on its chest – Calam would not be this friendly to a stranger 😉
Acadia Street and 122 by MRSS. We put up more signs here. We initially turned the wrong way and ended up either on York or 220 Street and 122 where we found Tepsi, walking with his humans. OMG Tepsi is cute! Calam started walking home with the dogs on their morning walks – a whopping two blocks away from home.
We followed up on a sighting at 214 and 126 only to find Calam’s doppelganger at Terry’s house. I couldn’t stop staring at Bandit, who was happily perched on his cat tower one minute and then freely wandering his property outside. Another beautiful black cat that isn’t our boy Calam.
Thanks to Jim at Dewdney and Laity for saving a sweet black cat desperate to get into his building. We went to check just to be sure but it was a much smaller cat than Calam, no tattoo, no chip, and female. Happy that it was reunited with its owner the following day.
Sighting at North Avenue near Lifelabs (a larger, sleek black cat); waiting for it to return to try and hold to check for microchip. There was a reported sighting at this location in January, but didn’t hear from that person again – we checked the area, put up additional signs but no word until a couple of days ago.
Sighting at ‘entrance by Laity Pumpkin Patch’ was verified by the farm that they own two black cats and could very well be one of theirs.
Facebook posting by Amy, in Chilliwack Lost And Found Pets Group – looked like a very skinny version of Calam but Amy confirmed he is intact and Calam is neutered. Could he be all the way in Chilliwack? We can’t be sure so we have to check every lead.
113 Avenue & McDougal Street – caught on video a black cat walking across a driveway, thanks to Aimen for sending this sighting. We have placed several more signs in this beautiful neighbourhood and surrounding areas. Thanks to Brian and Makayla for holding onto a black cat so we can check it for a microchip – unfortunately no chip; and this cat is more medium-to-long hair than Calam. We don’t know if a short-haired cat can actually grow that much hair to adapt to its surroundings. Beautiful cat, but not ours. Another sighting in this area from Tara, for a short-haired cat, but photo shows it hanging out at someone’s house like it’s their house. We tried to knock on the door but the owners were home and didn’t answer the door. We confirmed this cat belongs to this home. How lovely that it sits on the front porch and can roam freely – too bad it isn’t Calam.
Morse Crescent & 224 Street – we have walked this area and bumped into a black cat that stared and ran away from us. Also, this is only 3 blocks away from us so Calam should be able to get home if he was roaming in this area. Thanks to Bruce who reported recent sightings but we met this black cat and it didn’t have the white hairs on its chest, and it also ran away from us so obviously a neighbourhood cat as well.
228A & 128 Avenue – black cat sits on doorstep, likes driveway and goes to to 127th nature area. We put up more posters here (as Halo’s Pet Rescue’s thermal drone spotted two black cats chasing each other in this area). We’re reaching out to homeowner to see if cat comes back so we can arrange for camera/trap. This was reported to be a neighbourhood cat, unfortunately.
230th & 121A Avenue – huge thanks to Shirley for allowing Halo’s Pet Rescue to setup a camera here after multiple visits by a black cat on her porch. No recent sightings; trail camera removed.
215 Street & 123 Avenue – huge thanks to Hanna for bringing in a black cat. We had to take a taxi to her residence, but this cat was tattooed and Calam does not have a tattoo (microchip only).
Eagle & 230th – huge thanks to Sabine for allowing Halo’s Pet Rescue to setup a camera and trap here; and catching what could be Calam on her security footage. Unfortunately the trap door didn’t shut when a black cat came by, then the trap had to be taken away for cleaning and no sightings since.
Riverwynd & 117 Avenue – huge thanks to Joanna for sharing her video camera footage; unfortunately we keep getting rats and a non-hungry black cat at this location (unlikely it is Calam).
Ridge Meadows Hospital parking lot & Pine Street – While we were hanging up posters a black cat showed up by our car, but it didn’t respond to us and ran away so it can’t be Calam. The cat we’re interested in may have an injury to his hind leg and has been spotted drinking in a homeowner’s pond. Haven’t heard an update on this location.
Field west of Laity View Elementary – Brookfield Farm confirmed it’s their black cat that lives on their farm. A separate sighting confirmed that Calam’s doppelganger is actually Leroy and belongs to a very nice man with a house near the Brookfield Farm’s field. He told us all about bombay cats and said to stop by anytime we’re in the area for coffee! Cat owners are the best!!
224 & 121 Avenue (with camera and trap from Halo’s Pet Rescue; unsuccessful) – huge thanks to Monica for all of her help
228B & 136 Avenue (most likely a known neighborhood cat based on conversations with residents) – huge thanks to Bill for being able to crate in his home so we can verify it’s not Calam.

Below is a map of all of our current poster locations. We started with 30 poster board signs. Karen told us to use packing tape to weatherproof, but I I found this task back breaking – never again. We don’t have a countertop so leaning repeatedly on a desk/dining table was awful. Also, without sealing the back side of the poster boards, the paper curls in the rain and visibility is reduced. Best ones are sealed with packing tape (front AND back) and made flat with corrugated plastic backing – so much work! The next iteration of posters are laminated letter and tabloid sizes – yes, we bought a laminator for this, we get the pages printed because we have no printer – it’s an expense, but definitely more long-lasting and not back-breaking! However, if you don’t use the right nails, and if placed in a very sunny location the signs will fade. Apparently tacks can pop out of wood posts and we had nails that didn’t have heads so that’s been corrected with flat head nails. I couldn’t capture all of the areas, but we’re all the way past 234 Street, and up into Silver Valley. There are 32 Tabloid; 85 Letter; so almost 150 posters have been put up for our Calam. As for socials, Calam is posted to the following Facebook groups:

Maple Ridge, BC – Lost & Found Cats, Dogs & Pets – Paw Guide Network
Maple Ridge Central Neighbours
Missing Pets of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows
Missing Pets And Sightings Fraser Valley
Missing Pets Fraser Valley
Silver Valley Neighbourhoods – Without The Censorship
Port Coquitlam Missing Pets Lost & Found (PoCo/Burke Mtn/River Springs)
Missing and found pets – Vancouver BC & the Lower Mainland
Lost/Missing Pets in BC – Lower Mainland/Greater Vancouver/Fraser Valley
Silver Valley Neighbourhoods (B.C.)
Maple Ridge Neighbours
Laity View / West Maple Ridge Neighbours
Found and lost pets Of The Lower Mainland
Port Coquitlam Pets Lost & Found

Poster locations; some areas not captured.