Ohio is back home in Provincetown, Mass., nearly two months after the 14-year-old tabby was stolen, then someone left a note chastising the cats owner for mistreatment.
He's a little confused and tired, said Ben Thornberry, who was outraged when his lost-pet notices resulted in the accusatory letter. But he slept in bed with me last night, curled up in my arm, and now he is a little more calm.
According to the Boston Herald, Provincetown police tracked the cat to two women in West Orange, N.J., who had previously offered to buy Ohio or take him on trips. Thornberry, who denied the requests, said that he suspected the women when Ohio disappeared around Christmas. He called them at that time to ask if they knew the cats whereabouts, but got no leads.
After the cat was found, the women offered Thornberry $1,000 through their attorney for Ohio and to keep quiet about the case, the Herald reported. Police are not filing any charges against the pair, and the newspaper was unable to contact them. There was no confirmation whether or not the women had anything to do with the note.
While the cat was missing, Thornberry received a letter postmarked Jan. 18 explaining that Ohio had been rescued from his outdoor life, and had been sent to a family in a different town that believed he was a stray.
He is being cared for and getting the medical care he deserves, the note read. He does not have to eat out of garbage cans or rely on tourists for scrap food and shelter anymore.
Thornberry said that the hefty cat was comfortable with its routine visiting other homes in a two-block area, and neighbors helped make sure that Ohio got plenty of love.
Posted: Feb. 9, 2006, 3 p.m. EST