What was supposed to be a fun vacation turned into a nightmare when a family’s partially blind Siamese, Maisie, got loose and went missing in Los Angeles in the rain. After a call from the pet sitter, the family had to cut their plans short and return to find her immediately, as coyotes and heavy traffic were among many potential dangers. The cat had never been outdoors on her own.
The full range of emotions, the ups and downs, of the search and reunion were all caught on camera. Comedian Zane Lamprey was filming as he and his wife Mel Lamprey, a well-known rescuer, returned to find the missing cat. Later, he shared what happened, but only after being sure there would be a happy ending.
Zane is a huge cat lover, as you can see below:
“Everyone gets a kitten at my upcoming shows! All you have to do is get a ticket at zanelamprey.com and then go to your local shelter and adopt a kitten, or a puppy, or a senior pet (if you’re an incredible human). Then come to my show and enjoy my stand-up along with local craft beer! It’s that simple! The BEST part is that after the show you’ll go home to a pet that loves you unconditionally. 🐈🐕❤️”
Zane Lamprey with two kittens via Instagram/Zane Lamprey
Maisie Snuck Out on the Tin Roof
Along the way to Lake Tahoe, the family stopped to bring rescued kitty Frankie to her new home.
Zane holds Frankie the kitty via YouTube/Zane Lamprey
From there, it was supposed to be fun in the snow and the slopes, but then they got the distressing call from the pet sitter. As Mel Lamprey shared on Instagram, Maisie was missing for over 24 hours before the petsitter called, so they were extremely worried.
“We drove home in a complete state of fear Thursday morning and started non-stop searching for her. Maisie is more blind than sighted, and she had never been outdoors a day in her life,” she wrote. “It was also raining Tuesday/Wednesday, something she would be totally unfamiliar with.”
Maisie via Instgram/Mel Lamprey
The family drove home at 4 a.m. to start searching. Once they arrived, they discovered a loose screen and tell-tale marks on the metal roof. They knew how she had gotten out and slid down the slanted roof to the ground, and she wasn’t responding to their calls for her.
The spot where Maisie got out on the roof
The Family Canvassed the Neighborhood
If your cat escapes, what’s the best way to search? The family knew their best hope was to talk to neighbors on social media and in person. As they canvassed the neighborhood, they met many new, friendly folks who wanted to assist, and it would pay off.
Hoping their kitty was nearby, the couple slept outside, sprinkling treats in the area. Unfortunately, Maisie didn’t show up, but a cute resident squirrel was there to receive more treats as usual.
Notch the squirrel on Zane’s lap
If 3 or 4 days went by, the odds that Maisie might venture outside the area grew, so they did all they could immediately. Zane and family went to all the neighbor’s houses, walking for miles. He even asked if he could look around areas like crawlspaces where she might try to hide out.
In one case, someone had seen Maisie, so they left her familiar cat tent and favorite food there for her to find. But unfortunately, she remained hidden.
Tent and food left for Maisie to find
Video via Instagram/Zane Lamprey
The Happiest Reunion for Maisie and Family
Finally, there was a breakthrough after 4 “horrible days.” Construction workers building a home nearby saw Maisie and, amazingly, took action, cornering her under a house. They ran to get the information from a flyer and called immediately. Mel and Zane ran to the scene but half-suspected it might be one of many false leads they had received.
Then, Mel described the flood of emotions as this lead turned out to be the one!
“The guys handed me a light and told me to look under the crawlspace. I did, and I think I almost passed out,” shared Mel Lamprey. “I screamed and fell to the ground and cried at the same time. It was my Maisie! Terrified. Wet. Dirty. But my Maisie. Alive. The guys started cheering, and then I set about calming so I could get her to come out. She took about 15 minutes of talking to, and eventually came to me. I grabbed her and handed her to Zane, and we ran to the house crying and checked her over. She was totally unharmed. Just scared. The amount of gratitude/relief/joy/luck we feel is unexplainable! ❤️🙏🏻,” Mel Lamprey shared.
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We’re so happy Maisie is back home, where she belongs, with so much to meow about!
Follow Mel Lamprey on Instagram and Facebook and Zane Lamprey on Instagram and Facebook.
See the whole story below from Zane Lamprey. (Maisie’s story starts at 8:35.)
