Missing Cat On LI Found Safe After 5 Weeks: 'We Never Gave Up'

HAMPTON BAYS, NY —It was a joyful reunion Tuesday as a missing cat, Whisper, was found safe after being lost for more than five weeks.

Whisper, a declawed house cat not used to being outside, went missing July 26 near the Shinnecock Animal Hospital — on Montauk Highway and Gravel Hill Road in Hampton Bays — when the bottom of the carrier he was in broke. Far from their home in Southampton, his owner Lois Beekman was terrified he would never be able to find his way back to her.

But through sheer grit and a dose of faith — as well as the tireless efforts of Teddy Henn of Missing Angels Long Island and his teammate, Charmaine DeRosa — Whisper was saved at 3:54 a.m. Tuesday. "It's unbelievable," Beekman said. "I'm thrilled."

Whisper is fine, save for being thin and having a slight heart murmur that he may have had all along, Beekman said.

Henn, an animal tracker who has led many search-and-rescue efforts, said there had been weeks of false sightings until, finally, a woman in Hampton Bays said she believed Whisper had been seen in her back yard. Henn set up a feeding station for three nights in the area, which was backed by woods, but there was no sighting. He then walked some nearby railroad tracks and finally, after hours of searching, saw Whisper lying against the fence.

Henn took a photo and called the cat's name, but Whisper headed back into the woods. Henn set up a trap with food and, early Tuesday, Whisper approached. First he sniffed the food and then, after disappearing for an hour, headed back to the trap, where he was found and shepherded to safety.

When asked what fueled his exhaustive search, which took place throughout many long nights — many with Beekman out searching, too — Henn said, "It's just being determined. You just keep going. You know he's out there, somewhere. We never give up."

He admitted there were moments of discouragement, as well as some who told him that Whisper, a declawed cat, could not have survived. But then, another false sighting would imbue him with new determination. "I feel very happy for Lois and Whisper," Henn said.

Beekman told Patch that she and her cat often "spoke": She'd meow, and he'd meow back. When he was found, Henn said, "He just kept meowing and meowing when she was talking to him. It sounded like he was telling her the whole story of what happened in the last five weeks. It was amazing."

Beekman thanked Henn and his team, whom she said deserve all the help in the world with their Herculean efforts to save many animals, not just hers.

When Whisper went missing, Beekman was devastated. "We are family," she told Patch. "I have had 23 cats in my life over 76 years, but this is the smartest. He is wise. He is affectionate. He knows what I'm thinking. He's my soul mate."

A grateful Beekman is determined now to shower her Whisper with love. "He made it through this," she said. "He deserves the best."