Missing cats don’t typically make headlines. The images and descriptions of beloved pets instead tend to circulate on social media, shared among alert neighbors by sympathetic users.
But a stolen cat? That’s a different story, and this one has caught the attention and prompted the involvement of an island community that famously comes together to help one of its own, be it a person OR a pet.
In this case, Amy Bebbington and Patrick O’Herlihy need the community to know the story of Monty, the mouthy black cat who snores when he sleeps, “talks” to anyone who pets him, makes his presence and opinions known, and never ventures beyond his neighbor’s yard on Duncan Street.
So listen up, Key West. Keep your eyes and ears open. Let’s find Monty.
Here’s what happened:
Monty has been missing from Duncan Street since Monday, Sept. 21, but he didn’t go missing.
“Someone took him,” Bebbington said.
How does she know? Monty’s collar.
It had an AirTag locating device attached — and was found 5.6 miles up U.S. 1, lying on the ground near Boca Chica Naval Air Station. But no Monty.
“We went to the AirTag location and, after searching, found Monty’s collar — with the AirTag still attached — lying on the ground at an old/disused entrance off the Overseas Highway at Boca Chica. We have now searched the area four times, but have found no sign of Monty,” Bebbington said, adding that the AirTag and collar were the evidence they needed to file a police report. “The Key West police and Detective Anna Anglin have been great with us,” Bebbington said. “They could easily have rolled their eyes and dismissed us, but they’ve been so empathetic and are taking this seriously. And thankfully, the collar and AirTag provided evidence that most missing pet situations don’t have.”
Even the professionally skeptical police were convinced that 16-pound Monty, a homebody who doesn’t wander more than 100 yards in any direction, didn’t set off on a nearly six-mile journey up a busy highway.
The couple is convinced that the more people who are aware of the situation and alert to anything they see or hear about a black cat, the more likely it is that Monty will be found.
“Someone must have seen or heard something about a black cat, and this community is amazing when it comes together and works together to help a neighbor,” O’Herlihy said. “Someone may have overheard a conversation about a cat without realizing what they were hearing.”
Bebbington and O’Herlihy have also reported Monty missing to the Florida Keys SPCA, where staff can identify him via his microchip — but someone has to find him and bring him into the shelter first.
The couple is also keeping Monty’s story updated and circulating on local social media.
Monty is all black with little white spots that make his nose look like it’s peeling from sunburn. “It’s from mosquito sensitivity. When he scratches his nose, it may get scabby,” Bebbington said, adding that Monty also has little bald spots near his tail. “He has allergies that cause the bald spots, so he’s not a shiny black cat.”
Monty is on prescription food for his skin conditions and allergies.
“So he really needs to be home with his family. He’s also quite a big cat — 16 pounds — and very vocal, with big meows. He’s a member of our family, and the house feels incomplete without him. We have one other cat, who doesn’t understand where Monty is.”
Monty’s big personality makes his absence feel as significant as his presence. And Amy Bebbington and Patrick O’Herlihy are just hoping the Key West and Lower Keys community can help fill that void — by finding Monty.
Bebbington posted the following plea on Facebook, writing, “Monty is VERY friendly and is microchipped. If you see a black cat that you think could be him, please don’t chase him or try to trap him. If it is Monty, he should be approachable. You can calmly talk to him, let him come to you and gently scoop him up. The safest thing to do is take him to the SPCA or ANY local vet. They can scan his microchip and confirm immediately that he is Monty, and we will be contacted.
If you aren’t able to safely pick him up, PLEASE take a photo or video and message it to me. I can usually tell very quickly if it is Monty as he has some very recognizable features…Please do not follow a cat for miles, set traps or try to lure a cat into a car unless we have confirmed it is Monty. There are lots of black cats in the area, and we don’t want anyone accidentally catching someone else’s cat. And if you contact us about a sighting, please send a photo/video and the exact location if possible. That will help us enormously. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been looking, sharing, asking their neighbors and keeping an eye out. The amount of support Monty has received has been unbelievable. Please keep looking. We just need one person to see him.”
The couple is offering a reward for the return of Monty and they urge anyone with any information, no matter how small of a detail, to contact them via Amy Bebbington on Facebook, facebook.com/amybebbington.
