“We were both crying! It was the best sight ever.”
In the summer of 2022, Betsy O’Neill received a Facebook notification about a family of cats in need of rescue. For the full-time schoolteacher, who had spent the last decade trapping cats around New Milford, Connecticut, it wasn’t an unusual request for help. However, something about this particular rescue felt different.
When O’Neill successfully trapped the mother cat, a litter of six-week-old kittens, and two other cats, later named Padmé and Aayla, she noticed an immediate bond between one of the cats and her son, Reilly.
“We had recently lost our cat, Leia, and Reilly fell in love with Padmé because of her pastel coloring,” O’Neill shared. “Of course, he convinced us to adopt two cats, so we chose the pastel beauty and her sister, who had a heart-shaped mark on her nose!”
After being monitored for several weeks at New Milford’s Animal Welfare Society, Padmé and Aayla were cleared for adoption. The O’Neills eagerly brought them home, but the semi-feral strays were initially cautious in their new environment. However, once they realized how loved they were, their personalities began to shine.
Aayla remained calm, but Padmé embraced her wild side, becoming the family’s beloved troublemaker. “She would take a running start, jump straight up, and velcro herself to the cat tree,” O’Neill said. “She’d leap over the dog, jump off the table onto the refrigerator, and sprint down the hall to pounce on her sister. She was a typical calico.”
Padmé kept the O’Neills and their dog, Maizie, entertained with her antics, but she was also incredibly affectionate. “When Reilly came home from work, she’d hear his voice and run to him from wherever she was hiding,” O’Neill said. “She loved sitting with Reilly when he was on his computer and snuggling with us during TV time.”
Although Padmé was strictly an indoor cat, her fascination with the outdoors gave Reilly an idea in 2024. He wanted to take her for walks on a leash. However, as soon as he took her outside, she panicked, jumped out of his arms, and slipped out of her harness. Padmé bolted around the house, and then Reilly lost sight of her.
Heartbroken, Reilly was distraught, but his mom, experienced in cat rescues, immediately jumped into action. “We did EVERYTHING possible! We moved cameras around the yard, set up trail cameras, posted on Facebook, made over 100 laminated fliers, knocked on doors, and handed out fliers at local businesses,” O’Neill said.
For 26 days, the family monitored the cameras and dealt with numerous false alarms. Then, one night, O’Neill saw a familiar pair of glowing eyes on camera. Unfortunately, Padmé didn’t enter the trap, disappearing into the woods once again. Days passed, and she briefly appeared on camera before vanishing again.
Finally, on September 29—40 days after she went missing—Padmé returned. Reilly stayed up late that night and noticed movement on the garage camera. He saw Padmé approaching the trap slowly, following a trail of treats. “Watching her inch towards the trap felt like torture,” O’Neill said. When Padmé finally entered, Reilly pulled the cord to close the trap and immediately called his mom.
“I rushed to the garage in disbelief,” O’Neill recalled. “We were both crying! It was the best sight ever.” After some emotional hugs, they set Padmé up in a cozy cage to keep her comfortable until the vet could see her the next day. Padmé meowed with a raspy voice, clearly stressed, but when Maizie entered the room, Padmé instantly relaxed, rubbing against the crate and playfully reaching out to her old friend.
The next day, Padmé received a clean bill of health and returned home to her family. Although she’s a bit more anxious and sleepy than before, she’s settling back into her routine. “[Padmé] is back to velcroing herself to the cat tree, but now, you can usually find her snuggled in a warm blanket with her boy, Reilly,” O’Neill said.
After a 40-day rollercoaster, Padmé is finally home, safe, and surrounded by love once again.