For a while, it looked like Lilly would become another example of a black cat fulfilling to the , but between Chandra Bray’s persistence and a little help from strangers, Lilly found a happy ending.
The problem began on June 30, when Lilly escaped from the Grand Junction where Bray and her fiance, Justin Anderson, spent the night as they drove to their new jobs in , Nev.
“We checked with the desk, and spent a couple of hours looking for her, but she never showed up,” Bray said. She left her phone number with the Motel 6 desk clerk, hoping Lilly would emerge from her hiding place.
The clerk spotted Lilly on July 5, caught her, and contacted Bray.
“I was astonished,” Bray said.
“I’d originally adopted her from the Humane Society, so I didn’t know if she had a history of running away.”
Bray called to ask them to pick up Lilly. She was even more surprised when the staff asked if she wanted them to transport Lilly to Las Vegas. Sure, she said.
The cat spent the next few nights at the shelter while transport options were weighed. Then one of the volunteers learned that a friend would be flying to Las Vegas. The friend was willing to take Lilly along, in a crate under her seat.
Lilly arrived in Las Vegas on July 9.
“My fiance picked her up, because the flight was late and I had to be up early for my ,” Bray said.
“He brought her in, and she just meowed and meowed, and slept in bed with me all night. She’s fine. Although now she’s hearing birds. She’s been an indoor cat, but I think she’s gotten more brave. She wants to go outside and chase birds.”
Claire Martin: 303-954-1477, cmartin@denverpost.com or twitter.com/byclairemartin
