I’m writing this letter in memory of my missing cat, Haze. Haze was/is a neutered, declawed, overweight, male tabby with yellow gold eyes about 10 years old.

He adopted me from a neighbor about seven and a half years ago where we lived on 10th and Pine. Haze is a great cat described as “cool,” “eccentric,” “happy,” “very intelligent” and “bad boy.“ He disappeared from the west end of Fairview Drive on July 15 where he was temporarily being watched while I was out of town.

His collar with identification tag and some fur was found a quarter-mile south in an orchard later that week. From all evidence it seems coyotes took him.

That domestic pets fall prey to wild animals is nothing new to most people living in or around Hood River. What is new to me is the closeness in proximity of this occurrence to an elementary school (Westside) and large neighborhood west of Belmont. Neither myself nor the people watching Haze had any idea that very recently about eight cats were missing in this area and that one owner chased a coyote who carried off his dog about one week before Haze went missing.

The people who found Haze’s collar also have a cat missing. They have seen coyotes in their orchard and believe they might have a den located there. In looking for Haze, coyotes were sighted nearby during the day. On Saturday, July 28, at 10:15 p.m. I heard coyotes howling from where I stood on Avalon Drive, three blocks south of Belmont. They were close by, perhaps one-quarter to one-half mile at the most.

I would just like people to know that coyotes are closer than they think, that they hunt both day and night, are attracted by their animals as well as food left out and fruit in orchards. Both the Hood River County Sheriff’s Animal Control and Oregon State Department of Fish and Wildlife (in The Dalles) were receptive to phone calls as they have received these before. Haze was only 1.5 miles from 10th and Pine when he disappeared. I will and those who knew him will miss him greatly.

Helpful community

We had the pleasure of taking our grandkids to the county fair on Saturday.

We all truly enjoyed the rides and displays. I left my medical pouch on a bench as I enjoyed a funnel cake and didn’t miss it until later in the day. A check at lost and found turned up nothing so we left a report with the sheriff’s department and went home.

A phone message was already here at home and I was reunited with the missing kit in time for my evening medicine.

I want to thank the kind person who found it and turned it in so promptly and to the Sheriff’s Officer Mark Anderson for getting it to me. It’s actions like these that speak highly for the county and its people. We will be back again in the future.