Couple pleads for safe return of cat after it was seemingly stolen from RV in Rutland

A couple are asking for the safe return of their beloved cat, Kitten, after she was allegedly stolen from their RV in the Save-On-Foods parking lot in Rutland on Tuesday afternoon.

Kara Swan told KelownaNow that she and her partner, Robby Gilbert, were both gone from the RV. She was out with her other cat, while he was in the grocery store.

What they believe happened while they were gone is every pet owner’s worst fear.

When Gilbert returned to the RV, he could feel that Kitten’s “presence was gone,” and ripped the space apart trying to find her.

The doors were locked, however the window, where the cat liked to sit and people watched, was not. A hand print was discovered on the window as well, leading them to believe that someone came along, slid it open, took the cat, and closed it again.

Swan and Gilbert have spent the last few days combing through nearby surveillance cameras, but the footage was very poor quality.

They have spoken with the RCMP and the BC SPCA, and are hanging fliers encouraging people to report any information about the whereabouts of Kitten.

Swan says that whoever took the cat didn’t take anything else from the RV.

“They probably saw her and maybe they thought they were doing the right thing— thinking they were rescuing her or something,” said Swan. “But she's incredibly well-loved and her sister's pretty upset that she's missing, so we're hoping we can find her.”

Gilbert has had Kitten since she was eight weeks old, and now accompanies him everywhere. He calls her an “adventure cat” as she enjoys travelling, camping, hiking and even canoeing.

Gilbert and Swan were in Kelowna temporarily for work, and are hoping to stick around for awhile to find Kitten. Their plan was to get the cat’s vaccinations in order while in the community before going to the USA.

To whoever took the cat, Swan says, “Honestly, at this point I don’t care why they did it. We’re not going to press charges or anything like that. We just really want our cat back.”

In the meantime, Swan says that the support they’ve received from the community has been amazing.

“There've been a lot of really nice people that have reached out to just offering words of comfort,” Swan adds.

A cash reward will be offered for information leading to the cat’s whereabouts, however the amount is not being disclosed. Only people with serious information are asked to reach out.