A San Diego woman is grieving the loss of her cherished pet after a cat sitter apparently left her front door ajar, potentially allowing coyotes to snatch her furry friend.
Anna Coombs is devastated over the disappearance of Blair, her 12-year-old tuxedo cat, beloved for his distinctive black-and-white coat.
Coombs had entrusted a pet sitter to care for Blair at her University City residence while she and her husband were away.
However, shortly after their departure, the sitter contacted Coombs with alarming news: Blair, an indoor cat by nature, had slipped outside within moments of the sitter’s arrival.
“She left the door open while bringing in her belongings and saw our cat venture outside,” Coombs recounted.
She added, “Blair has never gone outside and willingly returned. The sitter assumed he was an outdoor cat and left the door open all night. I’m furious with this individual.”
‘This has been, like, the most devastating week and day of our lives, and there’s so much I want to say about Blair.’
Coombs said the next few days were filled with anxiety as they prayed for Blair’s return.
Anna Coombs tearfully mourned her 12-year-old black-and-white tuxedo cat Blair who she believes was killed by coyotes after a pet sitter allegedly let her out the front door
She claimed the sitter had even negotiated a higher price due to her experience pet sitting.
‘She texted us a day, a full day after it happened basically saying, like, “Hey, I feel at peace about this. I just know your cat will come back.” She didn’t ask, “Is this normal?” She just assumed,’ she fumed in a TikTok video.
But her anguish soon turned to full-on despair and just a day later, Coombs shared the news that Blair had been found dead.
She explained that a specialized animal recovery team used a thermal drone and scent-tracking dogs before a hound found what they believed to be Blair’s remains.
The drone also picked up two coyotes running through the local trails.
‘They were an incredible team, and they were so nice, and they handled everything with so much care. But I didn’t want to accept it,’ Coombs said.
‘They said there’s always the possibility of the probability being wrong, so there’s always a hope. But I think we know in our heart that she’s gone.’
Coombs said she has had Blair for the cat’s whole life and the two have moved to various cities together.
Coombs said the sitter told her she managed to lose the cat within five minutes of arriving at her University City home
Coombs enlisted expert help to locate Blair and searchers believe they found her remains as well as evidence of coyotes
‘She moved with me to college, and she moved with me to Austin. She moved with me to New York, and she moved with me here to San Diego,’ Coombs said.
‘She was literally in the passenger seat of my car when my husband and I kissed for the first time right outside of it.
‘She’s literally been in my life for every major milestone. My kids were supposed to meet her. I know it’s just a cat, but Blair was truly my family.
‘I don’t want to say anything more about the sitter. But Blair was truly such a special cat, and she was my soul cat. And I’m just so, so sad that this was her ending.
‘I just hope that she knows how much I loved her and how much she truly brought to our lives.’
Now, Coombs is urging other pet owners to be overly cautious about their beloved pets.
‘They know them very well, and I’m just warning anyone in our area, please, please keep your pets safe,’ she said.
‘Please, please find pet sitters that you fully, fully trust. And over, over, over communicate to them what needs to be said.’
