Will and Lauren Powers, owners of two record-holding cats and a third beloved kitty, are desperately searching for their 3 felines – plus their friend’s – after a devastating fire destroyed their home.
The Powers are the proud parents of Cygnus, a Maine Coon with the world’s longest tail, Arcturus, a Serval who holds the record for the tallest domestic cat, and Sirius, a gorgeous kitty with tiger-like stripes. Also in the house was Yuki, an adorable white-pawed tabby belonging to their friend, who was staying there.
Now, the Powers’ are offering a huge reward for the cats’ safe return: $25,000 each, or a grand total of $100,000 for all 4, to be paid in Bitcoin.
“They treated their cats like children. They were members of their family. And them having notoriety for their sizes has nothing to do with how they feel about them,” Will’s sister, Brittany Powers, told the Washington Post. “They’re really devastated.”
An Instagram post by starcats_detroit was published the day after the fire, explaining:
“I awoke to alarms and tried to put out the fire and find and save our boys, Cygnus, Arcturus, and Sirius along with our friend’s Yuki. I was not able to find any of them before I was overcome with smoke. We are nearly sure all perished. I did manage to open a few doors as I ran outside so if anyone in the Farmington, MI area finds a cat matching their description, please contact us.”
In the post, the couple also asks that anyone who wishes to contribute to their expenses can donate to the Red Cross or their local cat shelter, instead.
“If you would like to do anything to help, please donate to the Ferndale Cat Shelter in honor of Cygnus, Sirius, and Arcturus. We cared more about helping others than worldly possessions and so did they.”
But the family maintains hope for a miracle as reported sightings of Cygnus and Arcturus have trickled in. They ask locals to download the Tile app and turn their Bluetooth on, which will connect to the smart collars that their 3 cats were wearing.
“Three cats had on Tile collars and we will be notified if anyone using the app and Bluetooth comes near any collar we flagged,” they explained on Instagram. “Please also report any sightings via private message.”
The cat-loving couple, who had no intentions of housing two world record holders when they welcomed the kitties into their home, don’t see dollar signs when they think about their cats: they just see family members.
We hope that all four kitties are found safe and sound so that their families can be reunited again.
(h/t: Washington Post)