Isolated Sheffield woman’s plea for help in 18-month search for missing cat

Jane Pearce, who is living alone during social isolation, has revealed she cries every day over losing Sidney, who went missing in October 2018, and who she understands is likely dead.

But she says she would rather have an answer as to what happened to Sidney, once and for all, even if she doesn’t get him back.

“I live alone and miss Sidney incredibly,” said the 59-year-old.

“I cry every day as I do not know what’s happened to him, and whether he is dead or alive.

“A lot of people say he will be dead now.

“Some are saying someone might be feeding him, I just wish I knew what had happened.

“I’ve been hunting high and low for 18 months.”

The black and white semi-longhaired cat was last seen at 5.30pm on October 28 2018, when Jane let him, and her three other cats, outside.

At 7pm, when she called the others in, Sidney failed to return.

“I’d only recently moved to my new house, in Shiregreen, near Concord Park, so the area was still unfamiliar to Sidney, and though he’d been out before, he was quite frightened,” says Jane, who adopted Sidney from Sheffield Cats Shelter ten years before he disappeared.

“The evenings were dark then, and I blame myself for letting him out when he wasn’t settled.

“I looked everywhere in the weeks after, including all the bushes in the park.

“I don’t know whether someone’s dog or a fox killed him, and his body was thrown in a bin.

“I think a trauma might have happened to him, and his body discarded, but I’d still prefer to know.”

Sidney was described by Jane as a timid cat, who was in good health when he went missing, and had had a booster and health check a few months earlier.

He was neutered and microchipped with no collar, and no tracker.

Following his disappearance, Jane posted details on various pet sites and group pages, placed adverts in local shops, and put leaflets through letterboxes in the area.

“He would be around 15 now,” adds Jane.

“I have never stopped thinking about what’s happened to him, more so at present as I am not seeing anybody at my house because of the social distancing.

“I miss him terribly, and would just like to know what happened to him.

Have you seen Sidney?

Email [email protected] if you have any information.