On February 10, 2021, a couple is driving on the A11 motorway in Sarthe. Isabelle and Christophe return from Touraine where they visited family. In the car is their cat, Bandit, a 14-year-old black and white male. The latter is quietly in his cage, in the trunk of the car, when an accident occurs. More fear than harm for the couple. However, with the shock, Bandit’s cage opened and the feline, panicked, fled.
“We made a barrel. We found ourselves in the dark, upside down. We were really stunned,” says Christophe after the accident. On the evening of the tragedy, near the La Charpenterie area, the road was covered in ice. And has already caused pileups. The police are on the scene and quickly come to the couple’s aid.
After a night at the Le Mans hospital, Isabelle and Christophe can’t wait to return to the scene of the accident to find Bandit. They remain hopeful because the day before, “a gendarme saw him running, apparently not injured. He first rushed towards the highway but a truck arrived. He was scared and turned around,” explains Christophe. The couple began their research in “a bitter cold”, explains Isabelle.
In order to maximize their chances, Rémi, the couple’s son, posts a message on social networks. The message hit the mark and within a few hours, the post was shared 10,000 times. “We discovered a world of resources and tools that we didn’t know about,” says Isabelle. “We can clearly see the power of social networks,” rejoices Christophe. Since then, a surge of solidarity has continued.
Internet users not only relayed the message on social networks, anonymous people even came to help the couple with their research.
“For a week, we came every day. Then the weekend. We combed the rest area. We went to the surrounding farms, where the people were so welcoming! Victor, a teenager, even took his coat to come and help us look for our cat in the woods, in the snow. At the La Porte farm, we were offered coffee, cakes and Elliott, a little boy, drew us a drawing to give us courage in our research,” recalls Isabelle.
A solidarity that touched the couple. Even the local mail carrier paid them a quick visit on her day off.
Despite the disappointments, the couple does not lose hope. He is helped by Audrey, a volunteer from the Animal Defense League. Obstinate, the couple tried everything and contacted animal mediums. On February 23, they were guided by telephone and arrived at a culvert where Bandit was. The couple is relieved and rushes to help Bandit, who has been missing for 19 days. “We screamed and cried a lot,” confides Isabelle, delighted to have found her cat.
After a quick visit to the vet, Bandit lost a little over a kilo. “It is believed to have licked the snow and may have fed on farms. This nozzle must have been its base,” Isabelle thinks.
After this joyful outcome, Isabelle and Christophe are happy to have found Bandit and are grateful for the help given to them.
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