A Hyderabad-based working professional has announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for anyone who can find their missing pet cat. Abhiraj Sinha and his family have been frantically searching in and around Banjara Hills for their pet cat, Zoya. They have driven around the bylanes calling out for Zoya hoping to find her. On December 2, around 4.30 pm, Zoya apparently left the building in which Abhiraj and his family are staying. The CCTV footage from a neighbour’s house helped conclude that the cat had crept out of the building in the evening.
Zoya is a white coloured Calico cat and has orange, brown and black spots on its body. Zoya is one among five cats that the family have. “We found Zoya with burns and injuries after Diwali as a kitten. We brought her home and she has been with us ever since. She is now around two years old,” shared Abhiraj.
Abhiraj, his family and a friend have tried reaching out to shops in the area requesting for CCTV footage to gather leads on where Zoya might have gone. “Most shops say their CCTV cameras aren’t working while some refuse to share the footage,” shared Abhiraj. “We had reached out to the Banjara police to file a complaint regarding the missing cat, however, we were told since Zoya isn’t a registered cat, a complaint wouldn’t be recorded. If we had the police to help us, it would have been easier as then the GHMC could also be roped in as their sanitation workers often spot missing animals while cleaning the roads,” added Abhiraj.
Abhiraj has pinned his hopes on social media where he has announced the reward of Rs 20,000. The photos and a message are also being circulated in animal activists groups in the city hoping that someone would reach out with leads. While we have heard of rewards being announced for missing animals, it’s rare to hear about such a high reward for a missing pet. “If anything, I feel the reward is less. At the end of the day, she is our family member; we can’t imagine not having her around. Money is not really a concern at this moment, we are just hoping that we get information about her.”
“We’re still hopeful and we’re going out looking for her in the nights and in the mornings,” added Abhiraj. If you find Zoya anywhere in Hyderabad you can contact Abhiraj on 9014003870.