Lewis the cat, longtime presence at Ann Arbor's Downtown Home and Garden shop, goes missing
(Update 7:17 p.m. Aug. 1: Lewis the cat is returned safely to Downtown Home and Garden)
If you’ve visited Downtown Home and Garden on South Ashley Street in Ann Arbor during the last decade, chances are you’ve met Lewis the cat.
But in the last few days, Lewis has gone missing from the store.
Lewis the cat has gone missing from Downtown Home & Garden.
Photo courtesy of Downtown Home and Garden
The orange feline has lived at the century-old shop for about the past 12 years.
But Hodesh said Lewis is more than just a cat. In fact, the 15-pound, 15-year-old tabby generated plenty of buzz in the Ann Arbor area.
“Lewis has regular visitors,” Hodesh said. “He means a lot to a lot of customers. He gets his fair share of mail from people. People driving south to north even come into Ann Arbor just to pet Lewis and get on the road again.”
Hodesh said that some of his customers’ favorite part of shopping at Downtown Home and Garden was getting to see Lewis.
“He has raised generations of kids,” Hodesh said. “We have children that have come in and petted him when they were young and they’re now going to graduate school.”
There are fliers for Lewis posted around town and Hodesh has sent out communications through social media websites like Facebook and Twitter.
“He was the best-natured of store animals, so we’ll miss him if he doesn’t come back,” Hodesh said.
The shop is asking that if you've seen Lewis, call (734) 662-8122.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
Sallyxyz
Sun, Jul 31, 2011 : 4:39 p.m.
Come home, Lewis A lot of people miss you!
Animal Lover
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 6:28 p.m.
Lewis, please come home ASAP! If you see him, please bring him home.
Animal Lover
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 6:23 p.m.
Lewis, please stay safe and away from opinion columnist J Keeping.
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 3:40 p.m.
Could a suspect be...wait for it....The Cat Burglar?
Terrin Bell
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 2:16 p.m.
PS: I hope that other Annarbor.com so called reporter Ms. Keeping doesn't run into Lewis.
Terrin Bell
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 1:16 p.m.
I just petted Lewis a couple of weeks ago. I hope he is OK.
Marge Biancke
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 12:56 p.m.
I sure hope that Lewis is just hiding in a dark corner--we will miss him
Jack Gladney
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 12:07 p.m.
What a wonderfully fortunate cat. Usually, missing cat stories are relegated to telephone poles at crosswalks or the community bulletin board at the grocery store. Has the cat at Stadium Aquarium in the Westgate been questioned regarding Lewis' disappearance?
TinyArtist
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 11:32 a.m.
I would like to report abuse of Barn Help's poetic license.
Donald Martin
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 10:26 a.m.
Aw, Lewis, you're a great cat, please come back safe.
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 9:18 a.m.
Twelve years is old, but not that old for a cat, if that is his original age. Our wandering cat has twice become trapped in our neighbor's barn by presumably jumping down into an area he could not jump out from again. On another occasion he was trapped in an infrequently used other neighbor's garage. Each time I searched and called until I heard faint meows. Everyone in the vicinity should be calling for Lewis with food in hand, shaking it in a box, tapping a cat food can with a spoon, whatever he is used to. Cats don't wander far from home. They might hide from storms, and sad to say, they do hide when they are dying too.
Tom Whitaker
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 3:29 a.m.
A friend suggested, and I agree, that Lewis might have been scared by the intense storms the past two nights and found a deep, dark hiding spot. We had a cat once that got locked in someone's garage for several days. Check all the nooks and crannies!
Ryan Munson
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 3:12 a.m.
Ah I hope he comes back. =(
Mariella
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 12:54 a.m.
This is sad, but it's also a reminder that no cat should be an "outdoor" cat. It's not clear from the article if Lewis is normally kept inside and just escaped. Regardless, I hope he returns home safely.
Mariella
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.
Dennis, I hear what your saying. But many shelters will not let you take home a cat if you intend to keep it outdoors. I think having a cat in a rural area (farmland, etc.) is different than having a cat in a city like Ann Arbor. But, even if you have a car in a rural area, it still runs the risk of getting hit by a car or killed by an animal. Cats are domesticated creatures and should be treated as such (feral cats being a possible exception, though I keep my feral cats indoors, since I live in a city). However, even though we differ in opinions, I am truly sorry to hear about your loss.
DennisP
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.
You're entitled to your opinion, but to say that NO cat should be an outdoor cat is broad and simplistic. Many common cats survive quite nicely being outdoor cats and would feel tortuously imprisoned indoors. There are some cats that are naturally inclined to indolence (in a good way) and do well indoors. They make good urban cats. Many of these are the purebreds like the persians, but that's not the usual nature for your typical "alley cat" who also make wonderful pets. In rural and more open areas, outdoor cats (tabbies, etc) do well and control rodents. My family has owned many cats over the decades and have had more than a few that have lived near to 20 years of age. To me, a 12 year old cat is middle aged. I've also had some that have not returned. It's just the nature of cats. But, it's the way they prefer to live. They can die from anything. My last cat died from a reaction to a multipotent vaccine administred by a vet after finding her physically in superb condition. For 24-hours she suffered until she passed. I had to then threaten legal action with the vaccine maker to get some compensation back for emergency service fees and her cremation costs. The vet, at least, waived his bill. In the end, the cats most likely to not survive are those kept indoors who then escape and have no survival skills. There are some cats that are fine indoors. But, to say that ALL cats do best that way is close-minded and just wrong.
Barn Help
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 11:40 p.m.
I was told to ask WHEN DID Lewis see the Vet last ??? We all know barn cats ,Stray cats and others need DRUGS to Just like us old Fa()s do Come home Lewis They do love you
a2phiggy
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 10:23 p.m.
I echo A2 chrisp's sentiments, and add a note of sarcasm: perhaps UM-DPS needs to get involved...they will surely blame Lewis for his missingness, just as they attribute recent sexual assaults to the behavior of the victims. If he had only followed their guidelines...
godsbreath64
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 10 p.m.
Lewis come home!
mary
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.
Maybe Lewis shouldn't be out alone, or maybe Lewis should get a permit to carry.
David Wizard
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 9:40 p.m.
That is the prevailing meme on A2.com these days, isn't it? Who knew there were so many gun... "aficionados" in town?
Atticus F.
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 7:56 p.m.
I work about a block away from DTH&G, and see Lewis on a regular basis. He's such a nice fellow. I'm worried that someone may have either stolen him, or he got to old and simply found a comfortable place to pass away (as cats often do). Either way, I hope to see him again.
a2chrisp
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 7:30 p.m.
Hopefully Lewis comes back soon. He really is a wonderful cat and will be missed if he is gone.