Tilt’s Big Adventure; McLean County Rescue Cat Returns Home

Settle in, y'all, this is a good one. I honestly can't believe it happened. Life's crazy coincidences never cease to amaze me, and I'm always a sucker for an animal rescue story with a happy ending. I'll try not to take you on a wild goose chase, but honestly, that would fit the vibe here.

My friend Cheryl Brown posted this on Facebook last night:

This sweet little orange cutie found himself lost in The Downs neighborhood off Hwy 54. Yesterday morning, when Cheryl came home from walking her dog, Delilah, she found that sweet little orange cutie meowing at her back door. "He was just looking at me like, please help!" To say he is lucky would be an understatement. Cheryl is a huge animal lover and, fortunately, had some cat food in her pantry.

She was also determined to find his owner, motivated by her husband, who didn't love the idea of adding to the family, and Delilah, who thought the sweet little orange cutie was a snack. In the meantime, Cheryl treated this kitty like he was staying at The Ritz. She kept him fed, "He gobbled everything right up!" He was super thirsty, so she made sure he had plenty of water.

"He wouldn't go away, so I made him a bed with blankets and a box to stay in the garage overnight." She even dug out an old litter box from a previous pet. He had it made. "It was so affectionate and sweet, I knew it had to belong to someone. I texted and called neighbors. The shelter was closed, so I decided to post another picture."

Look at that PRECIOUS FACE! Those eyes! And his tilted head gives him the CUTEST, curious expression. AND check out the comments...

Sure enough, our friend Kalyn Fiorella Burns and her family have been looking for their cat "Tilt" since February 4th. They've put up signs, posted online, and done everything they knew to do. Tilt joined the family back in March of 2024 when they adopted him from the McLean County Animal Shelter. "He almost died when he was neutered. He didn’t want to wake up from anesthesia," Kalyn told me.

"He’s extra special, as he has a permanent head tilt due to an ear infection as a baby. He snores. He slurps when he cleans himself. He’s got ginger cat energy and loves bedtime cuddles." While he has gotten into shenanigans before (back in the fall, they had to hire a tree service to rescue him from a tree after refusing to come down for 4 days), this is the first time he's disappeared.

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Usually, Tilt stays in the yard, but he either got a wild hair or took a nap in the back of his dad's truck and woke up to find himself at a job site. That would be the old day treatment facility on Hwy 54 across from Aldi that is being torn down. "He [Tilt] definitely didn't travel far between Cheryl’s house and where Ricky would have parked his truck."

Everyone has missed Tilt, but especially the kids. Kalyn's daughter saw a cat on the side of the road the other day that looked like him, and they were worried the worst might have happened. Especially after so much time passed. What are the odds that a cat would travel over half an hour away, not only to make his way safely to someone who would help him, but that someone would also be friends with his mama?!

What a wild adventure. The sweet little orange cutie is already back where he belongs. He went straight to his favorite spot by the wood-fired stove to wait for his boys, Koda (7) and JT (3), to get home today.

Kaylyn shared what happened when she picked them up. "I told them, 'I have a surprise for you at home,' and they kept trying to guess. So when we got home, I told them that they had to find their surprise, and they’d know it when they saw it." Koda found Tilt in about two seconds and was so excited! They got to snuggling on the couch. JT shook his cute little finger at Tilt and calmly but firmly told him, "Don't you go outside NO more."

Shew wee! Got my allergies acting up in here! I think it's safe to say Tilt used one of his nine lives, but I like to imagine he was making the most of it! We're just so glad he's back home. Ricky, be sure to check your truck bed before you go to work tomorrow!