When Betsy O’Neill first got tagged in a Facebook post about a family of cats needing rescue in the summer of 2022, she didn’t think twice. As a longtime trapper in New Milford, Connecticut, Betsy had spent a decade helping stray and feral cats find safety — it was just another day in her mission.
But this particular rescue turned out to be anything but ordinary.
After catching a mother cat, her litter of 6-week-old kittens, and two other adult cats later named Padmé and Aayla, Betsy immediately sensed something special. One of the cats seemed to connect deeply with her son, Reilly.
“We had recently lost our cat, Leia, and Reilly fell in love with Padmé because he loved her [pastel] coloring,” Betsy told The Dodo. “Of course, he talked us into getting two, so we chose the pastel beauty and her sister — the one with a heart on her nose!”
Once the cats were cleared for adoption at New Milford’s Animal Welfare Society, the O’Neills welcomed Padmé and Aayla home.
At first, the pair were shy, cautious around their new surroundings. But as the days passed, their personalities bloomed. Aayla was sweet and steady — Padmé, a whirlwind of calico energy.
“She’d get a running start, jump into the air and velcro herself onto the cat tree,” Betsy laughed. “She’d leap over the dog, off the table onto the refrigerator — she was just wild.”
Yet beneath her boldness, Padmé was a deeply affectionate cat. She adored Reilly, sprinting to the kitchen the second she heard his voice and curling up beside him whenever he sat at his computer.
Two years later, in 2024, Reilly decided to share Padmé’s love of the outdoors by taking her outside in a harness. But their adventure went wrong in an instant.
“As soon as he got into the yard, she freaked out, flipped in the air and slipped out of her harness,” Betsy said. “She ran around to the front of the house — and then she was gone.”
Heartbroken, Betsy and Reilly launched a full-scale search. They printed more than 100 laminated flyers, knocked on doors, posted on Facebook, and placed trail cameras and feeding stations around their property.
Days turned into weeks. Betsy checked her cameras every night — and after 26 days, a familiar set of glowing eyes finally appeared on the screen.
It was Padmé.
Still, she stayed elusive. For days, Padmé appeared and vanished, lingering on the edges of the woods but never entering a trap. Then, on September 29, forty long days after she disappeared, everything changed.
That night, after trapping a male cat near their feeding station, Reilly noticed movement on the garage camera — a cautious, familiar silhouette.
“He was watching the trap and saw Padmé moving very slowly toward it,” Betsy said. “She was following the trail of treats, taking her time eating each one. Reilly said it felt like torture watching her.”
Finally, Padmé stepped inside. Reilly pulled the cord, closing the trap — and instantly called his mom.
“He had been holding the trap down like I’d told him, then stood up, put his foot on it and gave me a hug,” Betsy said. “We were both crying. It was the best sight ever.”
That night, they set Padmé up in a cozy crate, relieved beyond words. Though she was hoarse and restless, her anxiety melted when their dog, Maizie, came to see her.
“As soon as Maizie walked in, Padmé calmed right down,” Betsy said. “She rubbed against the cage and reached her paws through the bars to play. It was a relief — for all of us.”
The next day, Padmé got a clean bill of health from the vet and returned home for good. She’s still recovering — a little jumpier than before — but she’s happy, safe, and back where she belongs.
“She’s back to velcroing herself to the cat tree,” Betsy said, smiling. “But mostly, she’s curled up in a warm fleece blanket with her boy, Reilly.”
To help pets like Padmé find safety and love, you can donate to New Milford’s Animal Welfare Society.
