When Kitty Went Missing, her Owners Turned to... Grindr
When Ruby, a 6-year-old black-and-white cat, escaped from her owners' home in Brighton, England, she was without a chip or even a collar. Her owners got creative and turned to a novel place for help getting her back: gay dating app Grindr.
Erin Johansen, 22, and her husband, Lorcan, 24, tried the usual strategy of putting up "Missing Cat" posters around their neighborhood, but then a friend offered the use of his profile on the popular dating app, according to UK newspaper the Daily Mail.
The worried pet owners were surprised at the response, which might have been due in part to how fun Ruby's profile described her as being: 21 years old, "chill, curious, and goofy," and "looking for dates."
"We didn't think to change the other bits of the profile," Erin Johansen told the newspaper, "so it said she enjoys karaoke and stuff."
Erin "explained that along with the photo of Ruby, there was a note attached saying, 'a bit strange but our house cat has gone missing. If anyone has seen this cat please message me to let me know, it would be great help,'" the article detailed.
Just to cover as many bases as possible, Erin also repurposed a Tinder profile to get Ruby's name, face, and story out to even more people. The apps, she said, were a "massive help."
Johansen added that she expected some users would respond with catty remarks, "but everyone took it really seriously and were just looking to help."
Though Ruby eventually made her way home again thanks to a sharp-eyed neighbor who spotted her just a few houses away from where the Johansens live, the fact that several Grindr users responded to say they'd seen the missing cat gave Erin confidence that the app's community can be relied on in case the adventurous feline goes rogue again.
"'There's a huge LGBTQ+ community around Brighton," Erin said, "and we were hoping to put the word out to as many people as possible."