{"id":111925,"date":"2025-11-01T06:03:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T06:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/111925\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T06:03:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T06:03:08","slug":"on-the-up-dargavilles-missing-maine-coon-bear-found-safe-after-six-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/111925\/","title":{"rendered":"On The Up: Dargaville\u2019s missing Maine Coon Bear found safe after six days"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weighing 9kg, the hefty moggy with his fluffy tail and tufted ears, likes to stretch out on the shop\u2019s counter and is renowned for putting customers at ease.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just a beautiful, very affectionate cat,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople often bring him treats and catnip, so he\u2019s quite spoilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have lots of kids say, \u2018oh, is Bear here? Can I see Bear\u2019?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Bear likes someone, he\u2019ll sit on their foot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bear\u2019s sudden disappearance a fortnight ago was perplexing and distressing for Walker. He and others searched high and low \u2013 behind shops, along riverbanks, and even on rooftops. Nearby storeowners checked their security footage for clues, and social media posts about Bear\u2019s absence went viral. Walker offered a reward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI probably had more than 1000 contacts [from people] about his disappearance,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

Then, miraculously, \u201che just turned up\u201d last Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

Walker firmly rejects any suggestion Bear was simply out springtime prowling.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a neutered male, loyal to the hilt \u2013 like a dog that way \u2013 and quite content with his lot: perching on the shop\u2019s counter, chirping at passers-by (Maine Coons<\/a> are big talkers and don\u2019t really meow), and patrolling his rooftop \u2013 often to the amusement of cafe customers across the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s too well looked after to be bothered [wandering],\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

Since returning, Bear hasn\u2019t been downstairs, preferring to sleep on Walker\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, when I go to bed, I have to move him,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

Bear didn\u2019t eat much when he first got home, adding to Walker\u2019s suspicion that someone had opportunistically grabbed him. A vet check-up was scheduled to make sure he\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

And perhaps tellingly, Bear came home with fleas. Walker said he liked to think it was \u201cnatural justice\u201d if the culprit\u2019s home is now infested.<\/p>\n

Six-year-old Bear \u2013 who Walker has had since kittenhood \u2013 is still agile and an able hunter.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut it this way, I have no rats,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

\"ContentContent for the past four years as a shop fixture and customer meet-and-greeter, Bear’s sudden disappearance for six days was distressing and perplexing. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n

He recalled being woken recently at 3.30am to find Bear had wrangled a seagull into the shower booth. Fortunately, the bird went back out the open bathroom window.<\/p>\n

Walker suspects the culprit who took Bear eventually realised the cat\u2019s \u201cworld-famous-in-Kaipara<\/a>\u201d status, meant someone would soon recognise him.<\/p>\n

Since Bear\u2019s return last Tuesday, the shop has been abuzz with locals sharing their relief and swapping theories about where he might have been.<\/p>\n

Walker said he\u2019s been inundated by well-wishers wanting to tell him how pleased they are that Bear is back.<\/p>\n

Local Anita Evans told the Northern Advocate<\/a>: \u201cBear\u2019s safe return is honestly the best news we\u2019ve had in ages, especially with everything else going on lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really do have an amazing community here,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

He enjoys the hub-like atmosphere he and Bear have created<\/a> at his shop, where friends regularly stop in for a chat and a rest on old cinema seats.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like The Last of the Summer Wine<\/a>,\u201d Walker said, referring to the British sitcom about a group of retired mates who spend their days getting into gentle mischief and reminiscing.<\/p>\n

Walker and Bear shifted from Auckland about four years ago \u2013 a retirement move back home for Walker, whose family first settled in the area in 1864.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cHe\u2019s\u201cHe\u2019s just a beautiful, very affectionate cat,\u201d proud Maine Coon cat owner Gordon Walker says of his beloved Bear. Photo \/ supplied<\/p>\n

The SPCA says thousands of animals go missing each year and offers advice on its website to help find them.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, the SPCA says, don\u2019t give up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnimals – especially cats – can go missing for days or even weeks before showing up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Guy Fawkes night approaching, pet insurers are reminding the public how distressing fireworks can be for the nation\u2019s 4.4 million pets, who hear at higher frequencies and greater distances than humans.<\/p>\n

Dr Cath Watson of Healthy Pets New Zealand has seen injuries ranging from torn limbs and broken teeth to dogs hit by cars and horses tangled in fences.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdd flashing lights, the risk of fire from stray fireworks, the danger of animals being deliberately targeted, and increased traffic, and it\u2019s easy to see why pets may bolt, panic or get injured,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your pet is showing extreme reactions to loud noises, especially if it\u2019s worsening over time, don\u2019t wait for them to grow out of it. Talk to your vet about medication, non-drug tools and strategies,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n

Pet Direct Insurance recommends warning neighbours about backyard fireworks events, creating safe indoor spaces, covering aviaries and using calming tools.<\/p>\n

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years\u2019 experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Weighing 9kg, the hefty moggy with his fluffy tail and tufted ears, likes to stretch out on the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":111926,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[74,10636,20206,8688,80083,23155,80082,4731,1874,71,2964,16718,19133,44982,6501,111,43,139,69,90,19098,1326,4739,223,2951,810,2201,1316],"class_list":["post-111925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-after","tag-antiques","tag-bear","tag-cat","tag-coon","tag-dargaville","tag-dargavilles","tag-days","tag-found","tag-from","tag-half","tag-him","tag-looking","tag-maine","tag-missing","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-on","tag-safe","tag-shop","tag-six","tag-the","tag-town","tag-up","tag-went","tag-when"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}