Willow, an 8-year-old Siamese cat, disappeared May 1 from the West Hartford Center area as people were going in and out of the home during the owner’s husband’s wake and funeral.

Submitted

A West Hartford family is asking for the community’s help in locating their beloved Siamese cat, Willow, who disappeared on May 1, 2026, after slipping out of the family’s home near the corner of Grennan Road and Brace Road during the owner’s husband’s wake and funeral services.

Two months later, despite an extensive community search effort, Willow has not been found.

Willow is an 8-year-old seal point Siamese with bright blue eyes, a black face, ears, paws, and tail, and a tan-colored chest and belly. She is spayed, microchipped, and weighed approximately 15 pounds when she disappeared.

Originally adopted from a rescue in Waterbury in 2017, Willow is known for her unusually affectionate personality. She is a true lap cat who eagerly approaches strangers, “talks” with her family, and loves potato chips, crunchy treats, and Churu paste. Although cautious around unfamiliar dogs, she quickly befriends dogs with a gentle temperament.

Willow, an 8-year-old Siamese cat, has been missing from the West Hartford Center area since May 1, 2026. Courtesy photo

Since Willow disappeared, her family has conducted an extensive search throughout West Hartford and neighboring communities. They have distributed more than 800 door-to-door flyers, placed three 2-by-6-foot roadside banners along Farmington Avenue, Brace Road, and Park Road, notified local veterinary offices, and created the “Find Willow” Facebook page, which has reached more than 28,000 people in the past month.

Despite those efforts, Willow remains missing, and her story has even been featured by local television. (See segment on WFSB)

The search has also been supported by Cindy Willis, a volunteer with the Missing Animal Response Network (MARN), an international organization that helps reunite lost pets with their families.

“Posters are one of the most important tools in a missing pet search,” said Willis. “When a community doesn’t allow lost-pet posters, it becomes much harder to reach the people who may have found an animal. Many people who find a friendly cat genuinely believe it was abandoned and never think to have it scanned for a microchip or look for a missing-pet report. Sometimes they simply don’t know the cat already has a family searching for it.”

Because Willow is exceptionally friendly and trusting, her owner believes that may be exactly what happened.

“Sometimes the hardest lost pets to recover aren’t the ones that stay lost, they’re the ones that are quietly adopted by kind people who never knew they already had a family.”

“If someone found Willow and welcomed her into their home because they believed she had been abandoned or needed help, I completely understand,” said her owner, Mary Badon.

“Please know that Willow wasn’t abandoned. She disappeared during one of the hardest weekends our family has ever experienced, and we’ve never stopped searching for her.”

“There will be absolutely no judgment if someone has been caring for Willow. We would simply be grateful for the opportunity to bring her home.”

Unfortunately, the Town of West Hartford prohibits lost-pet posters on public property, limiting one of the most effective tools used to reunite lost pets with their families. While social media has helped spread Willow’s story, many residents, particularly those who are not active online, may never have learned she is missing.

The family hopes that local television coverage can reach the one person who unknowingly took Willow in, believing they were helping a stray cat.

Residents in West Hartford Center and surrounding neighborhoods are encouraged to check garages, sheds, porches, crawl spaces, and under decks. Anyone who has seen Willow, or who has been caring for a friendly Siamese cat found after May 1, is encouraged to call or text.

There will be no judgment. Only gratitude for any information that helps bring Willow home.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mary Badon by calling or texting 860-470-6683 or email [email protected].

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.