Peyton is a light orange tabby cat -- you know those really friendly, affectionate ones who know no enemies -- and he's been missing about two weeks now.

This ginger has a noticeably notched split on his right ear and no collar.

"He is very loved and missed," laments Jacquie Valder-Phillips about her charge.

Peyton has a miserable mini "Peyton Place" story that Valder-Phillips wants readers to know about.

See, this tomcat had a best bud once, a man who worked at Genesee Valley Farm on South Main Street Road in Batavia for nearly 20 years. Before he died in old age, Peyton trusted him and valued their bro time.

Maybe when the man died a bit of poor Peyton did, too, because he shuffled off and hasn't been seen since. Peyton is prolly pining for his peer who happened to be human.

Makes Valder-Phillips feels guilty because in the time before the farm employee's death, "People kept saying 'Take care of Peyton. ... Be sure to take care of Peyton.' And I'm like 'Of course, I'll take care of Peyton.' And now he's nowhere around."

Here's the kind of feline he is, says Valder-Phillips: once a couple years back a horse trailer pulled over at the farm to load up three horses. When it drove away, they said "Uh oh, where's Peyton?"

Sure enough he had jumped inside the trailer ready for new adventures with the horse trailer driver -- until his stowaway scheme was discovered then back to the farm he went.

If you can help or have seen Peyton, please call or text Valder-Phillips at: (585) 343-5878. Or email:   info@geneseevalleyfarm.com

Do not be afraid. The cat with the seemingly luminous laser eyes is not possessed by evil spirits, but he is on the loose. Fear not, it's only "Spot."

Beyond the dazzling backlit eyeballs is an ordinary housecat who has scampered away from home at the corner of State Street and MacArthur Drive in Batavia, just in time for tomorrow's Summer Solstice -- the year's longest day of sunlight.

His markings are distinctive -- the black teardrop nose, the prominent snowy bib, and what appears to be a black cat's arm stretched around his head and under his chin, with paw resting on the right side of his mouth. Charming.

Another unique thing about Spot is his front legs are shorter than his back ones, kinda Manx-like, kinda rabbity.

"He's only ever been out of the house once and (this time) he snuck out and wouldn't come back," pouts owner David Austin, astonished by his pet's willfull disregard for the Official Handbook of Household Rules.

All cats apparently would have us believe they only got out once -- once -- on a Sunday morning to hang out in the church parking lot before rushing home straightaway once the congregation was dismissed. Never another defiant act! Yea, right...

If you see this rapscallion, email David Austin at:  daustin201345@gmail.com

There's an empty bowl by the dog and a sign that says "Do Not Pet."

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: A couple of deputies are heading to Walmart to assist the animal control officers who says a female whom she detained at the vehicle wants to leave. The female then got in the vehicle and started to leave "even though I told her not to," says the officer, but now the driver has stopped.

UPDATE 3:20 p.m.: Deputies are on scene.

UPDATE 3:29 p.m.: After speaking with the driver, all officers have cleared the scene. The animal control officer is continuing to the Bethany complaint, which is in the 10,000 block of Silver Road.

No descriptive information was relayed about the feathered friend.

Missing from the Williams Street / Otis Street area in the City of Batavia is a beloved pet cat named Darrell.

Short hair, black, with a few white hairs on his chest.

No collar. Declawed and neutered male. Indoor cat.

Friendly, but may be afraid since he isn't used to being outside.

If you find him or even see him in your area, please call or text (585) 297-3009.

This is Scarlett, a nearly 6-month-old cat who lives on Monclair Avenue in the city. She has never been outside, until now of course, and her household is up in arms over her sudden disappearance.

Naturally, you are expected to keep your eyes peeled and find this feline, who by the way, was named after the fictional heroine Scarlett O'Hara and not Hollywood's Scarlett Johansson.

"She almost looks Chinese, but she's not," says her mom, Tracey Cook. (Did she mean Siamese?)

She suspects Scarlett may have darted out last night around midnight when her son, who lives happily in the basement, left to walk his girlfriend home from work.

This morning at 8 o'clock, the neighbor lady in the adjoining duplex reported seeing a slim snip of a white and gray cat on her back porch but had no idea it was Cook's cat -- since it had never been outside, until it got outside, you know.

The neighbor heretofore was only aware of Scarlett's big brother, who is neutered and goes in and out as he sees fit.

"I would've scooped her up," lamented the neighbor about the lost opportunity.

The neighbor said Scarlett was laying on the back porch. We say she was languidly lounging, oblivious, in a sunny spot before dashing off someplace in search of naughty fun.

"I'm afraid she'll get hit by a car ... we live close to Main Street," Cook wrote in her email, which also noted the prospect that someone might try to steal the kitten!

"She’s an emotional support animal and is in process of being registered as same," according to Cook.

Where's that emotional support when you need it most?

Scarlett's family and friends have scoured the neighborhood, peered up trees, beat the bushes and even went over to -- "Holland Ave," a known "hot cat spot," Cook says, to see if she wound up there.

Meanwhile, there are three "cat ladies" (they know who they are) who have been informed of this breach of security -- unauthorized access to the outside world --and they are quite skilled in cat-luring techniques.

Hopefully, it's just a matter of time. And it is ticking. Scarlett is due at the vet's in a couple days to be spayed.

An unspecified reward is being offered. 

​If you see Scarlett, call or text Tracey Cook at (585) 356-6082, or email:   brewertracey@aol.com

Photos courtesy of Tracey Cook.

UPDATE 4:42 p.m.: Confirmed with caretaker Colleen Henderson that lil' miss GiGi is home safely and all is well. Thank you to all who helped out!

An itsy-bitsy tan shih tzu -- aka the "chrysanthemum dog" -- is running helter-skelter somewhere in the city after making a mad dash out the front door of her home yesterday.

"GiGi," resplendant in a purple doggie shirt and pink collar, is 6 years old and recuperating from bladder stone removal surgery a week ago. She needs her medication.

GiGi lives on Vine Street in the city; at last glimpse, her neighbors saw her at Vine and North Street heading toward Summit.

Normally, she's home alone with mom, longtime community volunteer Peppi Palmer, to whom she is said to be "joined at the hip," metaphysically speaking.

But Palmer is in the hospital with an ankle injury, so her daughter-in-law, Colleen Henderson, drove up from Ohio to watch over the beloved "baby," who enjoys being gussied up in her cute outfits, playing with squeaky toys and eating homemade, peanut butter dog treats.

(Hear that? It's people saying "SPOILED!" in unison.)

Henderson's theory is that skittish GiGi was well aware mom was not in the house and hearing a car pull into the driveway, was anxious to meet up with mom. Instead it was Henderson at the door with a basket full of clothes for her stay, and when the door opened, out bolted GiGi.

"She booked it, so many people started chasing her -- that freaked her out," Henderson said. "She was running all over; even kids couldn't catch her."

The shy but sweet shih tzu, whose preferred gait is "moseying," became a little pistol, off to ends unknown -- sort of.

'Bold Adventure' for Timid Toy Breed

Apparently, GiGi has been spotted a few times. Kelly Hansen wrote The Batavian this afternoon to say:

"Within a short time, sightings of GiGi on her bold adventure began to be reported. She was seen on Washington Avenue, Bank Street, Summit Street, then she was spotted Downtown. After 4 p.m., she was seen running near Liberty Street by Crossroads House (where Palmer has lovingly volunteered), Ficarella's (Pizzeria), and near the (Mancuso's) Bowling Center..."

So, if you see this spiffy scamp -- "Please do not chase." -- call one of these phone numbers:

(440) 382-0398 (Colleen Henderson, daughter-in-law)

(585) 343-6803

(518) 698-9986 (Andrea Casey, daughter)

OR email the Volunteers For Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter:   info@vol4animals.org