'Som', the missing cat on a train, where are you?

SRT blamed for not promptly telling owner

A week-long search has failed to find a disabled cat that vanished from its owner's bag at  night in the luggage van of a Yala-Bangkok rapid train.

A frantic search along 100 kilometres of track by railway staff and volunteers has found no trace of "Som" the missing feline.

Meethaphat Soonthornwarapas, of state railway public relations, said on Tuesday that  searchers were using light rail vehicles in combing the area along the southern track between Lamae and Chumphon stations.

They also checked CCTV installed between the two stations, sought help from all communities and posted notices about the missing cat at all the stops.

"Som", a six-year-old female cat, went missing from rapid train No.170, which departed Yala for Bangkok at 4.30pm on June 28. She was travelling with her owner, Wan Maryani Hajee Mahmood, who had put her pet in a bag.

The cat, whose two hind legs are disabled, should have stayed with her during the journey. Ms Wan had planned to buy a non-airconditioned, second-class sleeping car ticket, but the non-airconditioned carriage was out of order that day and she instead bought a ticket for an air-conditioned sleeping berth.

As pets are not allowed in air-conditioned cars of any class, she had to leave "Som" in the  baggage car.

She said she made frequent visits to see her cat, caring for and feeding her until night fell. She even considered sleeping with her in the luggage car, but the only other person in the carriage would have been a male railway employee and she worried for her safety.  (continues below)

A full body shot of "Som" the missing disabled cat. (Photo: W Maryani Hj Npd Facebook account)

According to the SRT, the staffer on duty in the luggage van noticed the cat was missing as the train approached Lamae station in Lamae district in Chumphon and "the passenger was promptly informed".

Train No. 170 was due at Lamae at 12.41am on June 29, according to the timetable.

But Ms Wan said on her Facebook post that she was not informed her cat was missing until around 6.30am.

The Hope Thailand Foundation, an animal welfare advocacy group that provided her with assistance, on Monday asked why staff on the train did not inform her immediately. "If your organisation places importance on the lives of all animals, you should not have handled it that way," the foundation said.

It also asked why the bag holding "Som" was found unzipped. The luggage car had no security cameras installed and the doors could not be locked shut, it said.

On Tuesday, foundation members talked to train staff in Chumphon and narrowed the area where "Som" could have gone missing to between Lamae and Lang Suan stations, a reduced search distance of about 30 kilometres.

The question remains, how could disabled "Som" have left the moving train that night.

"Som" means orange in Thai. It is the colour of the missing cat.

Anyone spotting her is asked to call any of the following numbers:

The owner: 092-609-8833

The Lamae station master: 061-598-3174

The Hope Thailand Foundation: 096-865-9895 and 092-605-8833