This was the lead story on the front page of the Whidbey News-Times on Saturday. Yes, it's the year 2007.

CAT MIA

By NATHAN WHALEN
Staff reporter
For 17 years, Shotzie had a pretty good deal. The black and white kitty would show up at county offices in Coupeville, get fed, and then sleep for most of the day.
That is until he turned up missing. Now, workers are anxious to know where the county mascot is.
County staff last noticed him in mid-March, since then — nothing.
“He’d have a little snack and a treat and then he’d sleep for most of the day,” said Diana Vaughan, who works for the county’s central services.
Shotzie is well-known around Coupeville and local residents look out for the feline. He would often wander around town between the county campus and the hospital.
“He thinks he’s the mayor of Coupeville,” said Marion Sasso, who owns Shotzie. Regardless of where he went, he would always head home at the end of the day.
Vaughan was one of the last people to see Shotzie in the county building. She fed him on March 15 and then he disappeared.
He has been known to disappear before. Years ago, he stowed away on a pickup truck and ended up in Oak Harbor. After a well-placed story in the Whidbey News-Times, he was quickly found and returned to the county offices.
“He does have a habit of getting into other people’s cars,” Sasso said.
Worried that Shotzie is getting older, she said staff would like to know the fate of the feline. Sasso is concerned about Shotzie’s health because he ate some of the recalled pet food before he was discovered missing.
If anyone sees Shotzie, please call 678-9167 or 360-320-1721.
© Copyright 2007 Whidbey News Times