Indianapolis, IN

‘Such a little gem’: Indianapolis cat returns home after six-month disappearance

Published

1 year ago

November 26, 2024

‘Such a little gem’: Indianapolis cat returns home after six-month disappearance

After nearly six months, Christine and Adam Ellis finally got the phone call they’d been waiting for: their missing cat, Moot, was alive and well.

Christine Ellis said she and her husband never lost hope throughout Moot’s gut-wrenching absence. Before her disappearance, Moot had already lived a storied life.

The Ellises first noticed a little calico near their Indianapolis house in March 2023. They began leaving out food for her. After about a month, they started calling her Moot. The couple set up a surveillance camera to make sure she was getting enough to eat. Once the Ellises finally managed to transport the cat to a vet appointment, they learned Moot was pregnant with five kittens.

The couple was about to travel to Czechia for their wedding, which would take place soon after Moot’s due date. They knew they couldn’t dedicate the time needed to newborn kitten care — a round-the-clock job — so the vet recommended a foster program with special expertise in neonatal feline care. But the Ellises already loved Moot.

“When we dropped her off for the foster care program, we wrote this multi-page letter saying how much we adored her and wanted to adopt her,” Christine Ellis said.

The kittens were adopted once they were old enough, and the Ellises officially adopted Moot in October 2023. She matured into a loving, happy cat who loves spending time around her people.

In May 2024, Christine and Adam Ellis traveled to Italy for a belated honeymoon, so Moot stayed with family members in Illinois. The couple had just flown back to Indianapolis when they learned Moot escaped her babysitters’ home by breaking through a screen door. The Ellises suspect she saw a squirrel.

The couple immediately drove to Illinois. They caught passing glances of her in the first few days of her disappearance, but they were never able to get close enough to catch her.

The Ellises were devastated. For the next six months, they put up flyers, made social media posts, and called shelters throughout Illinois. Christine Ellis estimated they heard about a potential sighting about once per month, but nothing ever panned out.

Right before Halloween, Christine Ellis’s mother posted laminated flyers throughout her neighborhood. The Ellises hoped that families might recognize Moot’s picture while out trick-or-treating.

Then, on Nov. 2, a man called about a stray calico visiting his porch. Christine Ellis asked him for a picture. She and her husband immediately recognized the distinctive freckle on the cat’s nose.

The man managed to lure Moot into his garage. His house sat only about one and a half miles from the site of her escape.

Christine and Adam Ellis drove three hours the next morning to pick up their beloved cat. Moot is now safely back at home, where she enjoys playing with her favorite blue string, cuddling and getting belly rubs.

Moot’s veterinarian gave her a clean bill of health, and she’s re-acclimating to the indoor lifestyle.

“It still feels like a shock,” Christine Ellis said. “She’s just such a little gem, and we’re so happy to have her back in our family.”

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Indianapolis, IN

The Zone Extra | April 18, 2026

Published

9 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It was another busy week in high school sports in central Indiana and ‘The Zone Extra’ has it all covered.

Athlete of the week and Guerin Catholic senior outfielder Ian Taylor is off to a scorching hot start to the young season. Check out his interview as well as Guerin Catholic head coach Dave Schrage talk about Taylor’s success.

The Johnson County baseball tournament came to a close. See highlights from Center Grove’s tournament victory.

The 4A baseball coaches poll was released as well as the 3A softball coaches poll.

The former Columbus North gymnastics coach, John Hinds, passed away at 88 years old.

Center Grove head softball coach Alyssa Coleman joins the show for a coaches corner conversation.

See highlights from the Colts Local Pro Day, featuring several former Hoosiers and Purdue’s Devin Mockobee.

Girls lacrosse is in the first season as an IHSAA emerging sport.

All of that, and more, can be found in the full The Zone Extra show above.

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Indianapolis, IN

Tornado watches issued for counties north and west of Indianapolis

Published

21 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Tornado watches issued for counties north and west of Indianapolis

(WISH) — A tornado watch was issued until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday for counties northwest and west of Indianapolis, and into Illinois.

Indiana counties in the watch area are Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Parke, Pulaski, Putnam, St. Joseph, Starke, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and White. The watch area includes the cities of Crawfordsville, Elkhart, Lafayette, Lebanon, South Bend, Terre Haute, and West Lafayette.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued two watches in Indiana. The other one until midnight EDT Friday includes the Indiana counties of Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter. That includes the city of Gary. That watch also extends into Illinois.

Storms on Friday night in central Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota led to dozens of confirmed tornado warnings. The storms in central Illinois has gusts up to 80 mph, and tornadoes embedded in heavy rain.

An alert issued after 10:30 p.m. Friday from the National Weather Service at Indianapolis said, “A line of strong thunderstorms is nearing the state line with a history of widespread damaging winds and tornadoes. The line is expected to continue to produce damaging winds as it moves into Indiana with the potential for additional tornadoes. The line is then expected to gradually weaken as it moves further into the state.”

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Indianapolis, IN

St. Benno Fest returns to the Athenaeum

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.

Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.

St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.

“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “

The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.

There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.

Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.

“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”

St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.

Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.

“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”

The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.

Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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