Butterscotch was a one-year-old calico being transported to a rescue in South Florida when the vehicle she was riding in was struck by a semi on Interstate 95 near Mims, in northern Brevard County. The impact sent her running, and she has not been found since.
The search that followed shows what happens when a community decides a cat is worth finding.
What Happened on I-95
The crash took place last week. Butterscotch escaped in the chaos and disappeared into the terrain surrounding the interstate, which is not the kind of place a lost cat is easy to find.
Space Coast Feline Network and Isla’s Journey Lost Dog Search and Rescue both responded. Volunteers coordinated a countywide search and deployed a thermal drone after dark, when heat signatures make hidden animals easier to spot.
A TikTok post about the search reached over 12,000 views and spread across the county, pulling in volunteers who had no prior connection to the case.
Why She Is Still Missing
Kate Parry, one of the volunteers on the ground, put it plainly: “She’s going to hide because that’s what cats naturally do. Plus, with her calico coat, she blends in quite well.”
That is the part most people do not account for. A frightened cat near a highway does not run toward people. It goes still, finds cover, and stays there. Days can pass before it moves. That instinct keeps cats alive in the wild, but it is exactly what makes them so hard to locate after a trauma like this.
Johnathan Critchfield, president of Space Coast Feline Network, said the first thing he wanted to do when he heard was help find the cat. Cortney Larson, president of Isla’s Journey, kept it simple: “It’s just about helping the animal and getting it to safety.”
The ASPCA reports that 59 percent of animals entering shelters in 2025 came in as strays, a number that reflects how often animals end up separated from the people trying to care for them. A crash on a busy interstate, far from where she was headed, makes that gap even harder to close.
A dedicated contact has been set up for anyone who spots her: findbutterscotch@gmail.com and 561-809-5419. If you spot her, do not approach. Contact the rescue teams directly.
Butterscotch is still out there. The search has not stopped. Community searches like this one have brought cats home before, sometimes after days or weeks when everyone else had given up.
Cats that survive trauma like this often need time before they come back to people, which is why the search teams are focused on trapping rather than calling.
If you are near northern Brevard County and see a one-year-old calico, contact findbutterscotch@gmail.com or call 561-809-5419. Animals that go missing near highways face serious risks, and time matters.
Conclusion
Have you ever been part of a search like this, or found a cat after a road incident? Drop what happened in the comments below.
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This article is for informational purposes only.