CAT CAME BACK!!!

                                                             

Yes, after posting about his disappearance, last night he appeared. He disappeared Memorial Day weekend.

We had been out with the neighbors to a restaurant that has outside seating and live music--usually a duo.  We extended the night by sitting on the picnic table that is in the middle where our side yards meet.  D. had gone up to the street chasing her dog, and she starting screaming "Cat's back!"  I do mean screaming. I got her shushed up after the 3rd yell because it was after 11pm.  This cat had seen her and had sped across the street to her. (She would let him in our house too).  Then he started rubbing up against the tires of  M.'s truck.  I bent down and picked him up.  It looked like Cat, but I needed to get him to a better area to tell.  So I took him down and plunked him on the picnic table in front of M. Yep, it was Cat. He was quite happy to see his buddy M.

The kicker is he had a collar on with a bell; however there was no tag so essentially it was useless except to show that someone considered him their pet.  He was heavier--considerably. 

So this is what we finally agreed on: Cat's new 'owners' had decided to keep him inside. Somehow, he got out and hightailed it back to M.  After all, M. let him run. Cat's a hunter and often (really often) M. would come home to find Cat calmly sitting on the stoop with a tail hanging out of his mouth as he chewed the rest of the salamander or mouse.  He ate them.  There wasn't any prize for M. to throw away--not with Cat--he ate them. He still ate dry cat food and would always run downstairs to the laundry room at the sound of the clinking of a can of 'wet' cat food--even though that meant being shut up for the night. 

To keep Cat inside is against his nature. So when he got the chance he went back to Care and  FREEDOM!.  He purred continually while M. stroked his fur.  He was in our driveway by then.  But there came a point when Cat had enough petting and strode to the door that connects the garage to the downstairs.  Uh-Oh!   My two cats were inside, remember?!  Cat did not know this and gave M. this look like, "Are you being dense here or what?  Let me in my house!" 

                                Mike went over and picked him up.  But he wanted down and in the house.

We ended up opening the inside front door so the tightly shut glass storm door would be a barrier.  Cat leaped up the steps and . . . Screech! . . came to an abrupt halt.  On the other side of the glass door was George.  Scruffy had seen Cat coming and taken off.  Not George. He puffed up and stood guard.  No tomcat was coming near his sis or in his house! So there was a stand-off.  Cat was puffed up too.  Scruffy finally came up and peeked around the inside door, but kept George between her and Cat.  M. was trying to get Cat to come over to him, but uh-uh! Cat gave him this look-- you can imagine.

Eventually I went in and shut the inner door.  I had to get George calmed down and fed so I could give him his insulin shot. I brought some canned food out to Cat. He'd already eaten some dry.  He ate most of it, then went down the steps and jumped up on M.'s old Porshe (that he plans to restore when he's back up in B'ville for good).  That's where Cat stayed.  M. put the two dishes of dry and canned food and a bowl of water up on the Porshe and laid out Cat's favorite sleeping pad.  Then everyone went in to bed.  When M. got up at 8:30am, Cat was gone.  He has not returned.  M. is fine with that.  More importantly D. and her daughter know that Cat didn't die because they weren't around to let him in that weekend.  Actually we all feel better knowing that a car or coyote didn't get him and that someone is caring for him. 


                                                  It's someone else's turn now.
                                                             Happy
                                                             Ending.