Lost Cat

One of the often ignored challenges of home renovations is tat of keeping pets safe. Cats locked in a room tend to cry and howl until hoarse, making themselves and everyone within ear shot totally and completely miserable. Cats not imprisoned may flee the premise when workmen fail, in spite of repeated instruction, to shut all doors all the time.

And so it was that the Eldest and I returned from running errands to find College Guy outside calling for the cat.

Onyx

Onyx

Now admittedly, I can understand to a certain extent about doors and windows. These are the floor guys and they are sealing the upstairs floors. Ventilation is important. Hence opening doors and windows. I can also understand why the escape artist managed to get away.

Like any cat a la Heinlein – there just has to be a Door into Summer. Given the balmy weather currently gracing Berkeley, that door may not lead to anything better. Mousier? Jucier or Catnippier maybe – but the weather has been gracious to those who are relieved to not be braving New York City or Chicago’s snow heaps.

So anytime a door to the OUT opens, Onyx feels as a true representative of the jungle cat kingdom that he is personally responsible for checking it out.

It might have been amusing at some point. But as darkness fell, the two offspring making wider and wider neighborhood circles calling for him there was no entertainment value. Instead I had two adults ready for meltdowns both of whom had a myriad of other things to tend.

Posters were printed and put up by the time it was full dark.

This story does have a good ending. About five hours into his absence I heard an answer outside to one of the kids calling. A quite disgusted answer. Onyx was really angry. All those people in HIS house. Not leaving so that he could come back with dignity and not being called like an errant child. Disturbing his peace and naps.

From here on in, we are ignoring the pleas and crys. He stays locked up while workmen are here.

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8 Responses to Lost Cat

  1. George says:

    Did you find the cat??? My guess is he didn’t wander far.

  2. Lynne says:

    Relieved to hear he will be curtailed in his desires to explore.

  3. Bob says:

    We can only relate a personal experience here. Our 21-pound, 10-year old, male, indoor cat, bolted from the front door being negligently held open while speaking to a visitor (usually done THROUGH the door). Not chasing him or doing anything we thought might frighten him more, we left him sniffing the front yard for about thirty minutes. He’d NEVER been outside alone in his life, but on many occasions had been permitted in the yard on a leash held by one of us. Long story made short: he disappeared for one day shy of THREE WEEKS. We had alerted neighbors, police, animal control, and so forth. One evening he just shows up, meowing to get in. He’s lost weight, needs a bath, and appears super fatigued. He eats like he’s starving and then finds his bed . . . and stays there sleeping for two days. He wakes, eats again, is given a bath, and resumes his life as if he’d never had this vacation. A trip to the vet for a precautionary checkup shows no ill effects. The only thing we know for sure is that he wasn’t able to father any little ones during his escapade, and this was Georgia despite being end of November, early December. Neither of us speak “cat” so interrogation was useless. We figure his size, weight and having all his “tools” kept him safe from possible predators. We’re glad each got home and all is once again peaceful.

  4. Kathy says:

    Great narrative writing! How long will you be ” home”?

  5. Carmen says:

    Aw. Glad the he was found, though of course he’ll tell you he was never really lost.

    He is a beauty.

  6. Alison says:

    So glad you got him back! What a beautiful cat (with a Who, me? innocent look. Busted.)

  7. Isobel says:

    Glad you found the cat. He’s gorgeous by the way. Does he know how handsome he is? If he does, that’s not good. Handsome males tend to stray. Now I do not say this from personal experience. On the other hand, all our cats have been female.

    Anyway, good that he is home.

  8. Helen says:

    Nothing worse than a lost furry one! Glad all turned out okay!

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