I've misplaced a cat.
And what I feel really horrible about is that I can't even remember for sure the last time I saw him.
The missing cat is Orange, one of our (almost entirely) indoor cats. He's the first stray we found, back before Chuckles was born. He was a teenage cat living wild in our old neighborhood, terrified of everyone, but obviously unhappy with his outdoor life, because he would wander around making the saddest, most forlorn little meows. I finally managed to trap him, thinking that I would just get him neutered and vaccinated and then release him again, since he seemed so afraid of people. But once he got to the vet's office, he calmed down and even cuddled with her a bit, so he ended up living with us. (But he bolted and hid under the furniture any time anyone looked at him, for the first three months.)
Very rarely, when the Wild Bunch heads out in the morning, he will take the bold step of going outside with them. He wanders about ten feet from the door, then you can see the light bulb go on in his little brain: "Holy crap! That's right, I hated living outside!" Then he darts under the porch and meows "Save me!" until someone lets him in.
A couple members of the Wild Bunch refuse to enter the house through a door -- they will only enter through a certain basement window. So in the evening I go downstairs and open the window and call for them, and then sometimes I will get distracted by some disaster upstairs, and while I'm dealing with that, one of the indoor cats will slip out the open window unnoticed. I know that the window was open and unmonitored for a while sometime this week, but I can't remember which day that was. When I put out the stinky canned cat food at night, I always do a head-count of the outdoor cats, but I never really pay attention to whether the indoor cats are there -- since they've been snacking inside all day, sometimes a really good nap will take priority over the food bowl. And where else would they be, anyway?
Normally, I would notice Orange's absence as soon as the kids are in bed, because when Andy and I sit down to watch TV he's right there on the sofa, without fail. But our schedule has been crazy this week and we haven't watched evening TV together for the last couple nights. Last night I went to bed early and Andy was at a reception for work. The night before that, Andy was watching election commentary and I didn't have the stomach for it, so I was in our room reading. I don't know if Andy remembers Orange sitting with him Wednesday night, because Andy's out again and I can't ask him.
I've searched every cupboard and closet in the house multiple times, and I've looked in all the large appliances. He *must* be outside somewhere. (He's a big fat cat; hiding is not his strong suit.) I would never have imagined him to be the type to go on an extended field trip, but I can't think of any other explanation.
This entry was originally posted at http://loligo.dreamwidth.org/409167.html.
comments on that entry. Comments on Dreamwidth preferred.
The missing cat is Orange, one of our (almost entirely) indoor cats. He's the first stray we found, back before Chuckles was born. He was a teenage cat living wild in our old neighborhood, terrified of everyone, but obviously unhappy with his outdoor life, because he would wander around making the saddest, most forlorn little meows. I finally managed to trap him, thinking that I would just get him neutered and vaccinated and then release him again, since he seemed so afraid of people. But once he got to the vet's office, he calmed down and even cuddled with her a bit, so he ended up living with us. (But he bolted and hid under the furniture any time anyone looked at him, for the first three months.)
Very rarely, when the Wild Bunch heads out in the morning, he will take the bold step of going outside with them. He wanders about ten feet from the door, then you can see the light bulb go on in his little brain: "Holy crap! That's right, I hated living outside!" Then he darts under the porch and meows "Save me!" until someone lets him in.
A couple members of the Wild Bunch refuse to enter the house through a door -- they will only enter through a certain basement window. So in the evening I go downstairs and open the window and call for them, and then sometimes I will get distracted by some disaster upstairs, and while I'm dealing with that, one of the indoor cats will slip out the open window unnoticed. I know that the window was open and unmonitored for a while sometime this week, but I can't remember which day that was. When I put out the stinky canned cat food at night, I always do a head-count of the outdoor cats, but I never really pay attention to whether the indoor cats are there -- since they've been snacking inside all day, sometimes a really good nap will take priority over the food bowl. And where else would they be, anyway?
Normally, I would notice Orange's absence as soon as the kids are in bed, because when Andy and I sit down to watch TV he's right there on the sofa, without fail. But our schedule has been crazy this week and we haven't watched evening TV together for the last couple nights. Last night I went to bed early and Andy was at a reception for work. The night before that, Andy was watching election commentary and I didn't have the stomach for it, so I was in our room reading. I don't know if Andy remembers Orange sitting with him Wednesday night, because Andy's out again and I can't ask him.
I've searched every cupboard and closet in the house multiple times, and I've looked in all the large appliances. He *must* be outside somewhere. (He's a big fat cat; hiding is not his strong suit.) I would never have imagined him to be the type to go on an extended field trip, but I can't think of any other explanation.
This entry was originally posted at http://loligo.dreamwidth.org/409167.html.
comments on that entry. Comments on Dreamwidth preferred.