He's back!
Orange is sleeping on the back of the couch next to his best buddy Bruce, right where he belongs. It took him an hour and half to commit to coming in, though.
The dog woke me up early this morning, and while I was letting her out I called for Orange. Pretty soon I heard his stressed-out meow -- the tense, high-pitched "Waow! Waow! Waow! Waow!" that sounds like a miniature car alarm, and gets just as grating when you've listened to it for two hours straight, as I did this morning.
So anyway, I propped open the kitchen door and got out of the way. Then began the dance between hunger & cold and panic: he would take two steps into the house, then flee and regroup in the yard, then try three steps, then bolt again and take a bath... all while keeping up the "Waow! Waow! Waow!" The dog scared him, so I put the dog away. Bruce hissed at him because he smelled funny, so I put Bruce away. I turned on the TV and told the kids not to get up from the couch. Approach, flee, approach, flee... it got to be absurd. Yes, Orange, for nine long years we've been feeding you and cuddling you and letting you sleep on our bed JUST SO THAT WE COULD SLAUGHTER YOU AND EAT YOU WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT! Curse our sudden but inevitable betrayal! Finally he came in far enough that I was able to sneak behind him and shut the door -- but I still got to enjoy another half-hour of frantic meowing until he settled in.
His coat is thin and rough, and he's very bony. Considering what a chunkster he was three weeks ago, I find myself wondering whether he ate *anything* while he was gone. I knew the possum under the porch was getting a fair share of the cat food I was putting out for him, but maybe she got it all! She is indeed a very pudgy possum now. (She growled at me last night when I was out there and I told her to shove off, and she waddled away in a most comical fashion. That's one marsupial who's going to survive the winter, I can tell you that much.)
You know, if one of the outdoor cats had disappeared, that would be sad, but they're wild at heart and when they're out there, they're doing what they truly love. But Orange is just a big dumb sweetie who lives for food and snuggles, and it would have been very wrong for him to meet an unfortunate end outside. Thank you all for your kind wishes during this adventure, and if you ever come visit Orange will cuddle with you on the couch -- as long as you don't make any sudden moves. *g*
ETA: I almost forgot one of the most interesting twists. It was nine years ago today, exactly, that we first caught him and brought him inside. Weird coincidence....
This entry was originally posted at http://loligo.dreamwidth.org/411374.html.
comments on that entry. Comments on Dreamwidth preferred.
The dog woke me up early this morning, and while I was letting her out I called for Orange. Pretty soon I heard his stressed-out meow -- the tense, high-pitched "Waow! Waow! Waow! Waow!" that sounds like a miniature car alarm, and gets just as grating when you've listened to it for two hours straight, as I did this morning.
So anyway, I propped open the kitchen door and got out of the way. Then began the dance between hunger & cold and panic: he would take two steps into the house, then flee and regroup in the yard, then try three steps, then bolt again and take a bath... all while keeping up the "Waow! Waow! Waow!" The dog scared him, so I put the dog away. Bruce hissed at him because he smelled funny, so I put Bruce away. I turned on the TV and told the kids not to get up from the couch. Approach, flee, approach, flee... it got to be absurd. Yes, Orange, for nine long years we've been feeding you and cuddling you and letting you sleep on our bed JUST SO THAT WE COULD SLAUGHTER YOU AND EAT YOU WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT! Curse our sudden but inevitable betrayal! Finally he came in far enough that I was able to sneak behind him and shut the door -- but I still got to enjoy another half-hour of frantic meowing until he settled in.
His coat is thin and rough, and he's very bony. Considering what a chunkster he was three weeks ago, I find myself wondering whether he ate *anything* while he was gone. I knew the possum under the porch was getting a fair share of the cat food I was putting out for him, but maybe she got it all! She is indeed a very pudgy possum now. (She growled at me last night when I was out there and I told her to shove off, and she waddled away in a most comical fashion. That's one marsupial who's going to survive the winter, I can tell you that much.)
You know, if one of the outdoor cats had disappeared, that would be sad, but they're wild at heart and when they're out there, they're doing what they truly love. But Orange is just a big dumb sweetie who lives for food and snuggles, and it would have been very wrong for him to meet an unfortunate end outside. Thank you all for your kind wishes during this adventure, and if you ever come visit Orange will cuddle with you on the couch -- as long as you don't make any sudden moves. *g*
ETA: I almost forgot one of the most interesting twists. It was nine years ago today, exactly, that we first caught him and brought him inside. Weird coincidence....
This entry was originally posted at http://loligo.dreamwidth.org/411374.html.
comments on that entry. Comments on Dreamwidth preferred.