The Prodigal Cat
Mao has rejoined us. Notice I didn't say that he returned, because I had to go fetch him back. And the first thing that he wanted to do was go back outside. Uh, no.
Our neighbor's son had come knocking at the door carrying a picture of Mao that Mark had dropped off last night. "Is this your cat?" I braced myself to hear that he'd found the body. "She's been hanging out at my friends house. She's real happy, playing around. She lives under their boat." Huzzah! And . . . I'm gonna freakin' kill him when I find him!
So Luke followed me over there, and I called around for Mao, but I didn't catch a glimpse. I thanked Luke and came back to get the big guns: the bag of Crunchies, as we call the cat treats. I went back and walked around shaking the bag and calling his name, and sure enough he came trotting out. Maoser! Much petting ensued, and then I drove him home (not his favorite part of the day), and as soon as I plopped him down, he wanted back out. Dream on, little puddy tat.
OK, I get that the neighbors have a lovely property with a big open horse barn, a pond, lots of shade, no other cats to hassle with, but we have what he craves - his own personal drinking fountain aka the faucet in the bathroom sink. The neighbors won't let him have that, will they? No, they will not.
I hope that he settles down. Right now he's stretched out on Dar's bathroom floor where it's nice and cool and he's the only cat allowed access. If he goes missing again, at least now I have a clue where to go look for him.
Honest to FSM, I thought he was dead. Or worse - out in the woods dying, waiting for me to find him. Gah.
Thank you all for your good wishes and support! Now I have to go throw up from all that adrenaline rushing away :)
Our neighbor's son had come knocking at the door carrying a picture of Mao that Mark had dropped off last night. "Is this your cat?" I braced myself to hear that he'd found the body. "She's been hanging out at my friends house. She's real happy, playing around. She lives under their boat." Huzzah! And . . . I'm gonna freakin' kill him when I find him!
So Luke followed me over there, and I called around for Mao, but I didn't catch a glimpse. I thanked Luke and came back to get the big guns: the bag of Crunchies, as we call the cat treats. I went back and walked around shaking the bag and calling his name, and sure enough he came trotting out. Maoser! Much petting ensued, and then I drove him home (not his favorite part of the day), and as soon as I plopped him down, he wanted back out. Dream on, little puddy tat.
OK, I get that the neighbors have a lovely property with a big open horse barn, a pond, lots of shade, no other cats to hassle with, but we have what he craves - his own personal drinking fountain aka the faucet in the bathroom sink. The neighbors won't let him have that, will they? No, they will not.
I hope that he settles down. Right now he's stretched out on Dar's bathroom floor where it's nice and cool and he's the only cat allowed access. If he goes missing again, at least now I have a clue where to go look for him.
Honest to FSM, I thought he was dead. Or worse - out in the woods dying, waiting for me to find him. Gah.
Thank you all for your good wishes and support! Now I have to go throw up from all that adrenaline rushing away :)