Part of the usefulness of Twitter is that I can find out pretty quickly if something has happened to my beloved cat (previously referred to as Knight, Hak, Mordred, That Furry Bastard, Buttbrain, Bucky...etc... Generally whatever strikes me as a fun thing to yell at the beginning of GET OFF MY UNIFORM) through my sister's feed. She catblogs via Twitter, and of course is too impulsive to stop herself from bleeting out that the male cat escaped last night.
This after she urged me to give the cat to her because my mother would assuredly let the little beast slip to his dangerous freedom within the first week. My mother kept saying he'd try to find his way back to Oklahoma when I dropped him off there last summer. Since Ma was being a defeatist I agreed.
I figured he'd be fine since I had him for three years in a tiny apartment and he never once tried to bolt, despite my holding the door open while I paid the pizza guy. Should have known he wouldn't like my sister as much as me.
I'm not mad at her. Yet.
Hunger might set in still. He might come scratching around the screen door soon. I hope he does. He might be okay on his own, but I can't replace him. He's too perfect for me. Friendly, likes to be picked up and carried around, enjoys chasing pacing people, talkative, adventurous, dumb, amusingly clumsy... All the best cat traits.
Anyway, if you're in the Endless Mountains area and you see a big black cat that's wandering around (probably bumping into things) wearing a green collar (it had better still be green) and an expression on his face like Kyle Rayner's first week in outer space, be nice to him. He's a sweetheart.
EDIT: He's back.
Dagnabit!
ReplyDeleteMy experience with cats who escape is that they're much more self-sufficient than you ever knew, able to survive in the wild alone. And much, much too lazy to want to do it for long. I'm sure he'll be home soon.
ReplyDelete-- Jack of Spades
Best wishes and positive thoughts sent you and your kitty's way. I hope he makes it home safe and sound.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Ragnell.
ReplyDeleteMy cat once disappeared for 5 1/2 weeks and then showed up on my doorstep. Best wishes towards you and him finding his way back soon!
ReplyDeleteAs Paul said - make sure your family does NOT give up looking for the cat. One of our cats (an indoor-only cat) disappeared for 30+ days and we thought she was lost.
ReplyDeleteBut a professional animal-finder told me 2 things:
1. Cats rarely go far. Usually they are found in a neighbors' yard or backyard, or a nearby park. But apparently they rarely camp much beyond a block or two away from their home base. Usually just a few houses away. Put up lots of signs.
2. Most people give up looking after 2-3 weeks, which is unfortunate: Most cats turn up after 1-3 MONTHS, but because no one is still looking for them, they are either adopted or destroyed when no one claims them. Don't give up.
Going back to my little kitty: I heard a noise between the walls of my flat on December 23rd, and thought it was the neighbors cat. I ripped off a 2x4 between my building and the next, and there she was under the house, about 30 feet below. Animal Control came and was able to lift her out of a very small gap. She'd survived in our neighbors yard, going under the building for a month during a rainy December, eating paint chips (and garbage most likely). But she wanted to live, dammit!
Don't give up hope. And good luck in getting her back!