Our cat vanished last week. Tueday night she got her bedtime nummies. Wednesday morning she wasn’t to be found.
Now, this is an eighteen year old cat who has NEVER been outside the house except inside a carrier on the way to the vets. She’s never even exhibited any interest is going out.
We tore the house apart, figuring she must be ill and hiding the way some sick animals do. Nothing. Hubby remembered he’d gone outside around midnight to look at the sky. Maybe she’d followed him unnoticed? We went all around outside, calling her. No answer. We put up wanted flyers. No calls.
By the weekend we figured she must have gotten out, because with 90 degree days, surely we’d, uh, sense her by then.
I can’t tell you how sick I felt about it. As I said, this cat has no experience of the outside world, and no knowledge of what our house/yard looks like from outside. If she had gotten out, and been startled into running, say, by a car – there was no chance she’d find her way home again. Not to mention we have a busy highway about 50 yards from our front door, and coyotes have frequently been seen in the area.
As I said, she’s an old cat, and I am somewhat reconciled to her dying soon. But I want it to be a good death, not getting ripped apart or injured and dying slowly under a bush somewhere. 
And then tonight, as I walked up to our door after work, I glanced down at the bushes beside our front porch – and there’s a furry black ball!
She was trembling like a leaf. It took me several minutes to talking to her softly before she’d stay put and let me touch her, let alone pick her up. But she seems amazingly fine. There’s a small rubbed raw spot on her side, and she’s clearly skinnier, but she’s eating and drinking water and has hit the water bowl a half dozen times already, but she seems fine.
For her to be out for over five days, with her background, and to return in good condition – yes, I feel like we’ve had a little miracle. :):):):):)
