Connecting with Cats (blog catch-up, part I)

Haven't been here this week, and now, on a late Saturday evening, I can begin reviewing this past week, all its craziness, and why I'm playing "Blog Catch-Up".

Monday 11/27: That appliance I referred to two posts ago? It was delivered Monday morning. I had backup to "house sit" for me in case the delivery arrived after 10am, but cancelled it when the guys showed up before that. They did a great job (and quick, too!), and before you know it, I'm heading out the door for work....

.....when all of a sudden, I have this feeling to make sure the cats are okay. Normally, the only thought I give them is, "don't kill the house or each other", and I head for the van. This time was different. I had to make sure they were in the house....probably because the front door was open alot during the demise of one washer, and the debut of the other. Recently, the cats have been taken into the backyard for some outside time by the rest of the family, so, remembering a day in spring 2005 when I couldn't find Katie Pickles on my lunch break (finally did), I commenced searching.

"Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty!"---usually gets us a double response of jingling necks. Not this time.

Again. Nothing. More nothing. Then, I get worried and head outside to the front yard, looking. Nothing.

I come back in the house, turn to the hallway, and there's Cody, staring at me. Whew! "Cody....where's your sister??" For awhile he just kinda, well, was a cat.

A few minutes later I realized that where I went, Cody went. I dig into our walk-in closet in the bedroom, where she's been known to be found, and Cody joins in.

When I stop, sit down in the living room and call Mom, Cody lies down on the floor in front of me. We check closets, behind the new washer, even the kids' rooms even though their doors were closed.

Zoe loves to hide under our bed. Not there. My worry is now panic. I can't go through another episode a la Katie Pickles (having to tell the kids a pet is gone or dead).

I tell Cody to hang on, run to the van, and take a SLOW drive around the block calling for her and looking (as best you can) for a cat whose colors blend in well in portions of the great outdoors.

Nothing.

Did she get out the front door, climb the fence, and get in the back yard? Maybe....so to the porch to look out the windows. Nothing. Finally I was going to open the back door and go in the yard (which I didn't want to do fearing Cody would follow), and I just happened to look behind the TV stand on the porch.

There they were---Zoe's eyes. Apparently the movers scared her and she landed in the porch corner behind the small TV and stand. BUT.....it's big enough that Zoe realized once there, she couldn't get out.

I helped her out, sat on the porch floor and bawled. They scared the crap out of me. But I learned something that morning........I connect with those cats more than I thought. And they even like me. :)

So, in a word......Whew!