The Cat Came Back....

The internets have worked their wonder (thanks for all the good wishes and tips!), and Politica's quiet reading (in the face of bugs! bugs! and even a spider!) by the teeny cat opening have worked even more wonder. He who was under the deck is now in the house, and we will all sleep well tonight. Politica managed to grab him when he came near the food. Much relief.

The can of food by the opening seems to have done the trick. Amazingly, the trio of girls looking in the small hole and saying "Neurotic Cat! It's OK! You can come out!" didn't. Let's hope Neurotic Cat holds no grudges for the string of "I think we should get a new cat tomorrow" comments that CG made at dinner (on the deck). If any of your children's schools ever ask you, "hey, do you think it's a good idea if we schedule a field trip to a pet store?" say NO! Since that trip, CG has been saying "I want to get a new kitten so I can show you how I can hold it," "Can we get a dog? please?!? pretty please?!?" and "Look! we can buy a goldfish for FREE!" (waving card for free goldfish that the nice educational people at the for-profit pet shop gave all the schoolchildren on their field trip.) Bah.

But the cat came back, the very next day
The cat came back, we thought we was a goner
The cat came back, he just couldn't stay away

The Cask of Trex (NOT! we hope)

In an effort to channel profgrrrl's ability to make lost objects reappear by blogging about them, I am announcing to the internets that Neurotic Cat escaped the house last night when I didn't close the back door fully; it blew open and he snuck out. Younger Cat also snuck out, and we noticed that and got him back in the house. Neurotic Cat, usually more fearful, doesn't usualy sneak out. So we didn't notice he was gone until this morning when he didn't appear for breakfast.

He crawled under the back deck in the one little place where there is a cat-sized entry. This morning we heard him mewling when we went out back to look for him and call. I shook some food and coaxed him to near the entryway. He ate what spilled but wouldn't come out. When I tried to pull him out, his dignity got dented and he retreated back under the deck, where we could hear him but not see or reach him. (So I feel like a failure. Politica points out, of course, that had grabbing him worked, we'd be all happy about it. I feel guilty about letting the door blow open. And we both feel badly we didn't notice his absence last night--but he is often a secretive and sleepy boy.) The deck is very sturdily constructed so trying to disassemble it to get to the cat is even more difficult than one might imagine.

Politica has been checking on him; lately he's been quiet. Just sleeping, I hope. It's kind of hot here, but he is in the shade under there. Sigh.

Neurotic Cat, please come out. We miss you. Even though Curious Girl said, "Can we get a new cat after camp today?" she misses you too. Remember how she squatted down and said, "I love you, Neurotic Cat!" before she left? At camp she told me, "But I want to say I love you to him when he gets out!"