The Very Next Day

The cat came back!

I guess disaster is averted. I spent the whole day getting used to the idea that our kitten was lost to us forever, worrying about how badly the kids were going to take it when she didn't return, and then she returned and made all that moot.

I texted my wife just before leaving work, asking if there was any news, and she said that there was nothing. 

Friends on Facebook suggested putting out her litter box, because the scent would draw her back. They also said to put out a bowl of her favorite dry cat food to see if its scent brought her running as well. Unfortunately, the only thing that came running was a big possum, that was really enjoying the food we left out.

We had to bring that in, but we left the litter box. The possum could eat all of the treats in there if it wanted to.

So, I drove home from work, parked my car on the driveway, and went to the back door to enter the house, when I heard meowing from beside me. I gasped. My kitty was back! I grabbed her before she could run away again, and brought her in the house.

She hates to be picked up, so she was struggling to get away, but she wasn't meowing anymore, so I was able to walk to our bedroom and surprise my wife with what I'd found...or better what had found me.

She yelped with happiness too. I think all the noise scared the cat half to death though. Jupiter ran for it, hotfooting it out of our room quick as she could.

My wife called my daughter down to tell her the news, and she came running. I feel bad for my son, who was probably the most emotional of all of us about the situation, because he was already asleep, so he couldn't participate in the homecoming festivities.

Jupiter was very hungry when she got back. She went straight to her food bowl, and ate non-stop for a long time.

My wife and daughter were so glad to see her, and wanted to pet her so much, but they also wanted to let her soothe her rumbling stomach, so they sat on the floor next to her food bowl and just watched her while she ate.

The cat was a little jumpy. At one point, I accidentally dropped my keys as I was trying to hang them up, and she leaped away, and scrambled out through the door to the dining room. My wife said that food went flying out of her mouth when she jumped in a sort of feline spit take. Who knows what horrors that kitten saw during her day out that made her skittish like that.

She didn't scare for long, though. she was still very hungry. Before long she was back at her food bowl, scarfing down more.

Eventually, the pit in her stomach was full, and she was ready to be sociable, and she was showered with love. Each of us took our turn petting, scratching, stroking, and hugging her.

"Jupiter, we missed you!" my wife kept saying over and over. Now we could all finally sleep soundly, no worries tonight.