Monster2
New member
Warning: If you don't love cats, you won't get this, it will seem oversentimental and emotional. I don't care, at my age, I've (mostly) gotten over the need to be macho and can say that I love my cat dearly. Hell, after 13 years of devotion, and cuteness, she's sort of like a furry little daughter to me.... anyhow, read on.
My cat, Nadine, who is 13 years old must have a fistful of angels watching over her. I only wish I was as lucky.
There were some contractors working in the house that really freaked her out. I'm used to her hiding amid chaos and loud noises, but I haven't seen her since Monday. (Today is thursday, for those of you reading this at a later date)
Somehow (I think it was my fault, but might have been the contractors... who cares...) I'm pretty sure she ran out the back door and escaped.
Needless to say, I was worried about her. I rescued her as a kitten, and at 13 years of age, an indoor cat getting out is very, very, very bad. I thought I had heard hear calling from time to time, but only one meow once in a while, and with my ear infection and wheezing from a cough that I have now, I still can't say for certain that it was her or my imagination.
But today, apparently she had enough of hunger and boredom, and she started meowing over and over again when I called her name. I called out her name again, and she recognized me, since there was sort of a pause. Instantly, I just instinctive knew she was out the back and under the porch. I ran inside as fast as I could to get a can of food to lure her out, praying the whole time that she would sit still and not run off.
Luckily, there she was, hiding in the corner, under the porch. For an outside cat, this would be a dream playhouse, but my baby was just sitting there scared, meowing.
So I called out, "Nadine".... meow.. meow..... nothing....
Then I opened the can.. a reaction... I had her attention but still nothing, just sitting in the corner meowing, with her skittish instinicts still in charge.
"Nadine, Nadine, come on Nadine, I've got food....." Nothing, just more meowing, when a thought occured to me.
I grabbed a small glob of food, and flung in under the porch, in hopes that the smell would make her want to come get more.... but.,.. crap..... I aimed too high, and it stuck to the underside of my porch. (I though to myself.. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!") So... the next glob landed way too close (you try through a glob of food while lying on your belly!) but the third one landed much closer to my kitty. Sure, I was worried that it would hit her and scare her off, but what was I to do?
After the third glob landed closer to her, her meows paused, then a few more quieter, friendlier meows, then a step, then three steps, then, she came for the food!!!!!!!!!!
I let her enjoy a few large mouthfuls of food before I grabbed her and brought her in the house. Taking a chance at grabbing her immediately would have been bad, as most cat owners know. She had to relax a minute, get comfortable with the situation, otherwise her instincts would kick in again, and she'd run off. But, oh yes, I do know my cats! yes I do!
So, I brought her in the house, lap in my arms, head over my shoulder.
I brought her into my bedroom, into the the bathroom to eat a bit more, and then she sniffed the room, and came over to say "thank you, daddy".
She's never really been much of a lap cat, prefering to say hello for a minute or two at a time, then run off. (I call her a hit-and-run cat). But today, I knew she was truly thankful for being rescued again because she sat with me and stayed with me for about 1/2 hour.
This is the sort of thing that really makes having a cat like her worth having.
While I wish she never would have escaped, having her show me appreciation and love for bringing her back in the house is priceless.
My cat, Nadine, who is 13 years old must have a fistful of angels watching over her. I only wish I was as lucky.
There were some contractors working in the house that really freaked her out. I'm used to her hiding amid chaos and loud noises, but I haven't seen her since Monday. (Today is thursday, for those of you reading this at a later date)
Somehow (I think it was my fault, but might have been the contractors... who cares...) I'm pretty sure she ran out the back door and escaped.
Needless to say, I was worried about her. I rescued her as a kitten, and at 13 years of age, an indoor cat getting out is very, very, very bad. I thought I had heard hear calling from time to time, but only one meow once in a while, and with my ear infection and wheezing from a cough that I have now, I still can't say for certain that it was her or my imagination.
But today, apparently she had enough of hunger and boredom, and she started meowing over and over again when I called her name. I called out her name again, and she recognized me, since there was sort of a pause. Instantly, I just instinctive knew she was out the back and under the porch. I ran inside as fast as I could to get a can of food to lure her out, praying the whole time that she would sit still and not run off.
Luckily, there she was, hiding in the corner, under the porch. For an outside cat, this would be a dream playhouse, but my baby was just sitting there scared, meowing.
So I called out, "Nadine".... meow.. meow..... nothing....
Then I opened the can.. a reaction... I had her attention but still nothing, just sitting in the corner meowing, with her skittish instinicts still in charge.
"Nadine, Nadine, come on Nadine, I've got food....." Nothing, just more meowing, when a thought occured to me.
I grabbed a small glob of food, and flung in under the porch, in hopes that the smell would make her want to come get more.... but.,.. crap..... I aimed too high, and it stuck to the underside of my porch. (I though to myself.. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!") So... the next glob landed way too close (you try through a glob of food while lying on your belly!) but the third one landed much closer to my kitty. Sure, I was worried that it would hit her and scare her off, but what was I to do?
After the third glob landed closer to her, her meows paused, then a few more quieter, friendlier meows, then a step, then three steps, then, she came for the food!!!!!!!!!!
I let her enjoy a few large mouthfuls of food before I grabbed her and brought her in the house. Taking a chance at grabbing her immediately would have been bad, as most cat owners know. She had to relax a minute, get comfortable with the situation, otherwise her instincts would kick in again, and she'd run off. But, oh yes, I do know my cats! yes I do!
So, I brought her in the house, lap in my arms, head over my shoulder.
I brought her into my bedroom, into the the bathroom to eat a bit more, and then she sniffed the room, and came over to say "thank you, daddy".
She's never really been much of a lap cat, prefering to say hello for a minute or two at a time, then run off. (I call her a hit-and-run cat). But today, I knew she was truly thankful for being rescued again because she sat with me and stayed with me for about 1/2 hour.
This is the sort of thing that really makes having a cat like her worth having.
While I wish she never would have escaped, having her show me appreciation and love for bringing her back in the house is priceless.
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