My daughter Chelsea’s two-year old indoor cat escaped from our house yesterday morning, while groceries were being carried in; following which, she literally disappeared!
The humans involved endured nearly 36 hours of worry; numerous journeys by car, foot and bike around the neighbourhood; guilt; a trip to the local SPCA; worry; postings to Lost Pet sites; guilt; multiple Facebook shares; worry; leaflets on light posts; guilt; etc.
River, a shy female long-haired black cat with white paws, belly and chin; returned just as mysteriously on her own tonight, hungry but unscathed.
Cats are truly amazing creatures!
I had a cat many years ago, who returned to our former house every night for over a month after we moved. A journey of only 5 city blocks, I picked Kitty up daily in my car until my dad put a stop to it, insisting the cat would find his own way home if left alone. It took several days, but my dad was right: Kitty finally arrived back at the new house, and never back-tracked again. He’d learned where the food dish lived.
Another cat, Sonny, who’d never before left our fenced yard, fled in a blind panic when our house was invaded by a visiting dog. He flew out the cat door, sailed across the yard, climbed the crab-apple tree and leaped over a six foot fence into a neighbour’s yard. Sonny didn’t find his way home for over 24 hours: Looking back, it probably took him twenty of those hours to calm down enough to even miss or look for home.
It’s uncanny, a pet’s ability to find their home no matter what the circumstances. You hear tales of cats, and dogs, who travel hundreds of miles to find the families from whom they’ve been separated.
It’s amazing! – It’s like they have built-in GPS!
River, tonight after a good meal, had a terrific story to tell of her great adventure in the wide wild world; however, we couldn’t understand any of her enthusiastic meowing.
Hopefully, though, River was letting Chelsea know that she’s happy to be home, and doesn’t care to go traveling again, any time soon.
