« Cruising on fumes | Main | Forget grad school. Why don't I just go join some shake-a-rock and roll band? »
July 20, 2005
A little scare
This morning when I came out of the bedroom, only Fat girl was lying in the hallway waiting for me. The usual routine is for both of the fats to rally in the hallway (can you call it a rally with only two attendees?) before six in the morning, and start making noise and clawing at the door when we don't get out of bed right away after the clock radio comes on. Then when I get up and go into the bathroom they follow me, cornering me on the toilet to get attention and to bump against my knees, and when I come out of the bathroom the two of them go tearing down the stairs together and straight to the food dish. Today, only Fat girl. Fat boy was nowhere to be seen. I didn't start to worry about it until he didn't turn up at the sound of the cat food being dished out (Fat girl didn't seem at all worried about where her brother was, she was too intent on getting her breakfast). I looked around, looked in the basement, went back upstairs: no fat boy. I checked under our bed. Not there.
Beginning to panic, I went down the basement again and called him. I even put my arms in the slimy sink water and felt around to see if he'd fallen in and drowned (our sinks aren't draining very well, and fill to the top every time we do laundry so that we have to bail them out with buckets for every single load. And of course I didn't bail last time, so they're still full). He wasn't there. I realized then that I hadn't seen him since before bed last night, when Peter shooed Fat girl in off the back deck and locked the back door. I went outside and looked around the back yard, then up and down the street out front, then in the back yard again and under the deck. I went in and told Peter that Fat boy was lost and that he was going to have to help me go out and look around the neighbourhood for him.
Peter went downstairs into the kitchen, opened the screen door and said "here he is".
He did get locked outside last night. He spent his first night ever all alone outside. The fats are indoor cats, and only go outside in the daytime, and only when I'm home. Fortunately, he's too big a chicken to run off; I have to prop the screen door open for him to go outside at all, because if it closes behind him he freaks out and cries like his life is ending until I open it and let him back into the house. So probably he just cowered under the deck all night and worried and felt sorry for himself, the dumb little shit. He was pretty shaken, but okay. And as soon as he'd had his breakfast he was right back outside.
Posted by jodi at July 20, 2005 12:48 PM | categories: crazy cat lady
Comments
Poor little fat boy! Can you imagine what his night was like? Nights are especially long when you're scared. Glad everything worked out well and you didn't find a surprise in the laundry tub.
Posted by: peggy at July 20, 2005 02:41 PM
Oh the little sweetie! I can imagine your panic though. I get the same way everytime my chubbawumba is nowhere to be seen.
Posted by: kelly at July 20, 2005 04:41 PM
Poor guy -- I bet he's having a good sleep (inside) this afternoon.
By the way, if you need me to write a letter to Canada Customs vouching for your eventual return to this country, just let me know. I could get my mom's signature on it, too, if that would help...
Posted by: alison at July 20, 2005 05:10 PM
Awwww!! Poor little guy!! And poor you for waking up in such a bad way this morning. I would have been totally freeking out if I were you.
Posted by: Jessica at July 20, 2005 10:29 PM
I saw that you are moving to UGA. I'm about an hour from you. I don't know much about Athens, but I can show you around some of the other nearby towns. Give me a holler!
Posted by: :) Nicole at July 21, 2005 02:18 PM
I just looked at the rest of your site and realized why your name sounded familiar. I'm on the Mariah yahoo group. The sweater has stalled until cooler days, but I love the pattern.
Posted by: :) Nicole at July 21, 2005 02:21 PM
So scary- my Henri kitty was lost yesterday, only for a couple of hours, but I was sure he was dead, and was composing missing fliers (not that I'm dramatic or anything). Crazy cats.
Posted by: Cathi at July 21, 2005 03:42 PM
Hello Jodi! I finally found my way here, and I might as well say that I'm here to stay. I Have noticed you following the progress in the Spencer-and-me-soap-opera and I promise to write more on the subject soon... once the dust has settled and I actually know what I feel.
Anyway, I'd like to comment on your missing cats incident... but I don't know what to say. I'm jealous though. I'd love to have cats but 1. I'm allergic and 2. i live in a too small apartment and 3. I really don't have the life to keep a pet just yet. Anyway, there's just a lot the future will tell about my life right now. I hope my blog will tell you what my future will tell to you, and I'll first dwell in your past before following your future in here from now on then... oh my, this is a long comment... better stop... Lots of love /Swedish Lisa
Posted by: Lisa at July 21, 2005 03:55 PM
One of my fuzzheads popped a screen window (yeah, he was fat) and pulled that panic attack on me too. I'm happy you found him!
Posted by: lunastrixae at July 22, 2005 05:43 PM