Happiness reigns! The little fellow finally showed up at the back door around 8 p.m., bright eyed and bushy tailed and wondering what all the fuss was about, anyway. REALLY ready for supper. Looks like he may have been shut up inside one of the neighbors' garages or some such (their lights just came on, probably returning from their Thanksgiving holiday). Disregard all that follows. :)
Up here at Goomp's where the cats can stay out all night if they want, Baby never came home this morning. It's 7:37 now. He normally shows up by 4:45 a.m. or so for breakfast. Foul play? There are foxes -- wolves? -- cars on the gravel roads, who knows what else. If we're lucky, one of the neighbors took him in for the night and he will prance back into our lives sometime soon. Otherwise, it's the saddest day in a long, long time.
Update 8:31 a.m. Not looking good. Tuck and I walked all the fields and then walked the roads and checked with both adjoining neighbors, neither of whom had see a gray cat in the last period of time. Best boy ever was and the light of our lives. We may never see him again. Always worried every time we go up here to Goomp's and let the cats stay outside at night -- it was their nature and what they wanted to do -- but we never expected this wintry weekend to be the time we never would see our boy again.
Update II. Far too late for hope now. It's 11:02, and we've checked with all the neighbors. Something very bad is afoot.
Update III. Our hearts are breaking. No sign of Babe at 12:38 p.m. Tiny is going outside now to check things out.
2:28: The Babe never came home.
:(
When I first moved in here, Nardo had never been an outdoor cat. He was a very cautious and deliberate cat. Then, he slowly eased outside and went exploring. He didn't come home until 3AM, and I was awfully scared.
I hope Baby makes it back.
Posted by: Laurence Simon | November 27, 2004 at 08:57 AM
Best of luck. It is every pet owner's nightmare.
And the last thing you need on top of that is to be link-spammed.
Posted by: The Proprietor | November 27, 2004 at 12:08 PM
I am holding out hope that Baby returns to you soon.
Hang in there.
Posted by: CoolBlue | November 27, 2004 at 12:47 PM
My Dolly made an escape from the house early one morning as I was getting ready for work. I was about to call into work and tell them I wasn't coming in until I found her when I made one more trip outside to look. I was lucky enough to find her but it was the longest hour of my life. My heart goes out to you. I'll pray that the Babe shows up, tired and hungry, but alive.
Posted by: Deborah | November 27, 2004 at 03:55 PM
Jeez, sorry Sissy.
Posted by: Rob A. | November 27, 2004 at 04:59 PM
Don't give up on Baby, Sissy.
Check out these two sites:
Missing Pet Network
http://www.missingpet.net/
Petfinder
http://www.petfinder.com/
MPN has great info on what you can do to try to locate Baby. A nationwide network (sponsored in part by the USDA) it also has a Lost and Found listing.
Posted by: Doyle | November 27, 2004 at 05:11 PM
Keep looking! I will send some good thoughts and say a prayer for her safe return.
Posted by: Jason | November 27, 2004 at 08:08 PM
BABY'S BACK!!!
Great news Sissy.
Posted by: Rob A. | November 27, 2004 at 08:34 PM
Glad Baby came back!
Posted by: Donna | November 28, 2004 at 12:25 AM
Glad to hear the good news. I once had a cat gone for several days, but she came back none the worse for wear.
Posted by: Bill Ramey | November 28, 2004 at 12:45 AM