I've Misplaced One of My Dearest Friends

[SlickTony]

...said Friend being a 4 1/2 year old Korat lookalike named Grigio. He disappeared a couple of weeks ago, during which time, I've beaten the wooded area between my subdivision and the one next to it looking for him; called him countless times, every time I've left the house, taped up flyers all over the neighborhood; looked on the Animal Care & Control website in their Lost Cats section and placed an ad in a privately run lost pets website. More than that I cannot do, other than pray and chant for him to return. I've been told he's been seen in the neighborhood, which fortunately is pretty cat-friendly--lots of cul-de-sacs and the main route through the neighborhood has itself been cul-de-sac'ed so that the street racers have to go somewhere else; I've seldom ever seen a dog that wasn't on a leash, and then only in the daytime. It's just that from the time he got acclimated to living in our house, which didn't take long, and bonded to us, which didn't take long either, he seemed to have no interest in going outside; we don't let our cats go out. One night the door didn't get closed properly, and it was windy; the door must have blown open. We didn't even know when he left. All we know is by the time we realized that the door had blown open, he was gone, seemingly vanished completely, almost as if he'd been beamed up from the planet, if we didn't have that one report from a neighbor who thought she'd seen walk through her back yard. I think he's alive; I suppose he's killing lizards for food, and there's a lady in the next subdivision who puts out food, water and bedding for the outside cats.

We miss him. All this while we could have sworn he liked us--all those nights that he spent curled up on someone's lap, the times he spent curled up in bed next to me...what could have possessed him to just go walkabout like this? Oh, and he's fixed...so that's not the issue. Wish I knew what was.

This is the ad I placed for him:

//http://jaxlostpets.net/node/2587

 

[voluptuary_manque]

...said Friend being a 4 1/2 year old Korat lookalike named Grigio. He disappeared a couple of weeks ago, during which time, I've beaten the wooded area between my subdivision and the one next to it looking for him; called him countless times, every time I've left the house, taped up flyers all over the neighborhood; looked on the Animal Care & Control website in their Lost Cats section and placed an ad in a privately run lost pets website. More than that I cannot do, other than pray and chant for him to return. I've been told he's been seen in the neighborhood, which fortunately is pretty cat-friendly--lots of cul-de-sacs and the main route through the neighborhood has itself been cul-de-sac'ed so that the street racers have to go somewhere else; I've seldom ever seen a dog that wasn't on a leash, and then only in the daytime. It's just that from the time he got acclimated to living in our house, which didn't take long, and bonded to us, which didn't take long either, he seemed to have no interest in going outside; we don't let our cats go out. One night the door didn't get closed properly, and it was windy; the door must have blown open. We didn't even know when he left. All we know is by the time we realized that the door had blown open, he was gone, seemingly vanished completely, almost as if he'd been beamed up from the planet, if we didn't have that one report from a neighbor who thought she'd seen walk through her back yard. I think he's alive; I suppose he's killing lizards for food, and there's a lady in the next subdivision who puts out food, water and bedding for the outside cats.

We miss him. All this while we could have sworn he liked us--all those nights that he spent curled up on someone's lap, the times he spent curled up in bed next to me...what could have possessed him to just go walkabout like this? Oh, and he's fixed...so that's not the issue. Wish I knew what was.

This is the ad I placed for him:

//http://jaxlostpets.net/node/2587

Oh dear, do you perhaps have great horned owls in your neighborhood?

 

[TE999]

Cat's will do that disappearing act for no apparent reason. We had an orange tabby for 3 years and one day he went out in the back yard and then he was gone. We lived in a quiet neighborhood, no dogs running loose and on a side street. We looked and looked and never found him.

I hope you find yours.

 

[glynndah]

I hope you find your friend. We once "misplaced" a cat for over seven months. He came back no worse for the wear. Actually, he looked better than when he'd left.

I'll send good thoughts for you and your cat.

A from the good little witch.

 

[SlickTony]

Thanks for the good thoughts. There are owls in the neighborhood; whether they're great horned, I don't know. He'd be quite a load for an owl to carry off. I think he's beautiful enough to steal, but he's so shy. Anyway, my therapist told me she once had a cat go missing for six months and then turn up again; and she was living in Colorado or Montana, I forget which, but real coyote country. I won't give up hope.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Best wishes! Our big Bengal cat disappeared on us, and turned up after two weeks, skinny and hungry.

Best time to go calling is very late at night, when cats are being nocturnal and the neighborhood is quiet so that you can hear him meow-- we couldn't believe it when we heard our guy!

 

[squarejohn]

We had a cat that disappeared for about four weeks. One night when the door was open, he rushed inside, hungry as hell. Cats are strange creatures in that they get into sometimes unbelievable situations and manage to survive. Don't give up hope; there's a good chance your buddy will show up unexpectedly.

 

[SlickTony]

I have seen him twice today. First, I was taking out some trash when I heard a meow and then saw him in the neighbor's yard, two driveways over. I walked toward him and he disappeared through a gap in the arbor vitae bushes that divide the neighbor's yard from the yard from the building at the head of our cul-de-sac. He'd disappeared like an apparition.

Then later I decided to take Stella's advice about going out at dusk. And I saw him slip behind the neighbors' garbage cans and then into their yard. I kind of trespassed into the back yard--when I got up on the porch, thinking I might find him there, I saw an old lady--who was the grandmother of my son's friend--sitting in the living room. I was fairly sure she saw me so I decided I'd better come around to the front door and explain myself before she called the police. She let me in and said that she saw Il Grigio frequently--he was always going through their back yard. Then Matt (my son's friend) and his mom came in and confirmed this. They said Il Grigio had joined a gang--there's a black and white cat and a rumpy orange Manx he hangs out with.

Unfortunately, he has little of the usual motivation to come home. There are lots of people in our nabe--St. Francis bless them all--who put out food for outside cats. I'd like to think he remembered us and missed us a little. Or why would he meow? I've always heard that cats don't meow to each other--just to people.

 

[SlickTony]

I have seen him again, and hear him quite often. He comes to the area between our building and the one at the head of the cul-de-sac and meows. But we never can get to him. Still, that's better than it was two and three weeks ago. I think he's gradually getting closer. And cats don't meow to other cats. They meow to people. I just wish the blue fool would let us pick him up and take him back in where he belongs.

 

[SlickTony]

I have seen him again, and hear him quite often. He comes to the area between our building and the one at the head of the cul-de-sac and meows. But we never can get to him. Still, that's better than it was two and three weeks ago. I think he's gradually getting closer. And cats don't meow to other cats. They meow to people. I just wish the blue fool would let us pick him up and take him back in where he belongs.

 

[Stella_Omega]

What we put up with from them!

Try luring him with fried chicken? Colonial Sanders original recipe, I swear, there must be catnip in it. they will come for it even if they've already eaten. Throw little pieces his way, leading him closer and closer... And have a carrier ready just in case he's totally gone feral again. Otherwise, you might be able to wrap him in a towel to get him inside.

 

[SlickTony]

Good thought--but he's also crazy about Greenies, and I can't even get him interested in them.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Good thought--but he's also crazy about Greenies, and I can't even get him interested in them.

the smell of hot freshly fired chicken wafts further...