WANTED

For the past month or so, our little Rini has been escaping out the front door whenever we come home. He really just wants to get to the front lawn to nom on the grass. At first, we would just scoop him up and bring him back inside with us. Then, after a while, we would leave him outside for 30 seconds-or-so while we put our bags down and hung up our coats, at which point we would go back outside and bring Rini back in.

Tuesday night, Davey and I had very odd schedules, both of us coming and going different times in the evening. I returned home from a meeting at 9:15 or so and asked Davey if he had seen Rini since he had been home. When he said he hadn't I went searching for the cat in all of his favorite hiding places: under the bed, behind the sewing machine, in the hall closet, etc. After checking those areas I whipped out the treats - Rini ALWAYS comes when I shake the treat bag, and yet, he still did not show. By this time Dave is in on the search with flashlight in hand, double checking all the dark crevices of the house where Rini slinks off to every now and then. When we both ended up outside in the yard with flashlights, I started to get really panicked - especially because Rini doesn't wear a collar or ID tags. Our poor little kitty was nowhere to be found. He really had escaped. DANG all those times we had let him PRACTICE this escape. He's a sly little kitty, our Rini is.



I was on the verge of tears as I left our fenced yard and went out into the neighborhood to see if he was anywhere nearby. I knew we had a better chance of finding him that night when he couldn't have wandered too far. Rini has ALWAYS been an indoor cat, and I knew he would not venture off quickly. About 20 heart-pounding minutes later, my flashlight shone into our neighbor's bushes and there was a reflected pair of green eyes. I said a quick prayer that this would be MY cat, and not one of the prowling cats that roam our neighborhood. There he was, just sitting in the grass, our little Rini. He wouldn't come to me no matter how much I called, no matter how much I shook that little bag of treats. So I resorted to "herding" him back towards our house (a skill that I have nearly perfected thanks to Jazz) where I was finally able to pick him up and bring him back into the house.

I set him down on the floor, anxious to see if he was hurt or scared or anything.
He shook off the cold in one quick motion, then immediately set to rubbing all around my legs and feet as if he just adored me more than he ever had in his life.



YOU DARN CAT!!!! How DARE YOU leave me and cause me to worry so. How DARE YOU escape and wander 50 feet away in two hours time. How DARE YOU cause us so much stress, only to return home as if nothing had ever happened and you just enjoyed your little stroll across the street like, "oh yay! a little adventure!".

I hate you Rini.

I sowwy.

Okay, I don't hate you. I apparently LOVE YOU A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT to worry over you so. But, as punishment, and for my own peace of mind, you are henceforth sentenced to wear......the COLLAR!

Kay, now I hate you.