Just "venting". A vent of relief actually. My cat Smokey didn't come home last night. Usually when I get up in the night to go potty I go to the back door and shake his food bowl and he comes in. Last night, no sight of him. This morning he was nowhere in sight. I called and called. My husband said it was probably the fireworks the neighbors were lighting off but he's four years old and it never affected him before.
We walked & biked all around our little town. He usually responds to my whistle but no sign of him.
So I made some signs, put them in page protectors and took the tape and tacks and went to my car.
I opened the door and out came Smokey!
Last night when I came home and put my groceries away I left the back hatch open so my husband could get the big bag of charcoal out and he apparently crawled in. He was not freaked out or anything. I brought him in fed and watered him and out he went like nothing ever happened.
My husband meanwhile was seen mumbling "we're never getting another cat again". (my last cat died and I freaked out and I was ready for the loony bin this morning)

Anyway all's well that ends well and if you lose your cat, don't forget to look in the car!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Wow, you are lucky the cat is OK! My SILs dog died because this happened! UGH! It was during the day and it was extremely hot! I can't imagine not noticing that an indoor dog was missing but things happen!

Happy to see a happy ending. Don't pets do the darnedest things? That's part of their charm and the cause of more than a few gray hairs on our heads.

Glad he's ok. I'd go nuts if my cat was missing. She's indoor-only though, so she'd have to escape somehow.

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

We are currently keeping our son's small black dog. She is hard to see and usually with my husband. But he is oblivious and there are times when she gets "lost" around here and no one thinks to look for her because we figure she's with my husband. We "lost" her a few days ago and found her several hours later in the laundry room curled up on a towel in a corner. Someone shut the door on her and in spite of us calling her repeatedly she never barked, whined or scratched at the door. I'm pretty sure I looked in there at one point, and probably reshut the door after looking, but I didn't spot her at that time and she didn't "feel" like responding to our calls. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but sweet natured and easy to care of. Usually!

We "lost" our cat a couple weeks ago, too. He's 12. He sleeps in the laundry room. His bed, food, water & litter box is all in there. When we first got him as a kitten, I didn't like him jumping in and out of bed with us all night and waking us up, so we've always locked him in his room at night. It's routine and when we get ready to go upstairs, he heads to his room.

Well, the other night he didn't go to his room. We called and called and he didn't come. We were looking all over the house. Come to find out, youngest dd had had friends over for a sleepover the night before and had gotten some pillows out of the closet in the basement and left the door open. I remember closing it.

Well, he was apparantly napping in there. When I opened the door, he came out - stretching and purring like I'd interrupted his nap. He'd probably been in there 6-7 hours! And, when I looked in there, the pillow was covered in hair - I think he'd been in there before! Crazy cat.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

Cats are so independant. Also cute and funny. Our cat doesn't want anything to do with me. She is strictly DH's cat. If he is outside, she will come to me to let her out so she can be with him.

I've always had male dogs, (with one exception), until now and they have always been "mine" in their minds. Now there are two female dogs in the house that much prefer the company of all the male humans to the female humans. I'm thinking after reading this, that maybe cats do the same thing.

Once about 10 yrs ago my cat wasn't coming home and I couldn't find her anywhere. Of course I was calling and calling. Finally I went to the linen closet and there she was! My son had gotten his shower towel and she had crawled in.
You guys are right. Pets do the darnedest things. Smokey is fine no worse for the wear although he was very thirsty.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Anna dear friend so glad all went well with your cat, I would have been so worried as well.. Peace and blessings... Catherine