The Story

Hi Kitties!  Sorry my Mommy hasn't updated, she says things were so crazy before I even took a walkabout.  I won't tell my Mommy what happened during the time I was gone, but she wants to tell you from her side since she knows all you Kitties and your Beans want to know what happened.  Take it away Mommy...  

Thanks Lily.  Let me start by letting you know how much Lily would go outside.  When it's warm she sometimes would go out on weekdays as early as 7 am and come back sporadically until dark when we would lock her in.  As it got colder her outside time was less and less, and was always when it was light outside.  Right before she disappeared she barely showed any interest in going out, and we were thinking about starting to make her an inside cat.

So on Saturday December 1st in the afternoon Lily, her Daddy, and I were in our TV room relaxing.    Lily decided around 3 pm that she really wanted out, so I let her out opening her cat flap for her.  I started to get ready for a wedding reception that her Daddy and I were going to that evening.  At 5 pm we had to leave, so I put food in Lily's dish and we left for the reception.

At 8:30 pm that night we came home expecting Lily to be in the house.  I looked in her food dish and noticed she had been inside at some point to eat some food.  We searched all the house, but she was no where to be found.  We called for her outside, but didn't see her.  We weren't too worried at that point because it was a little warmer than normal, so we thought for sure she'd be back before bed time.

I starting to worry as 10 pm approached.  It was also starting to get really windy.  There were high wind warnings all that night, and raining for the next day.  I did not sleep at all that night.  I kept hearing the cat flap open and close, but it was the wind.  I was so worried as Lily had never been gone overnight, and the weather was so bad.

Sunday morning I posted her most recent picture on Facebook asking if anyone had seen her.  I have a lot of my closest neighbors friended there.  By that night I had so many neighbors looking for her with one false positive sighting.  I decided to post on her blog and the CB because I truly believe in the power of purrs, prayers, and positive (or maybe not so positive since I asked you guys to tell her to "get her butt home") thinking.  I also posted on our local free classified site (which is more used than craigslist) and craigslist.

Monday morning still nothing.  My neighbors checked on me to see how the search was going.  I called our local shelter.  I tried on Sunday, but they are closed weekends.  Oh I forgot to add that this whole time my husband and I took turns walking the neighborhood looking for her.  I started to make posters and fliers to hand out.  We actually spent almost $100 getting copies made to blanket our neighborhood with.  I just really felt I needed to focus on the area around us.

Tuesday morning I got a call.  A neighbor saw a cat in her yard, but wasn't sure if it was Lily.  I thought it was another false positive, but decided to check.  The neighbor said she tried to grab the cat, but it did not want to be held.  I walked down by the house, but saw no cat.  I called her name as I walked home.  Just as I got to the bottom of the steps to our home, I see Lily come running towards me.  I grab her as fast as I can and start crying and saying, "Where have you been?  We've missed you so much!"  I get her inside, close her cat flap, then get her some canned food out.  She was very thirsty, but not very hungry.  Her fur was gritty and dry, but otherwise she looked fine.  She spent about 10 minutes running around the house and up and down her cat tree.  Then as it started to rain outside, she settled down and slept on my lap for 5 hours.

Sorry this is so long.  I just knew everyone would like to hear what happened.  I want to thank you guys again for all your purrs, prayers, and thoughts.  Lily is now an inside only cat,  much to her dismay.