When Soba ran away !

One summer morning during the heatwave Soba disappeared from the house. He ran away through the bedroom window which I left opened only a crack. It was so hot and my attic bedroom felt like an oven. I checked the height from the window to the ground down below I made a calculation that no way a 4 month old cat can jump out of it. Besides, I thought Soba wouldn't leave me. We went for a long walk earlier in the evening - watching sunset and he was very content. 

I saw him sitting by the window looking out - enjoying the fresh night air. Early in the morning he came and laid next to my face. I fondled him and went back to sleep.

When I woke up he was gone. I called him but no tinkling sound of the bell, no footsteps, it was dead quiet. I was upset and I cried - my baby was gone.

                       

😼🙀😟 The grieve of losing Snoopy hadn't even faded away and now Soba was gone too.  I was very upset. I ran out of the house, calling his name - no answered. I looked around - the main road wasn't far away I started to panic and my mind was preparing for the worst. It was a wide world out there - where would I find him?  The memory of him snuggling up to me early in the morning felt like a dream. 

I ran into the neighbour who also had a cat and I told her about the situation - she appeared to be non-plus. She said, "Cats are very tough. They can look after themselves." as if to say, " You are worried too much and upset over nothing."

I had to go to work so the search had to stop. I didn't want to go to work but I had to. I had already had time off when Snoopy was ill - I couldn't call in for a lost cat! But during the time I went to work Soba might be wandering off further and further. What if he was chased by a dog. what if he got frighten by a car. What if he was snatched by a stranger .... what if.... what if....

Then I remembered about the village What's App  Yes, I could ask the neighbours to look out for him while I was at work. So I posted a LOST KITTEN PLEASE HELP!!! on village What's App. People were very kind. They gave me loads of advice from putting my dirty washing outside for Soba to smell the familiar scent, leaving the window opened and food outside, shaking Dreamy Cat Treat loudly, calling his name gently etc. Guess what? I did all of them ...but to no avail.

In the heat of late June, I was running up and down the village street looking and calling for my cat.  When I came home from work - to find the house was so unbearable quiet and empty again. I couldn't even bare to stay in so I  grabbed my hat and went out almost immediately. During that search, I was thinking of Snoopy when he ran away after a heard of deer once on one hot summer - he disappeared into the distance. I had a whistle (still have it in my keyring along with the car key) and he always knew it was urgent whenever he heard the whistle. So I blew and blew the whistle until I was blue in the face - I panicked and was very upset because Snoopy did not come back. I cried and I kept blowing that whistle. When I was about to lose hope I then saw in the distance - in the mirage of the heat was Snoopy. I was so relieved I didn't scold him. He panted so heavily I thought he might have a heart attack yet he looked at  me apologetically. If I blew the whistle this time, I thought melancholily Snoopy would never come back nor would Soba because he had not been trained.

One thing though, Soba was still in this world. He wasn't gone the way Snoopy did and if he was meant to be with me I would find him or he would come back. 

Around 5 p.m. I got myself ready to do the night time search. I was told that cats were more active at night and I was likely to find him after dark. I put my torches on charge. It would not get dark until gone 9 p.m. and I was prepared myself for it. But around 6 p.m. I got a phone call from the neighbour that she found him in her garden!! He just sat there by the garden gate.

Oh my god! I was so relieved 😅 and I was so happy - But when I went to pick him up Soba wasn't happy at all.  As a matter of fact, he looked annoyed to see me.

When we got home, he went straight to his favourite place in the sun room. He ignored me all evening. He didn't even want his supper 😕

I won't pretend it didn't hurt. It hurt a bit because I was in such a state worried about him - just to find him happily in my neighbour next door's garden. But most of all I was amused and confused because Snoopy would be very apologetic. He would try to make up and make sure I forgave him. I started to realise another different thing between dogs and cats. To be honest, I thought it was quite cool in a way to have this blasé attitude.😁 So I carried on with my washing up and thought if he didn't care then so did I.

As I was coming to terms with life with a cat - I felt something soft brushing my leg. I didn't even realise he had left the throne. He came to the kitchen and his soft body brushed against my legs. I knew he was trying to make up. I wasn't gloating - I felt the acceptance of having a cat and I learnt and adapted myself to live with him. I said, "Oh, hello Soba. Are you hungry now then?" He looked up and ate his food. We knew we had made up.