The Kindness of Strangers... and Friends

 
One of my worst nightmares has happened... Last week, I had taken one of my cats, Copper, to the vet for his shots and to have a growth removed. Then yesterday it was Silver's turn. We had made it there and back again and, just as I opened the front door, the grate on the cat carrier fell out and she bolted under some bushes. Trying not to panic, I went around to look for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. I looked and called, searched and started sobbing. Was she hiding nearby? Was she running as fast as she could and, if so, in which direction? I had a couple hours of daylight, but it was still wet and raining a little, so I alternated between feeling positive about finding her and sitting on the front step crying. 

By three a.m. I was exhausted, but my dear husband agreed to walk around the block with me, shining a flashlight, hoping to catch her eye-shine in some bushes somewhere, anywhere - it was very quiet and I hoped she would hear me - I saw a skunk and four bunnies but no glimpse, no sound, no trace of my sweet little girl.

Sister and brother, Silver and Copper, Sister and Mister

What I don't know is, can she hear me? Is she injured? What I do know is, she's hungry, alone and terrified. Even though she lived the first year of her life in the wild scrub of Florida, she has never set foot outside here in New England. She probably remembers how to hunt, but she's become quite plump and it would be difficult for her to catch much of anything except bugs or frogs, or worse... And the noises are much louder during the day - cars, motorcycles, fire engines, people mowing lawns, doing repairs, riding bicycles, walking dogs - things she would run even farther away from. 

I am grateful that it's not the middle of winter, that there's no hurricane bearing down on us, and that she has her shots. But I'm worried about her running into ravenous raccoons or cunning coyotes. Will someone see her, feed her, call me? I put up a flyer and gave out post cards with her photo and the basic information, but it doesn't seem like enough... not nearly enough. Even now, I feel like I'm wasting time, but I need to pace myself if I intend to keep the search going. And I wanted to express my gratitude...

Which brings me to the kindness of strangers... and friends. Everyone I've spoken to has been so willing to help, with promises to look for her, telling others to keep an eye out for her, saying what a beauty she is - thank you all. Yesterday I asked a passing dragonfly to help me find her... today I asked the souls in the cemetery to please send her home... even the little chipmunk who lives in my stone wall seemed interested in my plight. 

It's like looking for the proverbial "needle in a haystack" since she could be anywhere - I just want her back so badly, it hurts. That's all - time to search (and cry, and hope) some more.