The Prodigal Cat Returns

Silver, just minutes after being brought inside

Once again, the number 7 figures prominently in my life: After being missing for seven weeks, Silver is home! 

Two weeks ago this very night, I walked out the back door not long after nightfall with the big flashlight in my hand, hoping to shine it in the back yard and see something else besides the random rabbit or skunk... a few moments earlier, I had called her name several times in the hopes that she might hear me through the window... no sooner had I stepped outside and taken the first step down than I saw a small cat leap out of the brambles and run past me into the darkness... "Silver! Silver? Silver!" I called out, stunned and incredulous. Could it be her? Or was it someone else's stray cat, a lonely, hungry creature far from home? "Silver, sweetie, come on, Silver..." On the other side of the garage, I heard a little voice, also (seemingly) incredulous, answering me: "Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew!"  My heart skipped a beat. Yes!

Silver, more relaxed after realizing she's home

I quickly turned and went inside, snatched up a bowl and some dry food and came back outside. By now the cat had come into view and was sitting at the end of the short sidewalk. I strained my eyes to get a good look, but I still couldn't make a positive identification. I knelt down and poured some nuggets into the bowl, saying her name over and over. "Come here, baby, are you hungry?" Whether or not it was her, I was determined to give this cat something to eat. "Come on, it's okay, come on, here's some food for you..." She walked slowly towards me as I kept pouring the food into the bowl. Finally she was at the bottom step, looking up at me. I put the bowl down on the step closest to me and she climbed up and began to eat. I petted her little head and she didn't flinch, she just kept on eating, so I kept on talking. By now I knew it was my very own sweet kitty, so I picked up the bowl and moved it closer to me, and she followed it up and kept eating. I stroked her fur and said her name over and over. "Silver, Silver, oh my little sweetie baby girl." Then I took a breath and gently but firmly picked her up, stood up, turned and walked inside, all in one fluid movement, closing the door behind me. When we reached the kitchen, I put her down and she ran into the living room. I stood in the middle of the hallway and started to gasp and laugh and cry. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said, over and over. In just five minutes, I had rescued my own cat!

"Could a girl get something to eat around here?"

I called my husband and said, "She's back!" (he also sounded incredulous) then I called my brother and mother, who were ecstatic. (Later, I would post on Facebook "She's BACK!!!!!!! and yea, there was much rejoicing in the land.) After hiding under the couch for 10 or 15 minutes, she finally crept into the kitchen on her own, where I put some more food on the floor and watched her eat. Eventually she flopped down on the rug to be petted, so I happily complied, checking for injuries (none) and ticks (two). She had lost at least a couple of pounds, maybe a bit more, so I know she probably lived off her own body fat during her ordeal. I think she must have been nearby most of the time, but was too nervous to come out of hiding, or too wary. I'm glad the coyotes don't come around too much or that the owls I had heard calling during the last full moon didn't see her. (I saw a gruesome photo online of a large owl carrying off a full-grown cat in Minnesota, so it does happen...)

"You look familiar, do I know you?"

When Copper came downstairs to investigate, he didn't seem to recognize her, so there was some hissing, but Silver didn't even react - she seemed genuinely content and happy just to be home.

Catching up on her beauty sleep

Now that she's caught up on her sleep, Silver is eating and drinking water like nothing ever happened and has gained a few ounces, maybe even a full pound. She has remembered how to hop up into my lap and gives me long, contented looks; Copper no longer hisses, so things are essentially back to normal. I know how lucky I am that my cat returned to me, and I didn't realize how heavy my heart was until I felt it become a little lighter every time I see her curled up fast asleep. I'm so grateful to everyone who helped me through this difficult time. 

When someone you love is missing - human or otherwise - something inside you is missing, too, and you are never truly complete again until you find them or find out what happened to them so you can mourn their loss. My Silver girl came back to me, and my gratitude at being given this wonderful gift knows no bounds. Thank you, one and all. And thank you, Silver, for being a most resourceful feline!