THE CRISIS IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got home and found Stella playing with a cat toy she had never played with before - and I forgot we even had - a catnip Santa Claus head. The reason? Stella had lost her favorite mousie! I looked everywhere, with her tagging along anxiously "helping" me. I looked under everything, behind everything .... even accused the older cats of flushing it.
Finally .... the missing mousie was located inside my rolled up exercise mat. Stella likes to push it on its side and use it as a tunnel.
Peace reigns again ... for now ...