My cats are going to be the death of me! Literally!
So ... tonight we set out the food bowls for our little darlings! Only the 2 older cats show up. No Stella.
Odd ... Stella has never missed a meal in her life.
So I rattle the food in her bowl loudly whilst walking through the house ....
No Stella ....
OK ... still calm ... I run to the screen door on the deck .... nope, no holes or tears ....
OK ... losing calm slightly ... we open every cabinet, closet, door, in the house .... while shouting her name ....
No Stella ....
Starting to sweat now ....
Get out flashlights and look under every piece of furniture while quizzing each other as to when we had gone outside this afternoon.
I lose control briefly, dash outside, and search under the deck, bushes, etc.
No Stella .....
I get out the bag of treats and go through all the rooms rattling it while calling her name .....
No Stella .....
Blood pressure approaching serious levels, head pounding, stomach churning our acid at an alarming rate ....
We re-open every cabinet door, using flashlights, pulling stuff out, in every room.
No Stella
I even open the washer & dryer! ....
No Stella ....
I return to the spare bedroom closet and start pulling out stuff stacked on the floor ....
And a head pops up! Guess who?
Smiling no less ....
In the rear back corner of the closet, behind the spare bedding & towels (which I had previously checked for sleeping cats) there is a narrow vertical tunnel about the size of a shoe box that extends to the floor. She was in it ... the entire time ... waiting to be found ....
Trapped you say?
Nope ....
Asleep you say?
Nope ....
Playing games?
You got it in one.
She strolled out into the kitchen and calmly ate her dinner.
We poured drinks and collapsed, vowing to shop online tonight for an ant farm.
We're too old for this level of excitement!