The Visitor

The day after Thanksgiving which, miracle of miracles, I had off from work, I awoke to the sound of plaintive mewing outside the window. This went on for some time and I finally hoisted myself up to look out to see what was responsible for the sound. I was greeted with a sweet little kitty face peering over the fence which separates our neighbor's carport area from our house. At present the neighboring house is vacant and on the market. The sounds this little cat was making made me wonder if it may be hurt or stuck or something. I decided to go out the side door and investigate. For the past several weeks, we'd been entertaining the idea of getting another cat to keep our Finn company. It bothered me that he had to spend so much time alone while my son was at school and we were at work. I'd read in several places that Siamese are very social animals and their well being benefits greatly from the company of another cat.

With these thoughts in my head, I walked next door, all the while knowing exactly what I was doing and what I was hoping for. Perhaps here would be the kitty who could become our number two cat. No fuss, no muss and instant pet. I found a small, orange tabby rolling on its back looking most appealing and in no apparent distress. The carport area was fenced in but this little animal could easily walk out from between the fence slats...which it did and trotted along behind me back to and right through the side door. It made a bee line for the water and food dishes and began to chow down and then proceeded to make itself quite comfy in its new surroundings. Our cat made for the furthermost recesses of the house and was not to be found for quite some time. There was no identifying collar on this small cat; obviously it had been out in the elements for a few days because it was so hungry and had telltale grease or oil marks on its back, indicating it had sought refuge under a car somewhere during the very cold nights we'd been having. Upon close inspection, it looked to be in healthy shape and friendly. Oh my, you'd think this cat had lived with us for months.

We fell immediately and thoroughly in love with this little cat and within three days the new arrival and our cat were great buds, chasing each other all over the place in a playful manner. We checked the lost and found section of the newspaper each morning dutifully and even went so far as to check out a copy of the city paper to see if anyone was missing a small tabby with beautiful orange markings with an artistic swirl. Nothing appeared and as each day went by, we felt more secure and surer that kitty was here to stay. "One week," my husband said. "We'll give it one week and then take this little one to the vet to check everything out". Little one drifted into our lives on Friday morning. The following Saturday morning my husband looked once again in the lost and found section and there it was: Lost, small orange tabby, very friendly, and so on. Something else caught my eye that morning too. I went outside to find laminated pictures complete with description and plea for its safe return plastered on everything that would tolerate a nail or thumbtack. No doubt about it--the kitty in the picture was the very one we'd taken care of and loved the entire past week. My husband called the number in the notice and within minutes a grateful, tearful, very relieved young woman and her little boy were at the door to take home their "Toby".

Oh, how our hearts were breaking as we gave back her obviously much loved kitty. The woman had been back east for Thanksgiving and whoever was house sitting (or kitty sitting) for her let the cat out accidentally. I think the minute the young woman returned from her trip, she set forth to putting up posters and notified the newspaper; indeed, must have done so just the night before. We were comforted by the fact that the reunion of cat and owner was a very happy one and we would certainly want our dear cat returned to us if he got out. For the remainder of the day and several days following, our cat wandered from room to room looking for his "pal". He had enjoyed having a companion and I'm sure was wondering what on earth was going on. First we bring a strange cat into the house out of the blue and then, poof! it's gone. This gesture of returning that which was not ours was the springboard from which our Christmas spirit for 2005 was launched.