Attias lost... and found, whew!

ATTIAS = SAITTA backward. He has a sister named Sicily, where the Saitta family is originally from.

Our cat Attias got out of the house last week ... I think while, um, one of us... a grown up... who also lives in this house... left the door ajar... while watching a cement truck across the street. Well, we didn't really notice that the declawed, defenseless, cat was gone until about a day later. He's actually got a great personality for a cat, he even begs for attention even from strangers. Each morning before the kids get up he comes to me for attention. I noticed last Wednesday that he wasn't around and as the day went on I realized he still wasn't appearing so I went through the closets and basement and still no cat.

At the same time I was not feeling well so I waited and expected that the cat would make his way home. While he was gone it was hard to rest - each time I woke up I was thinking - "maybe he's out there RIGHT NOW!" and am still in the habit of looking outside for him when I'm near a window. Many times I rattled the Pounce container outside to attract him then - each evening - "get lost deer!", once surprised a fox on it's way to a bowl of cat food on our porch, and many times tried to get our dog Honey to show me where Attias was - she didn't get it!

As I realized he wasn't coming back on his own I printed up posters with his picture on it and fliers to leave with people who could potentially see him. I also emailed the neighborhood ladies that I play bunco with each month in an effort to get more eyes searching for him.

WOW, did they rise to the occasion on this! I am amazed and very grateful for the friendship and support that these people offered. I've definitely had my faith in the goodness of people renewed. There were times that I was wondering what I was doing - stupid cat left the warm, safe house, but, stupid me for spending time and energy (especially after being sick!) to search for him - I was wondering what the neighborhood would think... Okay, there's the Cat Lady of Glenmoore! While he was gone my mind was working constantly to figure out where he could be, how to get him back and really hoping that I wouldn't see him on the side of a road.

Everyone I met or talked to during this long, strange week was empathetic and encouraged me to keep up the search. One call led me to a neighborhood over a mile away and I placed pictures and fliers around the area - and put 19,000+ steps on my pedometer in one day!! (For me a typical day is usually 8 - 10,000 steps.) I knocked on some doors to introduce myself as I was traipsing through people's yards and everyone I met was supportive, some had stories of their own lost and found pets and some went out of their way to help or offer to help me out. I realize now that I met some really nice people that I probably wouldn't have met otherwise.

After I took Josh to afternoon kindergarten yesterday I stopped for groceries and when I got back I decided to go out to the area where he was spotted the evening before and try to open a can of tuna in the hopes that the sound would get him to come out of hiding. As I went out across the lawn I looked behind our shed and there he was!!! I called him... he meowed again and again... I popped open the can of tuna to get him really close... dropped the tuna once he got close enough to grab him and in a death-grip, scruff-hold hustled him into the house. So, he's back and acting like he was never gone. Right now he's on my lap - he has been very clingy since he's back. Sicily keeps hissing and growling at him.

With Thanksgiving coming up my friend Vicki started a "What are we grateful for" countdown and other than family I must say that each day I'll think about being grateful for all of my wonderful friends who showed me so much love and support.

I do realize that in the scheme of things a lost cat is trivial but if this is the support I have during something like this I know they're there for me if something real comes along, for that I'm truly grateful.