Lost & Found!

Our cat Rocco has a tendency to follow Lillie & I a short distance each time we leave the house & is always waiting to greet us on our return home. Yesterday was no exception when we left home to do our weekly grocery shop. However, this time Rocco chose to extend the distance he is normally prepared to travel & was not easily persuaded when we started to shoo him back in to the direction he had walked. Eventually we thought he had got fed up & headed for home as he was out of sight.

On our return home, no Rocco, though I thought he may be sheltering from the light snowfall we were having. Five o'clock & still no sign of him despite my attempts to call out for him. Seven o'clock came & I was beginning to feel worried. Lillie had also mentioned he wasnt home yet. Its funny how you get to know your pets little ways isnt it? Lillie must have been thinking non stop about him because she presented me with a little missing poster she had made while watching a DVD in her room. It was a struggle to hold back from crying when I looked at it. Lillie's 'missing' poster she wanted printed out. She even added our telephone number. (Disguised under the felt tipped pens).

Lillie made it clear that I had to wake her if Rocco was to return home during the night. I must have prayed so many times for him to be ok & to hurry up home. This morning we were up early, ate breakfast & was soon ready to go look for him. I thought to start with, it best we took the same route as yesterday up to the point where we last saw him. I also alerted a neighbour to keep an eye out for him & I spoke to everyone I passed in the street, who were all so very kind to us. One gentleman even allowed us to look in his back garden. As we approached the last known stretch of road we saw him on & still calling out his name, out he popped from a garden, crossed the road & greeted us in a manner that clearly said, 'hey, where have you two been?' It felt so good to see our old friend & looking well too. All my anxiety disappeared instantly. I carried him all the way home, despite not being what you call a cat owner who picks up her cat or strokes him very often. The kids do enough of that, I tend to just talk with him, feed him & keep his bedding clean. Its the way its always been. Once home, Rocco had something to eat, then settled in his usual warm place for a well earned sleep & has stayed there for most of the day so far.

Rocco back home where he belongs... I think all my prayers last night were heard & answered.