I've always been an animal person- right now my 'farm' includes 18 chickens, 16 quail, one dog and 9 outdoor cats. Toss in an occasional visiting opossum or raccoon, that's about it. But we'll put the focus on the cats for the time being, as this story unfolds.
My mother always liked cats and I carry on in her spirit. Mine are well fed, to the point that I should probably have their cholesterol checked; but they seem quite happy and healthy nonetheless. Always by the back door, impatiently waiting for their next meal which could include anything that has passed its expiration date from the fridge or even a tidbit scraped from a plate.
Strangely, living on a rural paved road there is always a danger that one will venture into the fur flattening abyss known as F highway (the Bates county Autobahn) in search of who-knows-what. The allure of the open road has always been an issue but my theory of serving three squares a day seems to help.
Alas, my tabbies and toms never seem to stray. Until recently that is.
My father in law was staying at our house for a few days awhile back and decided to come by the News-Shopper office to visit, carrying an extra passenger he was not aware of, my cantankerous old calico. Nice kitty, but has her moments, so to speak.
Upon his arrival at our office, "Gripey" we call her, crawled out from the engine compartment and began exploring the Butler square unbeknown to us. Throughout the day I did notice some Facebook posts about a cat peeking in the window at Tu Casa restaurant and later seen hanging around the entrance to the courthouse. But never did it occur to me that it might be my cat. Even after I got home later that day and noticed Gripey wasn't around, I assumed she was on sabbatical and would reappear shortly like they always do.
Later in the evening I saw a Facebook post by friend Susie Smalley with another photo of the vagrant cat that did indeed looked a little like mine. "This poor baby seemed lost on the square today and we brought her home until we can locate the owner" said the post. A quick message to Susie confirmed that the distraught calico was indeed mine, confirmed by "she's a nice kitty but a bit touchy". Yep, Gripey.
A short time later Susie and Jack pulled into my driveway with Gripey on lap, more than excited to return to a life of table scraps and pats on the head (with leather glove of course). She quickly made her way to her special spot by the back door and never looked back.
Lesson learned: For over a month now, Gripey hasn't left the perimeter of the patio or her comfy cat house. Doesn't go near the cars and won't even look in that direction. Seems to have no interest in exploring ever again.
However, there seems to be a reminder-in-waiting of her day out. It looks as though there will be a fresh batch of kittens soon and as my old Tom no longer seems to have interest, we can only guess the new patriarch lives somewhere around the Butler square.
May the circle remain unbroken. -Doug Mager
