Tache (and Poof) tales

[Sheriff Roland]

It's been warmer lately - above freezing - even reaching 15c (59f) yesterday, so it's not surprising that Tache has been asking to go out and spend the night outside. He did so on Tuesday (15 March) and Wednesday (16) nights.

When he didn't show up for breakfast with Poof at 4 AM on Thursday as would normally be the case I didn't worry. By 7 AM, I was out there calling his name every two hours. Still no Tache. By 11 I went out in the 500 metre (500 yard) radius of the house calling out his name.

Nothing.

He didn't show up at 4 PM either, when Poof came in for supper. Bryan started worrying seriously by then too. At 8 PM, I had mentioned this anomaly to a few of my neighbours who thought me stoic in thinking 'that's the life of an outdoor cat' and 'I might never find out what happened to him'.

I played a bit more than usual with Poof (he lets me pick him up now) when he showed up again at 10 PM, still without Tache, who had never been away for more than 6 or 7 hours at a time, always coming in for a nibble, since he came into my life nearly 2 years ago.

Didn't sleep well when I went to bed around 11:15 PM, so I got up 90 minutes later.

Just before 3:00 this morning, I again hear the jingle ball hanging on the outside door handle. (Both Tache & Poof have learned that I hear & respond to that sound.) It had been windy during the night, it could have been a false alarm.

But there he was, accompanied by Poof. Tache came in, went strait for his food bowl (well actually, his bowl wasn't THERE, but it came down off the fridge right away). He ate a bit, checked out the house quickly and went back outside for another hour. This time, when he came in he wasn't with Poof, so I closed the door behind him and he's spending the rest of the night indoors.

I'm going to bed now (it's 4:35 AM here), but I expect Bryan will be calling for an update within the next couple of hours.

[Brown Eyes]

Aww, wow, what a scare!  I'm glad Tache came home!  I can't imagine how much I'd worry if my cat disappeared (obviously she's an indoor cat, so it's unlikely... but, it's still really difficult to imagine).

Does Tache have a collar at this point... with your address or phone number?

[Sheriff Roland]

Aww, wow, what a scare!  I'm glad Tache came home!  I can't imagine how much I'd worry if my cat disappeared (obviously she's an indoor cat, so it's unlikely... but, it's still really difficult to imagine).

Does Tache have a collar at this point... with your address or phone number?

No, but he IS microchipped.

As for what Andrew (my neighbour, daddy to Anthony) had said that morning 'That's the life of an outdoor cat', apparently he meant (as he expanded after Tache's return) that his first cat would occasionally stay away for as many as two days at a time. I guess this means I worried for nothing.

[Kelda]

I hate it when Skimble does something like that.. Im always pacing the floor until he returns...

[Brown Eyes]

How are things going with Tache and Poof?  And updates to report?

[Penthesilea]

Just before 3:00 this morning, I again hear the jingle ball hanging on the outside door handle. (Both Tache & Poof have learned that I hear & respond to that sound.) It had been windy during the night, it could have been a false alarm.

But there he was, accompanied by Poof. Tache came in, went strait for his food bowl (well actually, his bowl wasn't THERE, but it came down off the fridge right away). He ate a bit, checked out the house quickly and went back outside for another hour. This time, when he came in he wasn't with Poof, so I closed the door behind him and he's spending the rest of the night indoors.

I'm going to bed now (it's 4:35 AM here), but I expect Bryan will be calling for an update within the next couple of hours.

Just reading this now. *phew*, what a scare. I can so emphasize. Everybody with an outdoor cat probably can. My kitty was late for breakfast only for two hours the other day, and I was completely worried.

Happy to hear that Tache came back soon, even though a whole day is a lot of time to worry, poor Roland, and that Poof is getting more and more comfortable. You're a great cat-daddy.

[Sheriff Roland]

Poof update ... ... ...

Poof is likely to remain an outdoor cat.

And it's probably a female cat (though I still have trouble using the right pronoun).

Though she does come in for most meals, and she EXPECTS to be petted and even get picked up before she eats, she hasn't really ventured very far into the house - the living room being the one exception.

She use to spend as many as two hours indoors with the door ajar, playing with Tache and sometimes Anthony. She rarely does that now that the temperatures are (mostly) above freezing outside. Yesterday was more of an exception ... when she spent hours (3 or 4?) indoors with Tache and I just forget about them, as I was busy at the other end of the house, playing on my computer. Normally she'll meow quite loudly (and insistently if I don't respond immediately), however the intensity is abating of late, though she is still, and will probably will always remain an impatient cat.

Oh I forgot to mention ... the door now gets closed immediately after she enters. She accepts that now. (YEAA!!! big progress)

Guess the next step is taking her to the vet, though I still don't see how she's going to want to trust me after I cage her up for that first trip (let alone getting her back home afterwards). It's going to be some loud (meowing) and mean (scratching wise) trip.

But that's later ...

I'll be away for 4 days over the coming weekend and Bryan will be taking over the cat care duties. Poof doesn't come into the house when he's visiting so I guess she'll be fed outside during my absence. That's the next hurdle, for her.

[Sheriff Roland]

During the near 30 minutes that it took to write (and correct) the previous post, Poof has been alone with me indoors, she near the door, lying on the rug, me at the computer. Tache was outside.

She's been quiet (a first), though I did go check up on her a couple of times.

Of course I wasn't able to finish THIS post without her demanding to go outside ...   though her meows were quite a few decible lower than her usual.

Baby steps, still.

[Brown Eyes]

That does sound like good progress if you're able to close the door.  I'm sure it's more comfortable for you!  And, it's nice that she is now comfortable with you petting her and holding her.   How did you figure out that Poof is a girl?

[Sheriff Roland]

How did you figure out that Poof is a girl?

It was suggested that I should feel her up.

No balls!