I was enjoying the view from my garden, when a young woman approached me. I noticed that she had kitty treats in hand. “Did you see a suspicious person walk by?” she inquired. When prodded, she said that her cat was missing. Moreover, she thought that someone might have stolen Bao out of the first floor window. As she narrated her tale — how she had come to the US to study and was returning to China with Bao — she became very agitated and started to cry. I hugged her and said, “Let’s go and find her.”
I’m certainly not a sleuth. But when I plied her with specific questions, I deduced that kitty was still in her apartment. I said, “I’ll bet that kitty is hiding in a drawer or closet, some small space where she feels safe and secure.” “How do you know?” she asked. “Because I’ve been in the same situation countless times,” I answered.
Apparently the woman didn’t believe me because a few minutes later I saw a police cruiser come to a halt in front of her apartment. After they left, she continued her search. But about an hour later, she came back with great news. “I found my cat and I thought you’d want to know.”
“I’m so happy for you,” I replied. “Where was she?, I asked. “In a drawer!” she replied. Cats certainly wander off all the time. That said… if logic tells you that it’s improbable, look closely in every imaginable hiding place you can think of: crawl spaces in your home, bureau drawers, closets, washers and dryers, basement areas, etc. And bring along some kitty treats to sweeten the deal.
Next time, how to find kitty if she has wandered off.
