Caturday storytime: we thought we may have lost the lad

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher) 11/23/2019 at 22:28 • Filed to: Catlopnik

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We didn’t see Hammer all Thursday night. Which is unusual, but not unheard of. Then he was nowhere to be found Friday morning. More unusual, but it had happened.

But then each time my wife entered the house Friday ... No Hammer. She started searching for him. No Hammer. The girls came home from school and started calling for him around the house. No Hammer.

Worried he may have escaped (he is an indoor cat) , they started walking around the neighborhood calling for him. No Hammer.

My wife began searching the house again, leaving no corner unsearched. Including the attic. No Hammer.

Then she opened the hall closet. And woke him up from what we assume was roughly a 20 hour long nap.

He got lots of pets and hugs from the girls. They gave him some treats. Then he sauntered down to the basement to use the litter box and eat some food ... Then he attempted to get back in the closet.

When that failed, he plopped on his couch spot, and went back to sleep.

Big fuzzy dumbass :)

Captain of the Enterprise > shop-teacher 11/23/2019 at 22:36

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My spirit animal lol

XJDano > shop-teacher 11/23/2019 at 22:43

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We have closed Penny in the closet and left for the weekend. Also the basement, garage.... just this summer she had been sneaking past us as we let out the dogs. She also stayed outside over the weekend.

She knows where her litter box is and where her food is.

Another time recently she was gone for the day and I found her with a mouse on the patio. She played with him to death. And was still batting at it before I opened the door.

My wife “rescued” her from a barn cat life. So she wants to be outside.

We are being more careful now because it’s getting colder. But one or two nights I thought she may have frozen to death out there, but she lays on the back steps in the morning. Damn cat. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > shop-teacher 11/23/2019 at 23:13

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We’ve had times we couldn’t find our indoor cat Tazz...she always ended up finding a new comfy quiet and extremely hidden place to take a nap, but boy do you worry until you find them!

Glad Hammer is still safe and sound...and well-rested! :P

facw > shop-teacher 11/23/2019 at 23:18

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Glad you found him! My parents   dog (who was almost entirely blind and deaf) got out last year, and it was a pretty panicked search to track her down. I ended up sending them a Whistle GPS tracker, which was not needed before she passed away this fall, but it was still really good peace of mind to know that they could track her if she was out. They’ve transfer red it to their other dog now, though he at least can see where he’s going. The month fees are pretty absurd for a device that uses basically no data, even when actively tracking but otherwise I’m glad they have it. The model I bought is too probably too big for a cat, but they have a new  slimmer model that might work.

Just Jeepin' > shop-teacher 11/23/2019 at 23:26

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My cat had a much less happy ending.

She was very solitary like me, so I often wouldn’t see much of her for hours at a time.

One day I realized it had been a bit longer than usual, so I wandered around, and discovered she had gotten trapped in a lawn chair that collapsed on her. She was still alive, but barely, and the vet wasn’t able to do anything for her.

She was old and tired, so it wasn’t an untimely death per se, but I still feel guilty about that.

For Sweden > shop-teacher 11/23/2019 at 23:44

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what a lad

smobgirl > shop-teacher 11/23/2019 at 23:48

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I’ve had a few of those moments. My fat cat seems to find some pretty unexpected hiding spots and no amount of calling or shaking treat bags will bring her out.

Khalbali > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 00:04

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We lost our first cat behind the dryer for well over a day.

His Stigness > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 01:29

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I swear, the cuter they are, the bigger the asshole they can be.

Aside from the two times Mufasa has gotten out (thanks to my sister), every time we thought he got out, he was just in some random place napping, and looking at us like we’re crazy.

UGH!

But thank god Hammer is okay and safe.

Here’s his west coast spirit brother.

shop-teacher > XJDano 11/24/2019 at 08:15

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Hammer was a barn kitten. He was found by a friend of a friend, stuck in an abandoned car in a farm field. He weighed one pound when we got him. Occasionally he bolts outside when we open the back door, but he's never gone farther than 20' from the door. Usually he stops and freezes right outside the door.

shop-teacher > facw 11/24/2019 at 08:17

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Hammer occasionally bolts outside, but has literally never gone more than 20' from the door. I don't feel the need to track him, but this scare has convinced us to at least chip him next time he goes to the vet.

shop-teacher > Just Jeepin' 11/24/2019 at 08:18

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Oh my, that's awful. I'm sorry you had to go through that :(

shop-teacher > His Stigness 11/24/2019 at 08:26

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Hammer occasionally (2-3 times a year) bolts outside when we open the back door. It’s hard to stop him when he does , because he usually greets us at the back door. He has never strayed more than 20' from the door, and usually freezes right outside the door. A few times he ran under my truck, do we couldn’t pick him up. Asshole that I am, I would just start the truck’s engine, and he would bolt inside as quick as a flash.

This scare has convinced us to get him chipped next time we take him to the vet.

shop-teacher > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 11/24/2019 at 08:27

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Yeah, that's how it usually goes with Hammer too, but this one he was gone for 20-24 hours, so we were really worried by then. Thankfully he was just taking a hellacious nap!

shop-teacher > smobgirl 11/24/2019 at 08:29

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Yeah, there was a lot of calling and treat bag shaking, but I suspect he was sleeping so soundly that he didn't hear a thing.

shop-teacher > Khalbali 11/24/2019 at 08:29

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Dang!

shop-teacher > Captain of the Enterprise 11/24/2019 at 08:30

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Don't we all wish we could hide in a corner and nap for an entire day?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 08:54

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Yup, glad you found him! :D

Captain of the Enterprise > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 09:09

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Yes

Just Jeepin' > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 09:18

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They really do become family members, so it’s never easy to lose one.

arl > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 10:25

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Glad he’s ok.

You spent a lot of time looking for the little guy.

Next time you have to spend hours looking for  something, you could say “It’s Hammer-time!”

Ok, I’ll see myself out.....

shop-teacher > Just Jeepin' 11/24/2019 at 10:54

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That's very true.

shop-teacher > arl 11/24/2019 at 10:55

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OPPORTUNITY MISSED!!!

His Stigness > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 14:21

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Mu is a big dork and freezes as soon as he gets over the fence. Yet he tries to get over any time we turn his back. I don’t know what his end game is.

The one time her got out and was out for a few hours I had actually given up and he was climbing over the neighbor’s fence trying to get home, and he was so scared. 

imadick > shop-teacher 11/24/2019 at 15:27

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He looks like he’s seen some shit...

shop-teacher > His Stigness 11/24/2019 at 18:54

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He doesn’t know what his endgame is either :)

Daawww!!!

shop-teacher > imadick 11/24/2019 at 18:55

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Lol! The thousand yard stare of a kitty who naps like it's his job... Because it is.