Sir Bennett Did It Again!, Went 'missing'..... Options

[paris]

Yes, he did it again. Thanksgiving we went away for the weekend. We 'jokingly' said "OK, now he'll have to wonder where WE are!"

My neighbor comes in every day to check in, and we do leave the window opened for Sir Bennett to get in and out. We've done this several times before, no problem. Except this time the neighbor wrote daily notes that Bennett was nowhere to be seen, food was untouched. And yes, I live in Vermont where it is below freezing and snow. I looked on the deck and there were no paw prints in the snow. (It snowed after we left.)

So now I'm wondering again, where he is, for an entire week. All I could think of is "Here I go again" and was getting depressed. At one point I regretted keeping the window open, but I know that was illogical because he goes out all the time. I know, and have posted, that the choice to let a cat outdoors brings risks. This time, though, he had collar/ID and microchip, so that was helpful.

What was worrying me was the cold, wondering where he was getting food/water. One morning I saw some birds, and that was to me a sign from God that he was OK.

He usually turns up early in the morning, so last evening at 7:00 I let out a scream when I saw him standing at the back deck glass door, lightly covered with snow flurries. I let him in. No collar. I expected a thin and hungry cat, but he actually looked beefier than when he left.

This cat is a mystery and he's driving me crazy!

[Zita'sMom]

Paris - I'm so sorry to hear it's been so long without Bennett. I do hope he is just sharing his special self with someone else. I know how difficult it is not knowing. But as you said Bennett is an outdoor cat and at least he's been living the life he loves.

I adopted another orange tabby female from the SPCA (a 5 yr old or older cat) after feeling such a huge loss when Zita disappeared. Her name is Ziggy. She will never be Zita, but she is a companion for Zeus who was getting grumpy after a couple of months alone. Zeus is more cuddly again and I think this helps all of us.

Here it is snowing right now and right now it's no problem keeping the cats in. Ziggy has only been out a couple of times in the day when some of the workman who were over left doors open. I am petrified of letting her out, but we live on an acreage and in the summer it is a cat's paradise. We have lost 2 cats here and I know it can be dangerous; especially at night. However, during the daytime when the weather is better I will probably let them go out and keep them in after their evening meal. My dogs are with me always and when they go out, they go out with me. With cats it's more difficult. They have minds of their own. On one hand Zita was very much enjoying her life mousing in the early hours, but on the other I have experienced so much pain of loss with her and I regret that I couldn't/didn't protect her. She was an extremely special cat. So it is hard to find a balance and it just has to be what "feels right", I guess.

I can't help but still sometimes wish for something miraculous where she just turns up at the door, but I know that all evidence is to the contrary.

With Bennett - maybe that will still happen. I hope he is just sharing his love with someone else.... I do think that life should be about quality and not quant*ity.

Jan