Journal of a Sabbatical

November 4, 2000

runaway

Today's Reading: Circling the Sacred Mountain by Robert Thurman and Tad Wise

Wilbur ran away from home this afternoon. He often tries to make a break for it when I have the back door open to bring in laundry or groceries or something, but he succeed at the front door.

When I got home from walking (an hour and 15 or 20 minutes) with the walking buddies, I checked the front hall to see if the mail carrier had come yet. No mail. I didn't see Wilbur sneak into the front hall. He didn't make any noise, which he often does. I closed the door and sat down to a quick lunch before leaving for Providence. About 5 minutes later the mail came. I noticed it was weird that Wilbur didn't make a beeline for the door when Pajama Woman and Carthage the little white dog were making a racket getting their mail. I went into the hall to get the mail after they were safely back in their unit.

That was when I realized Wilbur was gone. He must have been quietly hiding in the hall for those 5 minutes, just waiting for the mail carrier to let him out.

I ran outside to look for him. The strange children across the way (they use my front door and hallway as a soccer goal) told me they'd seen an orange cat under a bush near the next building. I looked under that bush and every other bush. I circumabulated the entire condo complex three times calling Wilbur the whole time.

It got dark. I should mention that the mail comes a little after 3:30 PM on Saturdays here and it gets dark a little after 4:00 PM. I called Nancy and told her I wasn't coming until I found Wilbur.

I went to the hardware store around the corner and bought a huge flashlight and a can of fish flavored wet food. Yeah, I know, fish makes him throw up and get acne on his chin, but I was sure the smell would attract him. I baited the front hall with the cat food and made two more circuits around the condo complex, this time shining the flash light under every bush and shrub (except Dubya :-)) and even in the woods surrounding the north side of the complex. I even went behind the last building into people's yards.

Dogs barked. Rabbits froze when they saw my flashlight then fled. I never knew there were so many rabbits here. People came to their windows to check out what was happening. I fully expected the police to come any second.

I checked inside the dumpsters - he likes dumpster.

Finally, I was walking the final stretch of the south side of the complex calling "Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur" and shining the light under every bit of vegetation next to the buildings. I heard a faint meow. I called again. The meow answered. That has to be Wilbur. He talks. He knows his name. I shine the light in the direction of the sound and keep calling his name. He keeps answering. Finally, deep behind a bush, the light picks up the glint of his eyes.

I run to the bush, plop down on the ground, dropping the flashlight, and pick him up. I hold him to my chest but he struggles to get free. He scratches me. I grab him by the scruff of his neck to calm him down. I manage to get up off the ground without letting go of him or the flashlight.

He squirms all the way back to my back door (we're around the back side of the condo by now). I put him down in the kitchen, forgetting I left the front door open. He dashes across the living room and out the front door!

I run across the living room, out the front door, and into the bushes. I grab Wilbur again and carry him back into the front hall, making sure I close the door behind me. I grab the open can of cat food too.

Me, Wilbur, and the can of smelly wet food make it to the kitchen where I feed him his normal unsmelly fish-free food, and stick the smelly food in a plastic bag inside the fridge where he can't smell it.

Instead of driving to Providence, I spend the evening re-bonding with Wilbur. Eventually he forgives me for making him come back indoors.