The Billy Saga

Later that (sledding) day, I noticed something.

Or rather the lack of something.

I hadn't seen Billy, our 20+ pound gray and white cat of nine years, all day.

He usually keeps to himself, but you stumble across him beneath Parker's crib, or getting some food for himself, or just ambling around.

I racked my brain, and couldn't picture him at all that day.

As is usually the case, I went paranoid. We tore the house apart, with Lisa humoring my anxiety. By the end of the search however, she knew the truth: he was gone.

We immediately printed up some reward flyers and Lis set off to the houses in the neighborhood. I called my folks to have someone watch the kids while I joined the search, but jumped the gun and headed outside.

Remember, there was a foot of snow on the ground,and the temperature was not very pleasant.

I called Billy's name over and over, but I had no real hope. Best case scenario, he'd been scooped up by another family who would be loathe to return him; worst case . . well, you can imagine.

Then I heard a familiar meow.

I couldn't track it down exactly, but it seemed to be coming from a large bush in front of the neighbor's house.

"Lisa!" I yelled down the block.

I didn't have any proof - heck, he only answered my call that one time and then clammed up - but my gut said he was in there.

We had to carve our way through a foot of snow that had literally buried the bush, then comb through the evergreen branches. And there, cold and docile, was our Billy!

Thank God! We were so happy we were near tears! 

We took him inside and did our best to warm him up. From the evidence - the last time we saw him, the amount of snow firmly packed around the bush, his condition - he must have run out while Lisa was shoveling out her car early Friday. He'd been outside on his own for as much as 36 hours.

Other than a limp, he recovered all right. He was much more social for a bit afterwards - possibly in response to our outpouring of love and affection with our joy at finding him - sleeping curled up with YaYa in her bed, approaching us for petting,etc.

[Of course, now yours truly has a paranoid fear of losing the cats, routinely shaking them out of their sleep whenever I don't see them for a bit]

However, his attitude towards Angel Cakes took a drastic turn. He growled and hissed at her - famously forbidding her to even cross the threshold of YaYa's room when he was with her - and banishing her! to a spot atop the toilet tank.

Now things are back to normal, but I wonder: Did he just react to protect a territory he had newfound love and respect for? Or in Cat Land did she do something vile and wicked to drive him out (she did seem very nonchalant in his absence)? I wouldn't put it past the floozy ;)

Anyhow, they are back to being a feline couple

And a beautiful one at that. Makes me wish Billy wasn't fixed.

We're glad to have him back.