Feline Friday: ALMOST LOST!

I had one of the worst scares ever last week. In fact, it's taken me a few days to even write about it.

I almost lost Tinsel.

Those of you who know me and/or follow my blog know that I am the most doting of Cat Moms. I pay meticulous attention to everything about Lily and Tinsel and I certainly know their whereabouts at any given moment. They are strictly indoor kitties and are allowed outside only on a leash. So it is shocking that I even came CLOSE to losing one of my cats.

One late afternoon last week, I went outside to water the plants on the patio. I walked out of the house through the door that connects to the garage. The large garage door was up, so I went out to the patio that way.

I had just finished watering the plants and turned off the hose when I looked down and saw TINSEL standing next to me on the patio. "Meow?" she asked. Completely shocked, I reached down, swooped her up in my arms, and ran back inside. After making sure Lily was still in the house, I had to sit down, still squeezing Tinsel tightly. My heart was pounding. I couldn't believe what had just happened. How did Tinsel get outside?

As it turned out, the door that connects our house to the garage hadn't latched completely, and the wind blowing in through the large garage door must have forced it open slightly. Tinsel, ever on the ready to make The Great Escape, must have slipped out the back door the minute it cracked open.

The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. We have a side-facing garage, so in order for Tinsel to have appeared on the patio as she did, she had to have walked all the way through the garage, out the big door, down the driveway, and around the back of the house to the patio to find me.

Any number of things could have happened to her along the way. What if a car had pulled into our driveway? What if she had continued down the driveway into the street? What if the noise from the garden hose had scared her? If I had still been watering plants as she made her exit, I know she wouldn't have approached the patio. She could have easily escaped and (save for the fact that she has a microchip) I might never have found her.

Although I'm always mindful of the doors, this little incident has made me even more vigilant. I'm extra careful to be sure the back door latches now, and I try to keep the garage doors closed anytime I'm outside. During the warmer months, Tinsel waits for the opportunity to slip out the door, so the extra attention is warranted.

I'd like to think that maybe Tinsel wouldn't have left the yard. Perhaps she wouldn't have tried to to run away. After all, she did come around to the patio to find me as if to say, "Hai, Mom! Luk at meee!" Maybe that's all she wanted to do. She knows we love her. And even though she has to put up with Lily, I can't imagine that Tinsel would want to stray too far from her Forever Home.

But believe me, I'm not going to give her the chance!