Mr. Fur's Return

I finally fell asleep sometime after 2 AM the night Asia got out. I was surprised I could sleep at all. I left the door to the screened porch cracked, left the motion sensitive light over the garage on, and slept in my clothes just in case I needed to go outside quickly. Around 4 AM, I woke up. I thought I heard something, and the light over the garage had been triggered. I looked out my window that overlooks the driveway but saw nothing. The light turned off. I went to check the screened porch anyway. Asia wasn't there. I looked out the front door windows and didn't see anything when the light was triggered again. I couldn't see the part of the driveway by the garage door, so I opened the door to look out. It was so quiet out there and a little foggy, making it hard to see. I called Asia's name, even though I'd called it so many times earlier without an answer. This time, I heard a pitiful meow coming right off the side of the front porch. He was huddled in the dirt of the flowerbed by the front porch.

I tried to coax him up, but he just crouched there and meowed at me, so I went down the steps and into the wet grass. I called him again, and he slowly made his way over to me. I could tell he was scared, and when I picked him up, he was wet almost all over and muddy on his paws and belly. At first inspection, water and mud seemed to be the only abnormality about him though. I took him inside and fed him the extra food I said I would. He scarfed it all down, keeping an eye on Biddy the whole time to make sure she didn't come steal it from him. She had been treated to extra food herself at her dinnertime, since she was the good kitty who didn't escape and because she looked so sad and lonely looking out the front screen door while we were looking for Asia earlier.

When Asia was done eating, I gave him a thorough physical and wiped him off. He looked perfectly fine. I promised Hammy that if Asia came home, I would put him in Hammy's room, so I did. He wasn't all that thrilled with me leaving him there, but I knew Hammy would be much relieved to wake up to his returned kitty. Plus, I was suddenly super-tired and wanted to get right to bed without interruption.

John came home from his sleep study about 6 AM, waking me again. The kids got up at 9, and I finally gave up on sleep and got up at 10. I felt wretched, but at least my kitty baby was home. He'll be going to the vet very soon along with the other feline beastie. I learned my lesson. I would have been much, OK only a little, less worried had I known my kitty was protected from as many of the yucky diseases and parasites as possible while on his naughty adventure. John said maybe Asia learned a lesson, going out and getting all wet, scared, and dirty. Yeah, like the time he managed to get the board out of the broken window in the basement and crawl through the broken glass, cutting himself just to get outside? He ran out on the screened porch yesterday as soon as I opened the door. I don't think his love of the outdoors has been squelched in the least just because he was disgruntled with the conditions of the other night. He will try again. That's what he does.