theo update

[rivendellrose]

Got up at 4am, as promised, and went up first to check the two doors. Nothing at the front door, but when I turned on the light at the back door I saw a familiar orange lump hunkered down on our porch. And then I did the thing that proves that even a person who's lived with cats (often in large numbers) all their life can occasionally completely forget how to deal with them: I was so shocked that I moved immediately into opening the door. And he ran and hid somewhere in the jungle of our backyard.

Now, granted, said jungle is currently half-cleared thanks to a lot of work by maymargaret, but there's still a fair amount of brush for a kitty to hide in. So I've just spent the last hour sitting on our back steps with his favorite toy and a can of cat food, begging him to come out. No luck so far. As I already knew, the fuzzball is stubborn. So now I'm inside again, figuring that if he doesn't see me he might come out for the food, but I don't know how the hell I'm going to catch him if that's how he's playing the game. If he's sufficiently freaked by this whole experience that he's running away from me, how am I supposed to get him back inside?

There's a brilliant metaphor for the human condition in here somewhere, but right now I'm too busy fussing over how to figure this out. Additionally? Really damned tired. And I have to say, I'm amused by how fast I've been cycling back and forth between "poor baby, he's so scared, I'm so worried about him" to "stupid damned cat, come out of the bushes so I can relax already!" Ah. Human nature.

Update: 1 can of cat food, one toy, one still-panicked human and a half-hour nap later, it's been almost four hours since I last saw Theo disappearing into the bushes. Am becoming convinced there's an interdimensional portal back there, or perhaps some kind of hole in the fence through which his fuzzy butt has made his 'escape' since I am clearly the evil matron of the Screeching Door of Doom, and not warm person who feeds him. Still in a panic over cat, now with added "oh god I'm supposed to be at work in an hour, should I go or should I call in?" It's not like I'm any use sitting here waiting for him to come back, but I think I might be in a worse panic if I didn't have the opportunity to check for him every five minutes. Waugh.

Comments

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

At least you know he's safe :)

He's probably scared because he knows he's in trouble :P

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Now I just really want him inside where I don't have to worry about him finding a hole in our fence or something. :P

He's just a jumpy little bastard, is what he is. He doesn't much like that door when he's on the right side of it, I'm not surprised (now that I'm awake) that he got scared. But I was just about ready to scream when he ran away, after he'd been So Damned Close.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

Once those guys get a taste of nature, they find it hard to come back home... but he'll be hungry by the end of the day. I was really nervous about letting Harry out for the first time, but now he comes and goes with ease. Glad to hear he's been spotted.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

He definitely can't be making a habit of this, with how close we live to a lot of streets. Once was stressful enough, with me nearly panicking every time I saw a car go by while I was looking for him. But yes, he's been spotted, and I'm hoping desperately that he makes his way inside before too much longer. I've changed my tactics and left the back door open for him, so hopefully...

[nekokoban]

[HUGS] Well, we know that he's the sort who'll come back. He proved it by doing so this morning, even if he did freak out at the noise. The others are going to be at the house, so if you decide to go to work, let them know he's back there and arm them with the necessary stuffs?

I don't THINK there's any holes in our back fence, from what I remember when I was able to get back there, so. He's probably just hidden somewhere deep in the blackberries. How very jungle-like. XD;

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

*snugs* We've just started letting one of our cats out (deliberately, not accidentally) and the first day we did it, she vanished for hours and had us all panicking, but she did come back after exhausting herself with all the new scents to follow.

He'll probably be hungry by the end of the day - when you're home, if you haven't already found it, maybe leave a dish of catfood (or tuna, if he likes it - the smell is stronger) on the inside of the house, and leave the door open. He might very well wander in to eat, and if not, at least the creaky door won't scare him away. *hugs* good luck.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yes, he's being a fierce jungle tiger. And giving his mommy a frigging ulcer while he's at it.

I emailed work and told them I'm going to be a few hours late. Nobody else seems to be awake yet, and now I'm scared that he's slipped out somehow, or climbed the fence or something. It's just so weird to know that he's probably out there, but that I can't see him or hear him or anything, and he won't come out. And stupid Jack and Molly keep barking, and crows keep screaming, and I'm sure he's terrified. Now if only I thought this'd be enough to keep him inside from now on.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I left out some canned catfood (which he usually goes nuts for) this morning, but he seems to've worked himself into a terror where he won't leave the bushes. And I did have the door open for quite a while this morning, but closed it again because I was going to go walk around the block to make sure he hasn't slipped out of our fence somehow. Nobody else is awake yet, and I hate leaving doors unlocked if nobody's watching them. :/

[nekokoban]

Well, what he usually did when he would get under my bed is squeeze himself into the very furthest corner from where I could reach and then just SIT. Like a LUMP. Even as I was moving the bed and swearing at him. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he's doing now.

Hopefully he'll come back on his own, once he's calmed a little, or his hunger overcomes his terror, and we won't have to stage an expedition to retrieve him. [HUGS]

[coralia13.livejournal.com]

:( Good luck! I hope he comes back soon. Don't be too hard on yourself - animals are animals, and it's not like you can watch him all the time to make sure he's staying put. Even house pets have good instincts, and I'm sure he'll use his to stay safe and come back home when he realizes his little adventure isn't as fun as getting fed and pet and taking naps. Pet fear is so hard, though - they're like our babies. I really hope he comes in soon so you can get some good, relaxed sleep. *Hugs!*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I know. He's such a cat that way. And of course with all the noises going on outside, I don't blame him for being scared. But still! Argh.

I hope so. I feel so bad, that he was there this morning and then I scared him off. I wonder how long he was sitting there, waiting for somebody to let him in. Poor kitty, he must've thought we'd forgotten him.

I tried to find him out there a bit ago, but it's too thick. I can't see a thing in all those brambles.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Thanks, me too. He looked really really scared when I saw him this morning - he's such a big baby, when it comes down to it, and he's never been outside in the time I've had him.

I hope so, too. *Hugs* Once he's actually inside again, it's going to take everything in me not to just pass out from relief and exhaustion.

[reve-lucide.livejournal.com]

I'm sure he'll be fine, but I can only imagine how stressed out you are right now. Thinking your cat/dog is missing is one of the worst feelings ever. *hugs*

I hope he comes back soon you so can relax.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

That's it exactly. On a purely intellectual level, I know he'll probably come back in as soon as things quiet down enough for him to feel safe (ie, the neighbor brings her dogs in, etc).

And it'd really help if Subletter and his brother would get the fuck out of the kitchen, too. Theo is not going to come in if there are strange people clomping around being loud.

*Is insanely cranky*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yet another Theo-sighting just now, and yet again he got scared and ran into the bushes before I could get to him. This is driving me insane.

[nekokoban]

[HUGS] At least you know he's still out there. :\

At this point, he's probably scared enough that the only thing you can do is be patient.

[windrose.livejournal.com]

And then I did the thing that proves that even a person who's lived with cats (often in large numbers) all their life can occasionally completely forget how to deal with them: I was so shocked that I moved immediately into opening the door.

I did that the first time Spooky went walkabout. I tried leaving food by an open window, but he snuck in, ate it, and bolted again. What finally got him inside was an open window and NO food. He decided he'd had enough running about and wanted to be fed.

And now I must flee offline because of the big storm rolling in. *HUGS* and I hope your furbaby shows up Soon.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, there are no holes in the fence. None of the neighbor's animals ever got in, except for that one extremely agile cat who could jump the fence. Which Theo most certainly cannot do. He's probably just terrified at being outside and confused and hiding. Leaving food out is good, and he'll come home. He's not an outdoor kitty, and he's smart enough to know this.

I'd say go in to work a few hours late, if you can or call in to be on the safe side if no one else is going to be home to be able to check on him. *hugs*

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Good luck. Poor kitty, especially if he's not the type to be an explorer. If Nadia got out, I think she'd hide and never come out. Any more sign of him?

[meevish.livejournal.com]

evil matron of the Screeching Door of Doom

XD OH I luff you. ^.^

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I saw him a couple of times before I left for work, but everytime I went out to try to coax him in, he just ran back into the brush and hid. Nothing like a cat to ruin a person's ego - I can usually coax strangers' cats into my arms without a bit of trouble, but my own is apparently terrified of me, now. :P

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Argh. Obviously that was a moment of default-icon stupidity. I am most definitely not joyous about the cat being a freak. XP

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

He did! He looked at me like I was some kind of monster!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Hugs* Thanks. The little black one, if I remember right, yeah. I ran into her while I was looking for Theo last night, actually. Anyhow, he's definitely still in the yard, but he won't come in, apparently because he's terrified of me now that we're out of our usual environment. This is the one thing I hate about cats - they're so damned... paranoid. He runs and hides every time I try to coax him in.

*Nods* I waited til Kendra was up, and until it was clear he wasn't having with me coaxing him inside. He'll come in his own time, I guess. He has water out there. I brought the food just inside the door, so hopefully he'll be tempted by that.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I know. He's just so dumb, being all "I know what to do - I'll run away from Mommy and hide in the big scary bushes!" *Headdesk*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Ha! Silly Spooky. Yeah, I'm surprised that Theo isn't flipping out yet, he's usually very very insistent about his regular food schedule.

I've got the back door open, and the housemates are on watch for him so they can close it if/when he wanders in.

*Hugs* Take care!

[shoeless-girl.livejournal.com]

Cats can just be so silly, can't they? Poor dears.

He will come in when he's good and ready and things quieten down a bit. I know you know this, but I figure it's sometimes good to be reassured *hugs*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Ohgodyes. They're so insane. All of them, but especially this one, it seems.

I know he will, but, as you said, it's good to hear it. *Hugs* Poor kitty-boy, he's just so freaked out, and he's got me just as upset in return.

[iamlovely.livejournal.com]

*Big hugs*

Everyone else has said what I would have.... so in short: I really hope Theo stops being a butt and comes inside so you can sleep! <3

*Extra hugs*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

He finally came in last night around 5pm. *Hugs* So his fuzzy butt is in the house, and as far as I'm concerned it's never going out again unless it's in a carrier. XP