I forgot to tell you- I was in Petco yesterday to get cat food and glanced at a wall of cages, there were 2 tuxedo cats looking to be adopted and I darn near started crying, feeling sorry for them, for you and for Elmo. I gotta start taking a different path thru that store- I have 5 cats, this is insane!

{{!gwi}} {{!gwi}}

He has apparently been living in the dilapidated shed behind the vacant rental house across the street. It is on a STEEP slop (a good 60-75 degree decline). I climbed over a chicken wire fence and every time I got near him, he would cray and wander further away. I finally got to a place where I could sit down and he sat about 6 feet away crying and hissing. Finally, he came over to me and I grabbed him and squeezed until his eyes about bugged out! Had to climb back over the fence - the guy that found him went back to the house with me and opened the door so I could toss him in. Gave the guy a couple of hugs and we both were laughing and smiling. He finally took the reward. I took down the 'lost signs" in the front yard and put up a big one telling everyone he was home. The neighborhood has been awesome helping look fro him (I am sure Prissy's parents will be glad the neighbors can now stop trying to bring her to us, lol).

All three cats hissed and fluffed out but now are doing okay. Ara grabbed her favorite cat toy and is hiding on my side of the bed- which is better than hiding under it. I think she is more freaked out at all the excitement than at him being back. They just snoop each other but no more hissing. Stewie is following Elmo around but keeping a good three feet between them.

Elmo eats about 4-5 bites of food and then wanders around the house and cuddles for a while. He has never been much of an eater so I am hoping that will help. He does not seem to have lost too much weight- many of the neighbors have food outside for their cats so he may have found some while out. At the bottom of the steep decline, there is a creek so at least he had access to water.

He has always been a prim and proper cat and VERY fastidious about his fur. Right now he is completely filthy! He will be bathing for quite a while. I need to run to the store and will see if they have an cat wipes. Not sure I should use baby wipes on him.

I cannot wait until bedtime to have him fight for my pillow- I think he might win tonight!

Wonderful news!!!

All right!!!!

So happy to hear this!

i'm so happy for you!!!

Hmmm. After all that self-cleaning, do you expect a big 'gift'? What can you do about hairballs?

Never owned a cat, but was tolerated by a stray for a few months as a child. She had kittens in our window well; stuck around for a while after we placed the kits, then 'moved on'.

So happy to hear the good news! What a relief!!
Hugs to elmo!!!

YEA!! So happy for both of you!

Donna (^_^)

OH the is SUPER great news, I have been checking in and out several times a day, HOPING HE WOULD COME HOME !!!!
Love the pictures, he is a sweetheart and you must feel SO relieved !

Wonderful news!!! I am so glad he is back home.

What delightful and joyous news! I had a feeling he wasn't far away!! Enjoy your weekend, Janie (I know you will!).

Chisue, hadn't thought about THAT! LOL

He think Vaseline is a cat treat so I will smear that on his fur- it is the main ingredeient in fur ball medications. Thanks for the reminder!

Just got back from Walmart- got key lime pie for the adults and fresh, smelly catnip for the kids to celebrate tonight.

The neighbors are stopping by to say they are happy he is home safe.

Janie, who is ecstatic to yell "Ara, Elmo, Stewie come here!" again

YIPPEE!!! I'm so glad for both of you! Hopefully, he won't be anxious to slip out the door, again -- not for awhile, anyway.

This is great news! Silly animals. If only they knew how our hearts ache for them when lost or sick! Bad kitty, now give us a kiss! Have a super weekend!

YOU MUST BE SO HAPPY

This news just makes my week.... This has been a crumby buncha days, but it sure looks like the sun is again shining.. Give that little brat a "Kitt" hug from me...

So glad he is safe...

xoxoxo
Kitt

I am so happy Elmo is home! Shame on you Elmo for giving us such a scare.

So happy for you :)

Hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your news sure made my day! So glad for you.

Sue

Yippee Skippee!!! You made a lot of KT's folks happy today..

Give Elmo a hug for Sweetie and Max too.

I was so happy to read this....but looking at is picture, I can see why he is a problem child. He looks so much like my
cat, Mancow, in the face, and Mancow is just trouble from the word go!

Sooo happy for you!!! This is great news.

I remember when Murphy came back after that 5.5 days, I was so excited, I could barely talk, I was crying just a little because I was so happy and I remember feeling hot for about 4 hours, with the flush of excitement.

I love the way you celebrate! Key lime pie, what a great idea. :)

You have a real sense of completeness now, don't you, Janie?

Yeah- give the little man the pillow, just this once! How cute is that visual?

{{!gwi}}
(it is soooo much more comfortable to nap on my blankie than that nasty, hard cold rock!)
(sorry, I cannot get the pictures to shrink)

Mingo,
I was shaking for about 3 hours. Called my parents to tell them and my dad did not recognize my voice. My chest hurts from being out in the cold air calling him. Everyone I have talked to today (at Walmart, the convenience store, everywhere) knows we found out cat, lol.

Been following your story. Why do you think he left? Being so close, don't you think he would have known how to get home, epecially with everyone calling for him? (BTW, I'm a dog person, so I know nothing of the mind of a cat!)

I love, love, love hearing good news. I'm so happy for you. Welcome home Elmo!

Mboston, I am a "cat person" and have no idea what goes through a cat's mind, lol.

I think he snuck out just to snoop around (he LOVES to go out on a leash but that will not be happening for a while). Since no one saw him get out, he went undetected and I think he got spooked by a dog or a car. Or he may have met the orange cat that had started hanging out over here. Once he was spooked, I think he just ran and ended up across the street. He is not too bright and he had never seen our house from across the street so he may not have known he was that close to home. When he did not come out when I was standing by the fence/shed area is beyond me!

He's a beauty Janie! I'm very happy for you, your family, Elmo and your other critters. All is well that ends well!

Good news. Glad he's home.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of cats?

ELMO knows!

First off it made my day to hear the news. I've been checking in to see if there's an update and I last looked about 10 or 11 last night and went, C'mon Elmo, your rumspringa is over, time to report in! Maybe he heard.

Cats, not totally unlike people, have a curiosity about the unknown. They like to check things out. My cat sneaks out occasionally but she's lately decided that it's not too bad inside so she doesn't go too far. Perhaps she remembers when she lived outdoors and having the dish rather than search and forage for food is preferable.

As I said before I was much more concerned about water than food. Food is often easier to find and even if they don't most pets can manage to go a few days without a meal. Mine sure could! But water is the critical issue and I'm glad he didn't get dehydrated.

So take heart, he's not quite as dumb as you thought! Or he learned a few things. He stayed near the water and probably wasn't far from home. Who knows why he didn't come home earlier, probably sewing his oats in his own way and embarrassed to come home. That was funny how he cried but then didn't dare come up to you! Mama's mad! LOL Although it almost sounds like he was trying to show you something too. Maybe show you around the new place!

I wouldn't bother with Vaseline unless he has hairball trouble. If his coat is really bad you'd be far better off getting a good brush and brushing him. Most cats like it. Especially now that the coat is changing most like a nice brushing. Combination of petting and scratching and the wire ones that are like a small paint pad do a good job of pulling out debris and excess fur. Otherwise, have you ever given a cat a bath? It's, uh, an experience! But could be an option.

Happy that Elmo's home. Now I just hope those other lost ones find their way back home too. I still think about that one salescat offering up the bird to Eric! LOL He was giving it the hard sale!! Sure hope he's got a good home too.

Curled up on the bed, Elmo doesn't look any worse for the wear. BTW, you could rub some catnip in his fur and the others will help clean him up! ;)

Oh, WOW!!! I am so happy to hear this!

We can all breathe now. :-)

I am so happy and relieved you found him! What a worry that was, wondering where he'd gotten to.

A very very happy ending!!!

Tomorrow you can bawl him out and tell him what a naughty kitty he was and to
never do that again
tonight just love him!!

I'm happy for you all Janie!

YAY!!!!! What a relief!

Yes! I am so glad to hear Elmo is home. I have been watching board like so many others waiting for your good news.

Wonderful news Janie!! Very happy to hear Elmo is home safe and sound.

Anne

Great news, Janie!! I know you are so relieved to have your baby home!! That's wonderful!

Glad to see this Janie! Great news!

You'll wake up tomorrow and find that Stewie and Ara have tied Elmo's little feet to a chair so he can't ever sneak out again and they'll be interrogating him as to his "adventures", which by the sounds of things, weren't all that fun. :) So if you see a bright light tonight, that's what it is!

AWWW!!!! I am so very glad!!!My last one never came home.She was 18 years old.

i am sooo happy for you guys! don't get mad at him, just remember how much you missed him and how happy you are he's back...then do everything possible to make sure he never ever sees the outside ever again LOL ;-))) (((elmo)))~ liz

So nice to read happy news!! I know from personal experience how nerve-wrecking this is, and how wonderful it is when you have them back home. Hopefully, his curiosity has been satisfied and he will stay home from now on. But if not, at least you'll know where to find him. :o)

Fabulous news!!!!God has answered the prayers of everyone's hearts. We are really happy and relieved for your whole family, furbabies and all. I know you'll love your weekend.

I am so happy and relieved for you. I've been checking every day. I cannot imagine how heart sick I would be if one of my babies snuck out of the house. I have trained them to come for treats when I ring a little bell, in hope that if they ever get out, I can get them to come home that way. Have no idea if it would work, and I hope I never have to try it. But they sure do come when I ring that bell now!

I am so happy to read this good news. One of my housecats in Ohio got out and was scared to death. It took 5 days to get him to come into the garage where we trapped him, and another day to get him to come into the house by leaving the kitchen door to the garage open. He would only come to me, and I was unable to go get him, as I was just home from hip surgery confined to a wheelchair and body brace. I would sit by the door and call and call. I know how you felt.

Yeah Elmo! You bad boy,scaring everyone like that! So glad he's home Janie! I have a tuxedo cat and I swear she's the orneriest cat I ever had but I love her to death! She runs out the doggie door every chance she gets but runs right back in cause she's scared outside.

so glad he's back!! The little stinker...love him up good!!

I am SO happy for you! I also had a tuxedo kitty, so when I saw Elmos pictures, I turned to mush.
My boy was 20 yrs old when I had to put him down last Feb. He was mine, & I was "his person" I don't think I'll ever have another cat that was so attached to me or I to him. I still miss him so. I still have 2 more girls I love dearly, but he was "the one".
I'm so happy that Elmo's back home safe & sound! And please give the little guy a big hug & kiss for me. Oh, and a good talking to about scaring his Mom so bad!