AWOL

That would be our cat.

Mabel has been part of our family for a very long time. We brought her home from a shelter-- a half-grown, wide-eyed little bundle of grey fur-- when Carolyn was 2 years old. She was a bit timid at first, but that didn't last long. She became a very affectionate (and at times, demanding) lap-sitter, totally belieing the feline reputation for aloof behavior.

She's always been an indoor cat. Once, when Kyle was just a new baby, she darted out the door before I could catch her. She was gone for two or three days, and then turned up at the front door one evening, meowing to be let in. I don't know what happened while she was gone, but she never, ever tried to stick her nose out again.

Two weeks ago, I noticed that she had not slept in her accustomed spot at the foot of our bed. One night is not unusual, but two nights in a row just doesn't happen. So I went looking for her, half dreading what I'd find. After all, she's nearly 16-- in cat terms, she's an old lady now.

What I found... was nothing. No Mabel, anywhere. I've opened all the closets, peeked under all the beds, checked all her usual hidey-holes (and any unusual ones I could think of), to no avail. She's nowhere to be found.

That's two weeks ago, and there's still no sign of her. Food and water bowls, and litter box, all remain untouched. All I can imagine, though it would be way out of character, is that she snuck out when someone wasn't looking. And what I hope is that she fell asleep while she was out... and simply didn't wake up. She's a gentle loving soul, and I hate the thought of anything more dramatic happening to her after all this time.

I miss my kitty.