I lost my cat for a day yesterday. My giant, always hungry, way too fluffy, ‘I’m going to eat your scone dough’ orange cat wandered out of an open door here in New Orleans and, just like giant orange cats do…. he disappeared into thin air.
I was in the thick of preparing for the Kentucky Derby Party I’ve been talking about here for a week. Elbow deep in Mac and Cheese, two Derby Pies (that wouldn’t set in the oven because I eyeballed the addition of too much bourbon), baking biscuits, two hours away from guests arriving, and…. a missing cat. I’ll tell you now that I 100% freaked out, and then I 100% continued to make Mac and Cheese because I didn’t want to burn the dang béchamel. I also cried on a few of the biscuits.
A few friends diligently searched the neighborhood. Hearing them call for my giant orange boy cat in their dainty coaxing voices was calming. When I searched the neighborhood myself, with flour all over my shirt and my eyes starting to puff and fatigue, I think I was offered just about every cat consolation in the book.
‘Just go outside and call for him.’ Thank you, antique shop neighbor. I hadn’t thought of that.
‘He’ll find another good home.’ Um… I make cat treats from scratch. It doesn’t get better than my home!
‘I moved to a new neighborhood, lost my cat and it came back after four months. You’ll be fine.” Nope. Now I’m really not fine, but cool I’m happy for you.
‘I recently lost my cat in a tragic dryer accident so I know what you’re feeling.” And I run screaming away from this neighbor as fast as I can.
‘He’s wearing a collar, right?’ No… get away from me.
‘Calm down. Cats come back.’ Thank you but this doesn’t feel entirely helpful right now!
It turns out that, ok…. cats do come home. At least Tron-cat did come home. Early this morning, mud all over his belly, dirt crusted in his fancy tail, paws blackened with dust and dirt. He was HUNGRY. I mean… he missed AN ENTIRE MEAL. I also think he was scared and happy to see me. I told him about all the fried chicken and biscuits he missed and the Derby Party. He told me about all the flies he ate hiding in the bushes. I told him about the lady with the cat in the dryer and he made the sign of the cross with his paw. Not really… that last part only happened in my imagination.
So.
That happened.
• Also this week, I became re-obsessed with this James Blake song, Retrograde. It hypnotizes me. Some songs just dig deep inside your heart.
• I have a new coffee table book: Unfathomable City: New Orleans. It has the strangest maps and the coolest essays about my new city. The San Francisco edition also seems fantastic.
• Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere has a new capsule collection with Club Monaco, but you already knew that. I’m excited for the collection and I think it’s really cool to see bloggers do what they do! Totally inspiring.
• Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo! Let there be Breakfast Nachos. High priorities. A lunch time margarita might also treat us right! I like Gaby’s Strawberry Jalapeño margarita jimmyjam.
• Can someone come over and teach me to make crepes? I’ll provide the jam and Nutella.
• My goals for May include making some sort of falafel or veggie burger recipe. This Sweet Green Pea and Herb Falafel is super inspiring.
I’m off to strap on my hawk-holding gloves and give my cat a bath. The mud bath it appears he took late last night doesn’t sit well with either of us. It’s also the last day of Jazz Fest here in New Orleans. Find me swaying in the Blues Tent until sunset.
I love you. Happy Sunday!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
im so glad hes back..it must be soo freaking scary and horrifying. on a side note, i saw a beautiful crepe cake at honestly yum and im dreaming about it too.
Taylor
I am right there with you. I freak out if my cat gets out; especially when we first moved into our new place. I know, I know, “cats come back” they say. But I also had one cat that left then got hit by a car and another that just never came back. Luckily, my two cats now aren’t really big on adventuring so much in their old age. Consolations are not very consoling in the midst of a crisis (and yes, when your cat goes missing it IS a crisis).
Also, can I please come to New Orleans and teach you how to make crepes!? I’ve been dying to visit the city anyway.
xoxo
Taylor
Cassie Sue
I lost my cat once and I searched EVERYWHERE for her. I hung up signs all around my apartment building and two days later a man called “Is your name Yoda?” I replied, “no but my cat’s name is” and he said she had been hiding in the bushes outside his apartment crying for two days. He saw my sign and told me where to get her. I went to the bushes and she LEPT into my arms, purring and crying. And she never left the apartment again.
Hopefully your kitty knows how well he has it and won’t put you through that terrifying ordeal again. And if that doesn’t work, remind him of your neighbor with the dryer again. :)
Libby
HAWK-HOLDING GLOVES! Ohhhh that kills me. But, I mean, also that’s real life.
A couple of years ago, my oddly gigantic Siamese (who has never been outside a day in her life) went missing. She was gone for three days and on that last night I was just certain that she was a complete goner. But I decided to put a bowl of food on my (top floor apartment) steps. Before I went to bed, I decided to go sit on the steps and cry about it and who was sitting right there but my oddly gigantic Siamese? Like nothing ever happened.
We still joke about her little rumspringa where she must have learned so much from the alley cats but, still, decided to come back into the fold.
Megean
I am SO glad to hear that Tron came home. I was filled with worry and anxiety for you on Saturday and sent all the positive vibes I had your way. Thank you for the update. Hopefully the wanderlust is out of his system!
sundiegoeats
My sister’s cat up and jumped out the window of her second story apartment and was missing for four days. It was scary and there were flyers with rewards involved and right when we were most worried a neighbor who had seen one of the flyers found her and called. So I guess cats don’t always come back but if they don’t show up after a day stapling their little runaway cat faces to every post in a 2 mile radius might help :)
Allison @ Clean Wellness
Oh I’m so happy your cat came back! What a cutie. And I can’t believe you make treats for your cat from scratch! What a great fur mom :) Speaking of falafel, I made one a while back – https://cleanwellness.ca/2/post/2014/02/classic-baked-falafel-gluten-free-vegan.html -it’s adapted from one of my new favourite vegan cookbooks. Happy Cinco de Mayo to you, Joy!
Emily R.
So, so, so glad Tron came home! I’ve witnessed/experienced losing big orange cats (and small black ones) before, and it’s the worst. I also love this post – you’re one of my favorite bloggers when it comes to writing style and tone. :)
Molly {Dreams in HD}
what a terrible feeling joy.
i am SO happy your beloved cat came home.
ShootsandTendrils
I’m so glad to hear your cat is back home again!!! I came on here just to check! *phew!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
So glad you found him! What a scary weekend! That stinker.
Melissa
Joy! I’m so happy your cat came back! I was very worried for you!!
gracie
Oh my gosh, My heart sank when I read the first sentence of your post. A number of years ago, one of my cats, Boogady, ran out the front door when I was saying goodbye to a friend. I tried not to panic He jumped onto the front porch wall but as I moved to grab him, he jumped off and disappeared into the night. Long story short, he was gone for ten days…ten days of agony for me. I discovered, after about a week, that he was returning to the porch at night but would run when I open the door. I set up an trap with a large rabbit cage and food and finally caught him. When Igot him back into the house and held him, he was shaking in fear until he realized it was me and he was home. He finally settled in my arms and began to purr loudly. Anyway, after that incident, he would run in the opposite direction whenever I opened any door to the outside.
Hopefully, you boy has learned a “Joyfull” home is so much better than any street time.
sophieharriet
I thinks it’s always so fantastic when you incorporate personal stories into your posts, Joy! Definitely makes the reader feel like we are getting to know you more. Would love to see more posts like this in the future!
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme
Oh noo!!!! I’m so glad that you found him–I had a similarly terrifying moment when I took my cat to the vet and the carrier literally fell apart when I was outside (he went SPRINTING off). Luckily, we were able to corner him and get him. But it was so traumatizing.