Several posts ago, I made mention that Dennis was on watch for the littlest cat, Harriet. It was a fairly pleasant afternoon and the porch cleared out as everybody wanted a piece of the action in the sun. Dennis usually goes out after seven and settles into his rocking chair for some television viewing. The east patio door is cracked and one by one the six are accounted for.
Harriet is a porch baby. Never strays very far from her favorite chair. That evening Dennis stayed out until nine and . . . no Harriet. Quite a while after Dennis had gone to bed, I looked out and there Harriet was at the side door. Her and Dennis are big buds and she didn’t trust me letting her in and that is how she stayed out for that evening.
The next day the threat of the huge storm was all that was on the news. I think we peeled our eyes until they were red, looking out the bathroom window for Harriet. The next morning with everything being covered in the new snow, Dennis looked for fresh tracks to see if by chance she had huddled at the patio doors after we went to bed. Nothing.
Yesterday with the storm gone and the sun shining, it didn’t take long for the snow to begin disappearing. I know Dennis had walked the backyard and the length of Stauffer Avenue looking no longer on a search mission, but rather a recovery mission. Late in the afternoon, Dennis opened the doors of the porch and Butter Ball, Snuggles and Fuzzy began checking out the last of the snow.
We got busy after supper and it was just about dark before Dennis went out to close up all the doors. It didn’t take long and I got a phone call from the porch. As the dusk was turning into dark, Dennis said the whole tribe with Harriet in tow came from the east. I think the cats were determined to round up the little stray. Dennis said Harriet headed straight for the food bowl. Where on earth she had taken refuge we will never know. She didn’t look worse for ware. Yes, yes, I do realize that four legged creatures are quite self sufficient, but . . . they are our four legged creatures.
We don’t think anything of Honey Bunny staying our for days on end. She has been pulling that stuff for years, knowing that she hides in some vacant buildings down the way. At least knowing she can’t get into any “having babies” trouble. We are now very thankful that Harriet had her little stint at the vets. The old Tabatha never missed a beat during Harriet’s absence. She can nap through anything.
For now all is back to normal on Stauffer Avenue.