Right after the contractor left, it started raining and quite heavily too.
We also had a new part-time cleaner today, so everything was in a bit of a mess, with the contractor and the new cleaner.
But the contractor was very aware that no cat must escape when he opened Stargate2 to take his materials in and out. The cleaner too was already briefed that no cat must escape and to be very careful with the door.
So right after the contractor left, I started looking for every cat.
All accounted for, all 14 except one.
Who?
Rey.
Rey was missing.
I didn’t want to panic, because it was raining so heavily and maybe he was hiding somewhere.
I searched the whole house. I even texted the contractor. He was very helpful and said he was already so careful with Stargate2 and he personally supervised the opening of the gate, not his worker. He did say that he saw on orange coloured cat in the garden. Yes, that’s Gerald. Not Rey.
The cleaner also said “Saya tak ada buka pintu langsung, mem.”
I know.
But where was Rey?
I searched the whole house again. I even opened cupboards to check in case he had crept in to hide from the thunderstorm.
I searched the storeroom too.
Rey was nowhere to be found.
At this point, panic set in.
Did Rey find a way to escape, out of sadness because the new Stargate prevented him from going over to Bunny’s Place??
Oh no….what have I done????
He’s sad, so he escaped. He ran away from home. Oh no…
But I continued searching the house for the third round. Call me insane, it’s okay.
At the same time, I hope that if he had escaped, maybe when he is hungry, he will come home. But can he find his way home? Where is he now, it’s pouring rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses out there.
Rey has never been out before except for one time when he was a kitten and he escaped and went over to the neighbour’s house. Luckily all his brothers raised the alert and he mewed loudly so we managed to get him back (that will be another story altogether).
Will he be able to smell his way back home?
I went to look under the table at the corner of the living room again. With all the mattresses on the floor and the chairs pushed to the edge of the room, there is just too many hiding spaces.
I called his name out loud and peeped inside under the table. I was hoping that I’d see two bright spots (the eyes), but no, he wasn’t there.
Suddenly, a furry head popped up from I-don’t-know-where and nudged at me.
PHEW!!!!
It was Rey!!!
He was inside the house all this time!!
I quickly texted the contractor and then I pulled him out and showed the cleaner.
Ini dia…!!
Then I put him back in the catio with his brothers.
After awhile, I checked on him. He had snuggled up with Robin on the same platform.
Rey would have to endeavour to find a spot for himself now that he cannot scale over to Bunny’s Place anymore.
It is Rey-proof, for sure.
Haha…
Rey: You think?