Missing

Sadly, our Twiggy has been missing for almost two weeks now. 

I haven't mentioned it to anyone really because I've been holding out hope that she would come back. 

But this past weekend, I finally decided it was time to put up her food bowls and come to terms that she most likely isn't coming back home.

When we got her last summer, we intended to keep her an indoor cat, but we quickly realized she wanted to be outside majority of the time.  I may or may not have lied about her claws when others questioned our getting a cat after the dog incident last spring.  I personally thought it was no ones business what kind of pet we got, so when someone accused Twiggy of scratching Livi in the face, I lied about her having claws.  She actually had all her claws, so she was okay to be outside.  Judge me if you want, I honestly don't care anymore.

She usually spent most of her days outside and would come in at night, but it wasn't unusual for her to go missing for a whole day or two.  However, she would always come back home.  After three days, I realized I hadn't seen her and started searching for her.  Our neighbors have not seen her (they were out of town though, so that doesn't help much) and I called the animal shelter, but they had no cats that meet her description. With her turned out paw, she would be easy to recognize.  So, that leaves me to wonder if she meet up with something in the woods. 

Since the beginning of summer, she was wanting to be outside constantly but only a couple of weeks into summer, a few neighbors noticed we were having a coyote problem in the woods behind our houses.   I was trying my hardest to keep her in all times, but she would bolt any chance she got.  Unfortunately, I'm wondering if she finally meet up with one.

This "not really a cat" person though has started missing her big time.  Our house has felt a little emptier without her here these past couple of weeks.  Oddly, Olivia hasn't asked about her yet but I'm sure its coming.  I however cannot help but find myself constantly glancing out the windows to look for her.  I finally had my "moment" the other morning when I glanced out at one of her usual spots and realized she wasn't there and odds are, never will be again.  Yes, I bawled like a baby.

Ironically, I posted a picture of her on Instagram a couple of weeks ago and oddly, it is the very last time I saw her.

 I joked with a friend on Instagram that I wondered if she was "debating to jump."  I would be lying if I said I didn't go down to check below the deck to make sure she didn't.  Thankfully, I did not find her there because let's be honest, I would probably be traumatized if I came across her not breathing body.

The only person I've even told she was missing asked if we would get another one and I do want another cat.  However. I think we're going to wait though till we sell the house and get settled somewhere else first. 

Until then, I'm holding out hope our Twiggy will be one of those crazy pets who go missing for sometime and then find their way back home.  I'm hanging on to her food bowls just in case.