A Day So Unbelievable I Still Can’t Believe It

I am still processing yesterday. It is almost a bad movie, but I swear it is real life. Here goes.

This is the email I sent to our homeschool group at 7:00 p.m. yesterday:

My cat disappeared 6 weeks ago. Today a woman who cruises Craigslist sent me a found cat ad. The cat in the ad looked just like mine and was described like mine: about 8 - 9 years old, tabby with rust, declawed front paws, spayed and found near my home. The finder took her to the vet who determined that she needed a tooth extraction.

I went to see the cat, but the person who found her had this crazy dog and it was hard to get a good look. I shook the treat can and the cat started to come out from behind the dryer...another trait of my cat - coming to treats. I got a sort of ok look at the cat, saw the kink in the moderate-length tail and some markings, and thought she was mine [trying to account for weight loss and change in fur texture due to poor nutrition], but it was crazy in there! When I got her home, I realized she wasn't mine!

I took her to the vet, thinking I was going to keep her anyway because she needed a home and I was down a cat, but he said that she needs 2 tooth extractions and shots to be sure she is safe around my animals, and she is out of my price range (about $350 including exam fee). To fix the teeth and just get a rabies vax is about $200. I already paid the exam fee of $65.

So, I took her back to the person who found her, and she is taking her to the pound tomorrow.

If you are interested in her, my vet says she is about 6 - 8 years old. She was very sweet at the vet's office. She is mediocre with my dog, whom she knew about 3 hours, and she can't stand my happy go lucky cat. Her original "finder" has a cat in addition to her dog, and she said that after 4 days the cats were still pretty severe enemies.

That is probably not enough time to really gauge her, but if you are interested in having this cat, who is healthy other than her 2 teeth, and you don't have young kids or other cats, please let me know.

Thank you for listening to my ridiculous mistaken identity story.

This is the email I sent to my homeschool group at 8:45 p.m.:

You all are not gonna believe this! Lost since June 4, my real cat just returned, super skinny and loveable. Just now...ok 10 minutes ago. WE CAN'T BELIEVE IT! This is the freakin' Twilight zone!

Over and out...unless you want to adopt the other cat.

At 9:30 p.m., Colson and I are walking our dog, Nelly, who patiently waited and waited for her walk last night. Ryan was consoling the neighbor, whose dog ran away yesterday (but came home at 10:00 p.m.!). It is completely dark. A woman drives by, parks her car, runs out and asks us if Nelly is our dog, because she has a dog “exactly like her.” I say yes. The woman and I start chatting, set up a dog play date since she is in my neighborhood, and I learn that her name is Laura, which is my name. I know it sounds nuts, but how weird that I get taken in by an imposter cat and then get stopped to talk about a duplicate dog by someone with the same name?

That was one weird day. My old lady cat, Mattie, is home and doing all her usual things with extra affection (usually she is a bit of a curmudgeon). She woke me up several times last night, our young cat woke me up, and my dog at least was quiet. I am tired and happy, but they are all getting kicked out of the bedroom tonight.

Comments

[Mary Duncan]

lol adventures with pets! gotta love it :)