He was missing. I was hopeful but upset. I had taken that week off work as I had unused holiday time. Going back to the stars aligning, it was part of my plan to be there for a week to help him settle in.
Instead, I spent several hours every day walking around and calling for him. I spoke to everyone I saw, as we knew there weren’t any other long-haired white cats in town.
I had one person, close by, say that they saw him early Monday morning. I kept going around and around that area but didn’t find him. So many people were on the lookout, but no sightings. One false alarm, because my friend Mrs MMC (who fosters cats) has a short-haired solid white cat who goes outside. It was her Monty, not our BigGuy.
The week, and the weekend, went by with nothing. I learned all about the local outdoor cat population, and found a sad case I couldn’t help who died. I reported the body to the spca, and worried more than ever.
When I had to go back to work, I made up lost cat signs. Himself printed them out, and he, and I, and his mam, set about posting them around town.
Mam was the winner! She had just put the sign up in our local hardware shop (the owners are good friends of all of us) when a woman stopped to chat. The woman eventually got around to remembering that she had seen a big white cat at the local school!
Mam rang us and immediately we went to look. I didn’t go into that area on my walks, as I didn’t know I could go in there. I’m not a local! It was also across our main road – while not super busy as it is a small town, I didn’t think BigGuy would cross the main road. We drove, and he dropped me off to let me look while he went to the shop. We were thinking it could be another failure so didn’t prepare.
I walked down an alley and saw a big, old, stone shed with a metal door that didn’t quite touch the ground. I called, ‘Big Guy! Big Guy! Come on!’
Instantly he came out from under the metal shed door! He was so happy to see me, giving little trills of excitement and pleasure. I rang hubby right away to go home and get the carrier so we could bring him home again. It was a tense wait, but BigGuy was not leaving my side. There was another cat there that was cursing at him but he completely ignored her and looked up at me, so wary and unsure but happy to see a friend.
Again I stuffed him into the carrier for the one minute drive home. He was less than happy about the shoving, but I wasn’t letting him go again.
heretherebespiders 
Hey Mrs, glad to see you’re still around. I’m not a cat lover as they chase our birds, but he’s gorgeous!! So glad the tale had a happy ending and please keep us posted 🙂
It’s not over yet! This is a saga for sure. Cat rescue is never cut and dried, it seems!
We like our birds, too. It was something else we worried over, thinking he would be living outside in our garden. How could we still feed the birds safely?
So my trick now is a water bottle, next doors little cat likes to sit on the brick below the cage my dad built, and when she gets too nosey I give her a squirt of water, she doesn’t like it but never falls out with me abs is more often that not back in 5 minutes lol Dad built a box without front and sides, basically by bending the metal twice, if you catch my drift, then he made sides out of wide mesh so the birds could get on and then a hinged front of the same. The starlings have a tendency to eat everything, so he closes the front and only the little ones go in and when he wants it cleaned out he opens the door for the starlings. They are a clever bunch though, the little ones kick the stuff onto the ground and starlings and the skittish ones eat from there 😂
I heard that the US has an invasion of starlings! They are native here, but not in huge numbers. Well, when they do a murmuration it is fantastic but hard to catch. We mostly have little birds here, and a LOT of corvids – several kinds of crows, rooks, ravens… I like them all!
Oh, what a relief!
Thank Heavens! YAY!
Whew! Caught safe. I love this part “Instantly he came out from under the metal shed door! He was so happy to see me, giving little trills of excitement and pleasure.”
Sounds like he realized life on the outside is so hard and you offered cuddle and safety.
No, who could let that lovely creature with the perfect tummy wander off again?
I wish I cold have heard that trill. I’m enjoying this epic so much, knowing you’re helping.