Our little found kitty has gone missing again.

Since we took him in he’s shown no interest in going outside, until this last week when the warm weather seemed to be beckoning to him. Still, he would never stray far from the door and always wanted to go back in within a few minutes of stepping out. Today he seemed brave. He went out and walked around the yard a bit. When I came back to check on him, he was gone. The kids came running to help me look. Iain and Elijah thought they spotted him dashing down the road.

We set out to look for him. All of those sweet little voices rouse up in a chorus of “Maple….Maaaaaple!”. Even the bitty boy from his perch on my back was calling out “May-may” and clucking his tongue. He knows we were searching for his lovey. The kitty that he so adores. We didn’t find him. The quiver in Elijah’s voice when he said “but we didn’t even get to say goodbye…” damn near broke my heart.

Steve and I are still hoping that he will show up again when he gets hungry. I’m trying to face the reality that he may just have been passing through, not meant to stay for the long haul. He just seemed so comfortable and happy here, like he fit right in with our lives. I don’t know. Maybe now that he’s stronger he’ll be able to find his way back to his original home. It’s just that I was certain that he had found his true home with us. Much like Elijah, I wish I had at least taken the time to sit and pet him this morning….