Last night James and I decided to spend the night on Whidbey Island so we could awake and begin the cat hunt. Catie and I spent some of the night trying to figure out things and getting really annoyed witht eh Good Cheer staff for not being very good at helping out a lost kitty. I was telling Catie that I was so worried because even though Minnie can spend the majority of her day outside she wont crap or pee outside. She saves all that for her litter box. Also I was trying to figure out what she would eat. Catie made me realize that the collar I put on Minnie could be the very thing that kills her. Her collar jingles and there is no way she can sneak up on anything. I was truly worried at that point.
The next morning after getting coffee and a muffin James and I went across the street to Dan Porter Park. This park is also across the street from the Good Cheer and where everyone "felt" Minnie would be camping out. James, Catie and Diana have all been around the park calling and calling and looking for her little Minnie self to no avail. James and I try anyway, just because we have dedicated our entire day to looking for her. We park the car and the two of us, with Allie go in separate directions. James goes further into the park while I head for the front of the park. This park is rumored to me to be pretty nasty with people doing drugs, hooking up and whatever bad behavior they can think of. As I walk through tiny wooded trails calling "Minnie, Minnie, Little Minnie Girl!" I am constantly in fear of homeless people and needles. I am also scared of seeing my little Minnie lying on the side of the trail completely mauled by some bird or animal of prey. Whidbey Island is a nice place full of beautiful scenery but it is also a Killer Island. There are Eagles and Coyotes that are waiting for Minnie to escape so they can eat her little feline body. As I walked and yelled all I saw was a sandwich bag with rotten carrots. At one point I took the right side of a fork making what I felt a crucial decision. After awhile I was very close to the street at the front of the park when I almost turned around. I figured surely she would have come out by now and in my heart I felt that I would not find her there. Something told me to just keep going until I could go no further. I thought of her fatigued and helpless lying somewhere waiting and hoping I would find her exhausted body. Instead I heard a mew and turned to look. There was Minnie! She jumped up on a log and we were reunited! I crouched down and called her name so she knew I was safe to approach. She came up and sniffed me and allowed me to pick her up. I gave her some love, told her how dirty she looked and we proceeded back to the car. Interestingly enough as soon as I had her I could hear James calling Allie to come back. He kept calling her to come back to him and as soon as I could yell to him and not freak Minnie out I told him I had her. He wanted to know which her I was talking about and I said Minnie. Then Allie showed up and I told him I had her too. Allie jumped up to say hello to Minnie she was so excited to see her again. She actually jumped up twice. James and I found one another also and we all walked back to the car. Everything was just dandy when Minnie saw the car and squirmed out of my arms and took off back into the woods. I followed her and picked her back up again. When I got back to the car and was about to sit down James asked if I wanted her in the cat carrier. I declined thinking she could just roam the car. But off again she went running further into the woods. James got the carrier and we stuffed her in.
Back at Dianas we thought it would be funny to make them think we had no Minnie kitty. Catie could tell James was lying so he got her out of the car. Diana was so happy she looked as though she may cry. She and Catie got some food and water put together and we let Minnie out of her carrier. James put Minnie in front of the cat food and Minnie sucked it up. The food was gone in a matter of seconds and Minnie was hazily walking around the house. Allie could not let her be and everyone wanted to pet her and make sure she was doing good. Catie kept taking her picture and eventually Minnie climbed up on Bobs chair and went to work on herself. She licked and licked and licked her dirty little paws and then took a peaceful nap.
So Minnie is back and her crazy adventure has dwindled down. We are all still unsure how Minnie got to the Good Cheer. We are quite confident that she did not walk down there because she did not walk back. Also she was not far from the Good Cheer when we eventually found her. We expect sabotage. Our hunches are Bobs care taker, Joy, took her for a Joy ride. Or, that Minnie got into some construction workers truck and was left at the Good Cheer. We are all mystified but quite happy to see her safely back after 3 days of hiatus.
