A hard night's day....

Gus, the Brat cat was out all night last night. Though he is basically an indoor cat, I let him out into Booker's yard at about 7:30 yesterday evening, thinking he would be a good 'distraction' for Booker, as we worked on his 'sits' and 'waits.' The 'distraction' immediately ran up a tree near the fence, hopped over to the top of the fence, and fell off, into the neighbor's yard! I ran around, hoping to nab him, but couldn't get into the neighbor's yard, so ran back home and phoned them. They went out to look for Gus, but couldn't find him. I don't know if he was already gone, or if he just hunkered down to hide from them.

So I walked around the neighborhood, looking for him until after dark. Then I STAYED UP ALL NIGHT LIKE AN IDIOT, waiting for him to, hopefully, come up on the porch and meow to be let in. At a bit past 4:30, I drifted off on the uncomfortable living room sofa, and dreamed about drowning in a swimming pool (which I was afraid maybe had happened to him in the neighbor's backyard) and then about running for my life while giant husky dogs leapt over my head.

At about 5:45, I awoke and saw that it was light outside, so I went from window to window until I spied the little delinquent, sitting by the street with the biggest, furry gangster cat of the neighborhood. It was clear that he was taking Gus on as his hoodlum apprentice, and that Gus was all for it! I ran out and the gangsta-cat fled across the street, but I headed Gus off from that direction, so he hunkered down under the thickest part of the forsythia bush. After I'd scratched myself as much as I possibly could on that bush, he ran under the nearby evergreen tree, which is also quite thick at ground level. So I added some scratches to my arms and face from that part of the yard. When I was within inches of him, he ran under the old lilac bush, which is up against the garage, so he was cornered! I finally nabbed the miscreant! He voiced his rebellious disappointment at being caught in loud tones. Oh, the language he had picked up in one night on the raw streets!

I hauled his sorry self in and unceremoniously dumped him in the kitchen, informing him he was grounded until.... well, until forever! He already knew that, hence his reluctance to come in. He knows it will be a looooong time before he sees the light of day, or the dark of night, without a safe window glass between him and the great outdoors.

He has been sleeping it off all day, no doubt dreaming of his adventures. Booker has also been sleeping it off. He was quite stressed by the whole thing. He didn't want to come inside last night. He kept going to the spot in the fence where Gus went over and sniffing through the fence for him. I think he was worried that Gus was hurt from the fall, and he knew Gus didn't belong outside in the dark. So everyone but me is sleeping here today, and I might as well be, for all the good that I am getting done as I walk around in Zombie-mode.

Dream on, Gus! You may not have had enough adventure yet, but I certainly have for the time being.