CATNAPPING!

Remember these guys? Charlie and Edgar? CUTE kitties, and friendly as the dickens. They love everyone, and everyone loves them. But the problem with people-loving cats, is that they love people. When their people are out and about, they go in search of someone else to play with.

We left on Friday at 4pm, and the menfolk returned at 8pm on Sunday. We had a family of friends come over to feed the kitties and play with them. The family came by Friday night, twice on Saturday, and twice on Sunday. The kitties were not to be found Sunday night, despite their walking the streets, calling and searching for them, but I didn't know about that until Monday. I got home after 1pm on Monday.

Son Daniel informed me that the kitties had not been seen since the guys got home. To make a long story short, I found out that one of our neighbors had "rescued" them. They took Charlie to their ranch 30 minutes east of here, and Edgar to a "group home" in Gilroy, 3 hours northwest of here.

All of their explanations of how they "thought they were doing the right thing," continue to escape me. Surely they would have ASKED someone if they knew whose cats they were? But we weren't home, the cats didn't have collars, and they spontaneously decided that the kitties had been "dumped."

I had a bit of a conniption (to put it mildly) when I found out, and they returned Charlie last night. We are still waiting for the return of Edgar. They promised to return him today.

Daniel is mightily relieved to have one of his best buds home safely.

Even Malcolm, who is insanely jealous of the kitties, is relieved to see his other-side-of-the-glass buddy back in place.

I'm sure there's a lesson to be learned here, but all I can see is the one that the cat "rescuer" hopefully learned. And that one is ASK YOUR NEIGHBORS BEFORE YOU TAKE THEIR CATS!!!! Those on the other side of us knew they belonged to us, those across the street knew they belonged to us, those 3 houses down knew the kitties belonged to us... But none of them were asked, and the kitties were taken away. Far away.

All of her explanations - they were hanging out here (yeah, they LIVE here), they were hungry (they're kittens, they'll always gulp down wet food), no one knew who they belonged to (why did you only ask one person?), we thought they were dumped (did you not notice they've been neutered?!!) - seem pretty weak to me.

She's asked me for forgiveness, but I've told her that that's something I'm going to have to work on. Bring my other cat back, and we'll talk about it.

Out of curiosity, is this cat "rescue" seen as acceptable behavior by any of you? If it is, can you please explain it to me? I just don't get it...