She's Back - Jet Girl, That Is

Well, you didn't even know she was gone. It was less than 24 hours.

Someone (me) left the front door open on Friday night. She got out into the garage area. Normally, that would have been it. The 7 foot wall surrounding our front parking area would have kept most cats in. But Jet has the instincts of a huntress - she had to get out. Every time she does this, she immediately regrets her decision. She gets out, can't get back in, and then starts wandering the perimeter of the house crying.

By the time we woke up, she had wandered off. We spent some time looking for her, but figured she was in hiding somewhere. The construction in nearby villas, the air traffic, and cars going up and down the street probably had her cowering in a quiet dark corner.

Russell had the idea to leave the garage door about 3 inches open so she could slink back in during the night. When I took the dogs out for their last walkies, I spotted her across the street. I turned around and shut the dogs behind the gate so that I could run across the street. It was her dopelganger - amazingly similar markings.

As I turned around with disappointment, I saw the dogs tearing out of the gate chasing a dark shadow - Jet Girl. What is it with me and closing doors today? Clive is not "cat friendly" (I must remember to tell this to the K9 charity). He's not murderous, just aggressively curious - scares the pants of me (and the cats) each time he has a run in with them. I just wish they'd give him a real smack across the face and teach him a lesson.

The chase went across the street, then back to our villa, around the next door neighbor's cars, and finally Jet tried to leap onto an electrical outbuilding. She was running for her life! Clive was in hot pursuit, and Basil was egging him on. I was chasing behind pell-mell trying to grab for a leash, collar, fur, whatever. I finally got the dogs collected and tethered to a post outside. I carefully picked up a growling Jet, holding her a safe distance from my body. Like a drowning person, she is known to attack her rescuer. Last summer, she clawed my face and pierced my eyebrow - actually having to shake her paw to get her claw dislodged from the corner of my eye. I don't think Body Ritual could have done a better job.

Today she's sleeping the day away. That cat definitely has 9 lives. I think she used 2 on this occassion.