This morning Molly was BEGGING to be let outside. She sniffed and rolled around while I ate breakfast and packed my lunchbox. I went upstairs to put on my shoes, and when I came down Molly was gone. Huh, did she go back in the house, I wondered, since I left the door open. But then I spotted a cat three doors down, on the fence. I called and, sure enough, she turned and gave a sheepish meow. (my neighbor has two tiger tabbies, I’ve often mistaken them for Molly). I ran along the fence and tried to coax her back to our yard. She jumped too soon, right into the neighbor’s yard. I tried calling to get her to hop the fence, but she was simultaneously panicked and intrigued by the neighbor cat smells and new plants – she paid me no attention.

I tried to open the neighbor’s gate, but it was latched from the inside. Our kind neighbor Don saw my hand over his fence and came to let me in, not noticing Molly yet, who had darted into his house when he opened the door. I told him my cat was in his yard and now his house! By then Molly had run into the patio again and climbed straight up the fence! I finally grabbed her, tight, apologized profusely, and tossed her in the house.

No more unsupervised patio time! I had no idea she could just scale the fence like that. This was too much drama for my morning. I wonder what Don would have done if I hadn’t found her and he suddenly had three tabbies?