October 12, 2000 - Thursday
This morning, after almost three weeks at large, our cat, Paavo, returned from his walkabout in the wild. In his ten years, Paavo has never been outside by himself for minutes let alone weeks and there's no denying that after the first seven days, Harry's mother and I held little hope him ever returning. However, on the tenth day, three different new neighbors independently called with possible leads on Paavo's whereabouts. Two were dead-ends, but the third claimed to have a gray cat fitting Paavo's description hanging around their backyard. While we didn't find Paavo that day, it has become clear enough in hindsight that it was likely Paavo in that backyard and, perhaps, our simply walking there and looking helped him find his eventual way home.

Whatever did it, Paavo reappeared this morning in our garage. I'm quite sure I actually heard Paavo outside early yesterday morning, but I could not find him nor accurately pinpoint the direction of his call before he was gone. His distinctive howl, however, was enough to have us leave the garage door slightly ajar overnight with a dish of food inside. It's mildly interesting that this morning I not only went into the garage, but had put things in the car and almost gotten back inside the house before Paavo emerged from hiding in a corner of the garage. Three weeks of wilderness living undoubtedly had his self-protection and paranoia reactions in overdrive mode.

For the most part, Paavo is little the worse for wear other than being even thinner and bonier than before and having a couple of minor scratches from a little cat fight. However, three weeks without the domestic attention he has enjoyed for ten years has him affectionate like never before. He has even allowed Harry relative free reign with his excited advances. Fortunately, Harry has been practicing while Paavo was away with his "Pat the Bunny" book and is sometimes, though certainly not always and almost never "very," gentle.


Comments, opinions?