After a day of feeling really cruddy, a quiet evening was on my mind. Instead, in the middle of a movie before bed, my youngest son yelled, "Jasper just went through my window". I looked at him, thinking he was joking. But he was very serious. He had opened the bathroom door between our bedrooms and Jasper was there. He immediately raced into his (forbidden) room, up to a screened window, and plunged right through the previously (we thought) sturdy screen. We went right out the door after him.

Into the darkness of night we raced, his treat can in my hand. Outside our front door we met a neighbor walking his tiny dog, and my son raced down the sidewalk looking for Jasper. The neighbor hadn't seen him. I was so upset that this previously reserved, aloof neighbor, a playmate in childhood, actually put his hand on my shoulder to reassure me. What a surprise. Was it so obvious that I was frantic??

I stayed in my front yard, Jasper's previous hangout area. I didn't think he had left and run for it. He never used to leave our yard. Walking around and calling, shaking his can produced no meows, rustling of bushes, nor his usual frantic attempts to receive goodies from his treat can. Back and forth I walked, side gate to gate. And nothing.

I asked my son if he had his collar with bell and tag on or had it come off in his escape. He said it was on. But no bell sounds. We listened and called. At 2am as I was just about to give up and heading into the house, (which is maybe why he moved) I heard his bell. He was in the hedge between the properties and meowed a hello to my son when he found him, but moved away. I approached him and he came right to me. Immediately three loud talking teenage boys walked down the sidewalk near us and he struggled to escape. Even though he was afraid of them, no way, no matter if he scratched and bit me, I was not letting go.

We went back into my room, and he was immediately mellow but I needed to sit down and take a deep breath. I'm so thankful we found him. His escape made me forget I was feeling bum. I would never have been able to sleep if he wasn't found. I would have just layed in the yard so he could find me.

Boy, enough escape excitement. He has been getting better about hanging by the doors. Better at getting along with Eli, who tries bravely every day to make friends. Jasper does like to watch him play with toys and will occasionally attempt to bat at the same moving, or hanging toys while Eli is there. But the growls and hissing continues.

With the big corner rip and another bad screen, it's back to Home Depot. What a surprise. Never underestimate your cat.

Jasper is none the worst for his escapade. My previously "not allowed lap sitting" cat has twice since his escape, asked to and crawled onto my chest again, hanging his front paws over the side of my left shoulder. He's purring so loud tonight, for the first time, I can now hear him easily. Before you had to listen carefully to hear a faint vibration. Hope that means he's glad he's back inside.

The homeless black cat that hung out in my yard and I fed on my front porch is now missing. At the same time finding his real owner, he disappeared. She said he hadn't been staying home for some time because he wasn't getting along with her other cat. I fear the same people who trapped and dumped my Jasper from our front yard thought he was back. They could have trapped the lost black cat too. Strange, the only two missing cats in the neighborhood are both black and on my front porch. The lady who owns "Inky" says he isn't ID chipped either because she didn't want him to experience pain from it. She says she knows otherwise now and is sorry, and has learned a lesson. She left for Kentucky today, a permanent move. My name, along with another neighbor, are listed as contacts with the Hawaiian Humane Society, if he's turned in. I had little hope for the return of Jasper. I have almost none for this other black cat with a short crooked tail. I have no idea what this lady did with her other cat and her 15 year old dog. They did not go with her.

I can't let Jasper be outdoors, no matter how much he wants to. Tough love I say.