Missy got out last night.  She finally decided she could jump over the barrier at the door, and jump she did.  And ran as fast as her four legs could carry her out to the wild dark yonder.

I tried to sweet-talk her back into the house.  I tried threatening her.  I tried to catch her.  Well, you all know how that worked out. 

I left the door open, and Banshee decided he'd try venturing.  All I have to do is yell at him, and he skitters back into the house, but he does try.  Missy is teaching him some very bad habits.

I'd go out in the yard periodically and try to entice her home, but she wasn't having any of it.  At one point I couldn't find her in the near neighborhood, so I took my walker and a flashlight and scoured the larger neighborhood of the apartment complex.  No luck.  However, even if I had seen her, there's no way I could have herded her back home.

I made one final effort just before going to bed.  Couldn't even find her.  So I left the door open, with Banshee in my closed bedroom, hoping she'd come in while I was brushing my teeth and getting into my jammies.  Ah, no.  So I closed the door, turned off the lights, and was about to lay me down, when Banshee got all excited about something.  

So, I hopefully opened the door, and there she was, a couple feet away from the door.  Skittish, but not running away.  I was able to sweet-talk her into the house, and closed the door as fast as I could.  Later in the night when I wakened briefly, the two cats were snuggled at the foot of my bed.

Not taking any chances, I closed the bedroom door this morning before I opened the front door to retrieve my newspaper.  When I opened the bedroom door, both cats came flying out.  Missy is particularly uneasy behind a closed door, and Banshee is getting a little edgy, too.  See?  She's teaching him bad stuff.

So now I'm putting up a screen door. I don't care what management says.  The screen door goes up and stays up.  Missy will eventually figure out how to dash out between my legs when I open the door, and squeeze thru the smallest possible opening between the screen and the wall, but she won't be able to jump over.

Give me strength!

Shalom