4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Aunty e]

We've had a scary few days with Nero, now thankfully with a happy ending!

 

I didn't see him on Thursday morning, or all day, which is unusual but not unprecedented. I went out shouting a few times, but assumed he would be back on Friday morning, which was incidentally my due date. I woke up Friday morning, very early, and couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd see if he was home. He wasn't. I dragged some clothes on and went out shouting for him and nothing.

 

At this point, I went home and cried for an hour or two - last time this happened it was Evie, and she was dead. That's where OH found me. We went out and looked four or five more times that day, including to the demolition site over the road, as the cats all liked playng in the gardens before it was boarded up, and we're pretty sure they still go there to play. I spoke to the builders, most of whom made the usual comments about wanting my pussy and having seen Nero, but eaten him. Leaving aside the fact that I think that sort of banter is foul at the best of times, I am pretty obviously nine months pregnant. Which makes it really quite special. Still, I needed them on side so I bit my lip and had a quick look around with the nicest of the bunch, who promised me that they would keep an eye out. OH went back later that afternoon with a picture and they said that they would let us know if they spotted him. I spent most of the Friday sobbing, refusing to eat or do anything other than look for the cat, absolutely convinced he was dead. Still, at least I wasn't obsessing about it being my due date, in fact I was telling Imogen she couldn't come out until we found out what had happened to Nero.

 

I put a poster up on the Friday, with a heavy heart, expecting another call like last time, to say that someone had seen him dead and the council had taken him away. I was too scared of that call to put them up everywhere, if that makes ANY sense at all, so I just popped one in our block.

 

Next morning, he still wasn't back, so we made up some posters and I went out to have another look around and put them up. I ran into our upstairs neighbours, bless them, who were out having a scout around too. I decided I was going to have another look in the building site, and it's not all that difficult to break in as there are still a couple of flats occupied so the gates aren't locked and I could just move a fence panel to get access to the gardens. My cats followed me over to help. Very helpful. I went up and down calling for him, and eventually thought I could hear a cat calling. It took me a bit of time to narrow it down, and eliminate the other cats, but I couldn't get to it because I was wearing birkenstocks and the gardens are a mass of brambles, rubbish, broken fences and smashed windows. Went home for OH to say that I could hear a cat but couldn't get to it and he put some trousers and thick boots on and came to have a look. He forced his way up to where we could hear the noise but couldn't seem to get closer. Eventually, we decided that maybe the cat was trapped in the flat and I ran home for Mr Club Hammer. Some locals had told us that the builders regularly unbricked and rebricked up the flats while working on them so although they were sealed, we thought maybe Nero could have gotten in. Duncan smashed the metal security grills out of the window but couldn't see anything so he climbed in to have a look around (over a lot of broken glass, which was very scary). He couldn't find a cat (although a lot of ten year old rubbish) and we could still faintly hear the noise. The next flat along was completely bricked up at the back, but I managed to pull the grill off the window at the front and in went OH again. Still nothing. By this point, we couldn't hear the noise anymore.

 

We went home, and I rang up Petlog and a few other places to report him missing. Our lodger is leaving to go live in New York for a year, and it was his party tonight, so OH went out for a jog at around six that evening and I was making a bite to eat when I heard a really loud cat again, sounding like Nero, coming from the demo site. There is a tom who I've mistaken for Nero before, but I thought it was worth another look. This time I forced my way through the brambles so that I was by the flat Duncan had broken into at the back. I could hear the cat again, but couldn't get any closer to the sound...until I looked up and realised it was coming from upstairs. Back through the brambles, over the fence, through the security barriers and up three flights of stairs, I came to a first floor flat where everything was bricked up apart from a five inch gap at the top, and through that gap I could hear a cat. I couldn't hear if it was Nero or not, but it was a cat and it was trapped. Off home for hammers and chisels (and my neighbours and OH) and back again. We took the top layer of breeze blocks out, and OH climbed in and passed out a thin and very scared Nero. He'd been gone for three days and we don't know how much of that he was trapped for, but from the amount of food he ate, quite a lot of it.

 

I'm going back to the site on Monday to apologise for breaking into three flats, but also to gently suggest that they're a bit more careful with their security. We think that Nero got in by climbing over some furniture that was piled outside the doorway, and then couldn't get out, but there were ways into most of those flats, and it was only luck that led me to Nero.

 

He's desperately clingy now, and spent most of last night curled up in bed with us or kissing Saffy and the kittens, so hopefully this will curb his enthusiasm for wandering for a bit. We're so glad to have him back. I'm so glad that I kept on looking and that the clever boy made enough noise for me to find him

[Couperwife]

oh my word E

 

thank goodness you found him,

 

glad that all is ok and imogen stayed put (she can come out now )

 

cathy

x

[Joojoo]

What a horrendous few days you've both had and definitely not what you needed when the baby is so close. I'm so pleased for you and Nero that you found him. You must have been worried sick Well done for breaking in - I'd have done exactly the same thing to find one of mine

 

I hope you a lovely peaceful birth and enjoy every minute of your impending arrival

[Olly]

Oh my goodness ... after what happened to Evie, it must have been really traumatic when he went missing. Well done for following your instincts and persevering, he's a very lucky pusscat. I can't help thinking you shouldn't really be climbing over rubble etc in your condition!

 

I hope you can relax now, and Imogen can come on out.

[craftyhunnypie]

Yay - thank god Nero is home safe & sound.

Come on Imogen..Samuel wants a girlfriend!

 

Emma.x

[Blackrocksrock]

Glad you found him in the end and hope Imogen is now ready to make an appearance as we are all waiting with baited breath to see her.

[Patricia W]

Well done! I don't think I'd be too apologetic about breaking in- they were clearly negligent. Hope Imogen gets a move on now!

 

Tricia

[bellekatz]

OH my - I am suprised after all that you havent already gone into labour!!!! Glad you got nero back safe and sound and hope the impending arrival happens safely

[Yorkshire Pudding]

What a relief, so glad you found him.

 

Hurry up Imogen!

[Ms Marple]

Poor you - an awful tale with a great ending! Stiil no baby yet?