A Nightmare Day

You have to understand my love of animals. I was the kind of kid that brought everything home telling my parents 'it followed me' especially kittens and puppies . It could also be a sick bird, a baby rabbit,  if it had fur or feathers  and it was 'out there ' it needed me. and they usually said ok. It was probably easier than getting me a brother or sister.
  I have never in my life been  one day without at least a dog , a cat , 2 dogs  3 cats, I can't imagine a home without at least one of something breathing when you  walk in the door. Plants are nice but they don't follow you..and they don't think your beautiful first thing in the morning.. Animals do. !
I live with 3 cats , and Angie my dog. My cats do not go outside ever. My law is that if you want your cat to live 5-6 years you let them outside. If you want them to be with you 15-16 years you don''t , simple as that. Mine live long lives and I like it that way. They do too.
So this morning I woke at 6 a.m. and my cat Jake is nowhere in the house,, how do I know this right away?  because he is the first one to come into the kitchen to eat.
 He's very big... 22 lbs.... very hairy, and very orange.. You can't miss him..

   He was gone..and I knew it right away. I spent eight long hours, walking, driving the car, driving  a golf cart, every one in my community knew Jake was missing. I was not only putting notices in the Clubhouse, on the garbage dumpster, the pro shop, my mail box, other peoples mail boxes,  trees and poles..  So here's this crazy woman with the wild hair, walking behind peoples homes at 7 in the morning calling   'Jake.Jakey .''.  Oh yes, 8 hours later he was found  under a tarp covering my next door neighbors' outdoor grill, not 20 feet away from my back door. He was petrified and only because her little dog sensed it was he found.  Now everyone knows that Jakey the big orange cat is home safe, and that wild -eyed woman  had to go and take all the notices, and inform all her sane, normal  neighbors that Jake is home safe. But I'll sleep better tonight,,  Jake is here.  thats what matters .