The prodigal returns....again!

?49 Days ago I last saw my much loved little orphan cat Tilly, one of the kittens we've hand reared and then couldn't part with. She'd been disappearing for increasing lengths of time up to a couple of weeks in length, coming back in looking in good condition but hungry and thirsty and tired. She'd stay a few days then disappear again. ASBO & Elphaba rate Catie as no. 1 human round here but Tilly adored Jake and then liked me in that order. Each time she disappeared we searched and leafleted and waited for the call telling us a vet had scanned her chip - never any word of her. I decided she'd found somewhere she liked better and after a few attempts to live in both places had now permanently decamped. 49 days...and then this afternoon she walked in the cat flap as if she'd just been out for a stroll, sat on the dogs tummy and meooowed loudly to let us know she was home. We have now fitted her with a new collar and tag and shut the cat flap to keep her home. She lifted the day out of the low level misery it was wallowing in to heights of joy and relief. It's even pushed the pain back a little. :-)