A Purrrrr-fect Ending

I just had a few minutes of panic.  I thought I had lost the cat.

A friend was here for a bit, and I had the screen door propped open as she was leaving.

When I couldn't find Pepper, I was afraid that she had squirted through the door while it was open.  (She hasn't tried to dash outside for several years, but I wouldn't put it past her to try again at some point.)  I thought I would have noticed her slinking by me, but she can be sneaky.

I looked all through the house, and she wasn't in any of her favorite spots.  So I grabbed her box of goodies and shook them -- usually that gets her attention!  No Pepper.

So I began my search again.

She wasn't on my parents' side of the house.

She wasn't downstairs on my side.

I was shaking her goodies box as I ascended the stairs.  I figured, "Surely she'll hear me know."  But no cat came running.

During my first search, I did not see Pepper under my bed.  But that's where she was when I looked the second time!  I don't know if she changed locations between my two efforts or not.  She was sitting in a completely different spot than she normally does, so maybe I just flat out missed her the first time.

At any rate, I was glad to see her.  I said to her, "Oh, THERE you are!"

She stared at me with eyes that asked, "WHERE are my goodies???"  I gave her three!

(Postscript:  It was just like summer here today, so I wouldn't have blamed Pepper if she had tried to go outside and enjoy the weather.)