Wanderer

I normally update this blog on a Monday but this Monday I was in no mood to post as little Jasper went missing on Sunday. This story does have a happy ending though so don’t be put off reading! He went out with the others as normal and they usually just scamper around outside, pouncing on leaves and chasing each other. When it was time for us to go out the other cats came in but not Jasper. We assumed he’d just gone to sleep somewhere and after a quick scout round we left. We returned later expecting to see him hanging around the door but there was no sign of him. I walked around shouting for him and banging a tin of food (which got every other cats attention) but there was no sign. Whilst I got junior’s lunch, Sean set off to walk the block looking for him.
The reason we thought he may have wandered away was because on the Friday before, taking junior to school, Smokey and Jasper followed us. While Smokey stopped at the end of the road, Jasper carried on following. I managed to pick him up and put him in my bag and when he escaped I carried him in my arms (being scratched all the time). Just near junior’s school he escaped once more and ran in to someone’s yard through a gate. I dropped junior off and then spent 5 minutes’ calling out for Jasper until he appeared. I carried him home and hoped that was the end of it. More fool me!
Sean returned from his walk without Jasper and so later on that evening we went for a family search, but to no avail. To say I was downhearted would be an understatement but I tried to convince myself that he would turn up sooner or later.
Monday was a celebration day at junior’s school to commemorate Ochi Day. This remembers the day in 1940 when the Greeks refused to let the Italians invade the country thus becoming Britain’s first ally in the Second World War. All the children had been given poems to learn and whilst a lot of the children refused to get up and speak, junior rushed up to the front when her name was called and gave a sterling performance (and no, I’m not biased!). This little presentation lasted about half an hour and then it was home time. So off we went, constantly scanning the area for a sign of a small tabby, and headed off for a walk up to Sendoukia where the pirate graves are – aha Jim lad. It was a very pleasant walk in glorious weather and when we got to the top I looked out at the view and thought what a marvellous sight it was to be looking at on a Monday afternoon.

It was one of those moments when it suddenly hits you that this is where we live, we’re not on holiday, and this is on our doorstep all the time. Brilliant!
The following day was Ochi Day and there was to be a parade in town, so hoping to get some pictures for the website, we headed down. I only managed a couple of pictures, this being one of them,

before I caught sight of the rear of a small tabby darting through the crowd. Just as junior was saying “look, a little pussy cat”, I was saying “that’s Jasper”. Junior and I set off through the people searching for him, thinking we’d never find him amongst the sea of legs, when suddenly we spotted him sitting down having a wash! I grabbed him and carried him to a flabbergasted Sean who got hold of him and escorted him home. He’s now sat next to me on the chair with little dot. From what we can ascertain he followed someone into town and just forgot how to get back home again. Needless to say that whenever we go out now, we make sure he’s safely locked up inside.