Charlie's Travels

I have been adventurous ever since I was a little kitten. That caused me some pain in the beginning. One day I went on a little walk and when I got back my family was gone. I spent days and days looking for them. I was so sad and I cried a lot. Finally, a human put some food out for me. After eating, I curled up and went to sleep beside the cars, out of the rain. I stayed here because I was so tired and the human kept bringing me food. The girl from beyond the fence would come over and hold me and pet me and I wasn't so lonely.

One day she walked past, and I had my strength back so I followed her. We came to a building with lots of kids running around outside. So much noise. It was kind of scary so I ran up to the girl. She picked me up and said, “Oh no, what are you doing here? You can't come to school.”

“Well, why not?” I asked her. “I bet lots of kids would like to pet me.”

She took me inside and showed me to The Lady and asked if I could spend the day. She explained that I was a stray (What? I thought I was a cat.) living in her neighbor's garage. She promised to take me home after school. The Lady took me, gave me a great tummy rub and a very soft warm place to take a nap. Later she brought me some cream. I wandered around the room and lots of kids were really happy to see me.

The girl came and took me back to the garage where I stayed. It was quiet and lonely after being around The Lady and kids for a day. I started exploring, sometimes staying away all day. As I got bigger I went farther and found more people who wanted to pet me. One day a couple of people scratched me between my ears. They did such a wonderful job that when they stood up and started running away I followed them for a long ways. They kept turning around and saying, “No! Go back.” I got really tired and wished they would stop running and take me back like the girl had done. But no. They just kept running.

Then the most amazing thing happened. A woman standing in her garden called to them and asked, “Is this your cat?” They said no, that I just kept following them. So she bent down and picked me up. I knew immediately; this was The Lady. I started purring almost before she rubbed my tummy. She took me into her house and fed me. She gave me a box with a warm blanket. I was so tired from all the running I fell right to sleep.

When I woke up Girl was sitting beside me, and Boy was leaning over watching me. Girl reached over and brushed her hand down my back. “He's soft as a bunny,” she said.

What?

“Bunnies are as soft as me,” I corrected her. “And they are disgusting. They actually poop while they are hopping along and leave such a mess. No idea how to properly bury it.”

Girl asked if I could stay with them. The Lady said yes.

So that was how I found My Home.

It is a very good Home, nice people, good food, great pets. Warm and dry inside with lots of places to explore outside.

I have lots of friends, too. A yellow cat from a few houses over comes to visit and we sit on the fence and share the neighborhood gossip. Sometimes I go inside his house. We chase around until his people put us out.

I have a dog friend in the house next to My House. I like to sit on the fence post so I can see him and he likes to sit in the kitchen window. We talk to each other. Sometimes I like to walk up and down the fence while we talk and he gets so excited he jumps up against the window. We have a fun game we play when he comes outside. He sticks his nose under the fence and I smack it. When he's done barking and running around the yard he comes back and we do it again. If his people are home they make him stop.

I have raccoon friends, too. The mama and kits and I go walking together. We always go under the fence at the same spot so we have a nice groove worn in the dirt. Sometimes when we get back Home we all lay down together on the nice warm patio, roll about, and take a snooze.

One day My People and I all get into the car and go for a drive. I really like all the smells changing so fast. My nose has a hard time keeping up. The car makes a purring sound and I take a nap. We get out at Grandma's house and after a while they all go out the front door and close it in my face.

“Hey,” I shout, “I'm still here!”

Grandma picks me up and says, “That's okay, Charlie. They're just going on vacation. They'll be back in two weeks. Don't worry.”

I jump down and run to the window. “Wait!” I cry. “Come back and get me.”

But they're gone.

How long is two weeks? The sun goes down, the moon comes up. Again and again. Is that two weeks? I miss My People. I want to run around on the grass with Boy and squirm on the patio while Girl pets my tummy. Climbing trees is my specialty and it is so much fun to look in windows and see their surprised faces. I like to walk fences and lay in front of the fire beside Boy while he reads. I like to jump out of hiding places and pounce on Girl; it makes her scream every time.

Where are they?

I make up my mind. I've been here long enough. It is time to go Home.

Don't misunderstand me; Grandma is nice. She feeds me well and gives a good pet, but she doesn't let me outside. She makes me sleep by myself, and she isn't playful. This isn't My Home and she is not one of My Humans. Tonight's the perfect night; the moon is full. I push the screen out and jump down onto the lawn. After turning around a few times I know which way to go: That way.

So off I trot.

Thinking about how happy everyone at Home will be to see me, I set a fast pace. I need to pay attention and get Home. I'm following the beach, which is really nice since I don't have to deal with fences. But there sure are a lot of dogs at these houses. Makes for a lot of running. When the beach starts going the wrong way I head across the lawns and over or under the fences. When a big dog chases me, I time my leap just right and it runs into the fence. That was fun!

It turns out the big dog did me a favor. I start following the road and realize there is a path beside the road. This is excellent because I don't have to pay attention to cars. Very dangerous, cars. As the sky gets lighter there are people and bikes on my path. Since I am very tired I move into the brambles and find a nice place to curl up and go to sleep.

I'm starving when I wake up. No bowls of cat food sitting around so I hunt for my meal. Plenty of mice and rats in the brambles, but yuck. Dirty feet and long stringy tails. Guess they'll do until I get Home to a nice tasty bowl of crunchies.

The path is really busy during the daytime; way too many people walking and biking. Wow, those bikes go really fast. Mostly I travel at night and hunt and sleep in the bushes along the side of the path in the day. I can always find a place to curl up, but it isn't nearly as nice as sleeping at Home with My People.

I really like to sleep with my Humans. I can rub my cheek against Girl's face and she smiles as she goes to sleep. I like to lay against Boy's tummy and he pets me gently. Sometimes in the evening The Lady and Dad are watching TV. If they are sitting too far apart I talk to them until they move close together. Then I squeeze between them so they can both pet me.

The only trouble I’m having while living rough is sometimes a raccoon shows up and tries to take my food. I absolutely will not allow that. Such bad manners. It can go catch its own meal. Or tip over a garbage can. I've seen them do that. Pretty lazy way to hunt if you ask me.

Today I decide to take a break from sleeping in the brambles and find a nice warm deck in the sun. I'm not really sleeping, just taking a cat nap. That's when one ear stays awake to keep track of what's going on. That ear tells me a door is opening and I sit up. A lady starts talking quietly to me and I can tell by the delicious smell that the bowl she is holding has food in it. She sets it down and goes back into the house. What good luck. This is great, so much better than catching and eating mice and rats. Disgusting smelly things.

Later, she comes out with a man. She wants to pet me which is really nice after traveling alone this long. Scratching under my collar feels so good I purr. She says, “Oh, look Honey, there's a phone number here.” She sounds really excited.

First off, don't stop scratching under the collar. That stupid thing keeps me from doing a really good job myself. I've tried to get it off, but so far haven't succeeded with this one.

Second off, my name isn't Honey. “My name is Charlie,” I tell her.

Girl gave me that name after I had been with them for a while. She said, “Look at his cute face. He has a black mustache just like Charlie Chap,” or something like that. “Oh, please, can we call him Charlie?”

Charlie isn't my real name. I have a name my Mother gave me. Of course, humans can't pronounce it, so I let them call me Charlie. I gave cat names to both Girl and Boy, but they never learned to come when I called. Sometimes I am concerned for them.

I really need to rest and this seems like the best place so far. Good food, nice pets, and woods out back for hiding. After the person quits petting me I find a nice soft spot in the woods near her house and curl up for a nap.

Then I hear Grandma calling. How'd she get here?

Of course I come out of the woods and let her pick me up. But no way am I getting in that cat carrier. I spread my feet and shove off. She drops me and I run back into the woods. She stays for a long time calling me, but I am not getting into the cat carrier. Hate that thing. And I really don't want to go back to her house, anyway. I am heading Home. Why does she think I left in the first place?

It's dark and I am snoozing in the woods when I hear My Lady. Great! I'm going Home. I jump up on the deck to wait for her. She goes into the woods and keeps calling me. I keep answering. She keeps replying. The moon is only a tiny sliver, but still. Humans have such bad eyesight I wonder how they manage. It takes her a while, but she finally realizes I am sitting on the deck, waiting. She comes over and picks me up and hugs me and pets me and talks a lot. No stupid cat carrier. We get in the car and talk some more, petting included. She is so happy to see me. Sitting in her lap I tell her about my adventures all the way Home. I am so delighted to be going Home.

As soon as the house door opens I leap out of Lady's arms and race down the basement. I eat and clean myself and run upstairs to the bedrooms. Girl and Boy's doors are closed so I jump into bed with Dad. I am stretched out back to back with him, purring, when My Lady joins us. She gives me the best tummy rub ever and we go to sleep.

Usually I get up early with Dad and go outdoors. Today I go back to sleep. I wake up again when Lady brings Girl and Boy in.

“Charlie!” Girl cries. “Charlie's home!”

They are so happy to see me. Girl lays down and puts her face on my soft tummy and Boy rubs my head.

“Mom, how did you find him?” Girl asks.

“We put Grandma's phone number on his collar. A lady was feeding him for a couple of days and when she saw the number she called Grandma. Of course, Grandma went right over to pick him up, but when she tried to put him in the cat carrier Charlie escaped into the woods. Grandma called Dad and when I got home I went over and got him.”

“Can I stay home from school today?” Girl asks? “Please.”

“No, of course not. You have five more minutes and then you need eat breakfast and get ready to go. He'll be here when you get home this afternoon.”

“Where was he?” Boy asks.

“He was close to Mathew's Beach. Remember where we went swimming with the cousins? It's about five miles from Grandma's house on a beeline to our house. He was probably following the Burke Gilman Trail. I'm pretty sure he was on his way home.”

Did they think I was lost?

Silly Humans.

Of course I was on my way Home. When Girl and Boy leave to get ready for school I roll over and settle in for a nice long nap. I'll go outside and check up on my friends a little later. It sure is good being back with My Humans.

Author: Laura Nicol