Mylo Lost 27/06/2009 & Found 04/07/2009!!

What can I say? The local newspaper headlines say it all!!! While we were honeymooning in the Cook Islands, back home in the UK at my parent's house Mylo managed to jump out of a kitchen window and was lost for 7 days!!!!

For my poor mum, it was apparently the "worst week of her life", which truly it must have been. The thought of Mylo, a quite timid indoor cat, being lost outside in an area not even close to his normal home is terrifying so what it must have been like to loose a cat that you are catsitting must be just horrifying!

That week was probably one of the hottest weeks in the UK this year and inevitably windows were opened and one late evening Mylo managed to sneak up to the open kitchen window. I doubt very much he jumped, but more likely attempted to walk out onto the tiniest of window sills and slipped out into the darkness below. He appeared unharmed by his fall and was spotted attempting to jump back up to the window from the driveway (which regrettably was far too high) before fearfully running off across the road into the night.

Typical of lost indoor cats Mylo was too fearful to come to his name being called high and low for the 7 days he was outside. No doubt he found what he felt was a safe hole where he just hid, too frightened to come out. It couldn;t have helped that following his escape were the most almighty thunder storms to grace London. And he was searched for meticulously I am assured of that. Like I would have done my mother tirelessly spent her out of hours time distributing posters, searching neighbours gardens and spreading her search wider and wider. Vets, rescue centres, his microchip registry, the local papers were all contacted in desperation and hope.

And true to an indoor cat, he had not travelled far - we think he took shelter in a garden shed/bushes of one of the adjacent houses. A week later to the day of Mylo's escape at the godly hour of 2am, my 23 year old brother heard a meaowing from his bedroom window. Sure enough he looked down to see a hungry Mylo sitting on the drive. And in true Mylo fashion he fled as soon as he was approached. My determined brother aka "hero" spent the next 2 hours coaxing him out from the neighbours driveway with a plate of food. And returned jubilant with Mylo in his arms to wake the household.

Mylo seemed to also favour his change in fortune and for a few days at least revelled on the attention lavished on him! Seemingly not mentally scarred from his adventure he returned only with a large appetite and an infestation of particularly large fox ticks.

Following this episode, all catsitting services have been suspended by my mum and I am eternally sorry for the stress, worry and tears Mylo caused!