Well, hell. My cat Emmy slipped out the door Friday night and hasn't been seen since, that’s 5 days ago. I feel crappy about it, since she ran off on my opening of the door. But I'm glad she didn't slip off on my wife.

My wife seems to blame me and I'd rather it be that way than her blaming herself. She's not taking it too badly, at least outwardly, but I did hear my wife tell someone that she blames me for it and that makes me feel crappy about it.

Emmy was a tiny cutie from Cat Welfare Association. They are a no-kill shelter. Remember this, Adopt a Pet and Save a Life. Cat Welfare does not kill the cats, but once they are fully occupied, they can take no more lost little souls.

She was a long haired tabby, petite and cobby, with a face that always had a dour look, as is she wasn’t going to say anything, but she knew you could do better. Have you ever seen a Maine Coon Cat? She looked like that, but tiny. We called her our Mini-Coon Cat.

Emmy was a sweetie who like to sleep on the bed, and for a long time she was boss cat in our house. We had a great big grey cat called Smokey who ran the roost. Smokey developed a tumor on this stomach and had to be out down a few years ago. His heir apparent, Angelo, another big boy, a handsome Black and white beast assumed the position for a very short term in office. Emmy had other opinions, and as small as she was, set Angie right and took over for the next few years, until the appearance of Hollie.

Hollie, a white Pomeranian, set our house into chaos, creating an anarchy, an every cat for itself world, where Hollie kept the cats hopping and scattered.

A few months ago we had some kind of cat disease going thru the house, first PK (Pretty Kitty), our old long haired black and white girl, withered and then came back to health, fat as ever. Then Lillie, our Birman look alike, did the same. Emmy was next. Being little she took it a little worse. Times-a-being as they are for us right now, we could not afford a vets visit. Shame on me, but sometimes money gets tight.

Little Emmy finally seemed to be turning the corner. While we always kept her inside, she began to sneak out every chance she could get. Our next door neighbors thought she was a stray and began to feed her. Emmy was looking good and was quite strong. She had even been climbing the back door curtains in her attempts to get out.

So Friday she got out on my watch and never came back. My hope is someone else thought she was a stray and took her in. If not, I hope it was quick.

I miss her and feel bad about losing her.We try and keep all our cats indoors, but once in a while, there's one that's not going to be denied. My vets once told me, "Nothing good can happen to a cat outside."