I was out in the yard for my morning business when, suddenly, there was Poe! How did the little kitten get out? I said "Woof!"
Dad said, "What is Orrin barking at?"
Mom came to the door and looked at me. "Orrin is on point," she said. "Wonder what he's got?"
"Ah, probably just a muskrat." dismissed Dad. I wanted to shout, "No! It is Poe! Poe is out!" but mom doesn't like barking, especially before dawn when it could disturb the neighbors.
After Dad left for work Mom went into the bedroom to grab some clothes.... and then she noticed. The vent from the air conditioning unit to the window had been pulled out leaving a lovely, kitten-sized gap through which Poe could escape.
"Poe!" Mom called in the house, "Here kitty kitty!" Adina and Gabriel came running but not Poe.
"He's outside." I said to Mom.
Mom ran outdoors with a flashlight calling for Poe. But he wasn't anywhere! Getting more upset, Mom went to get the live trap. As she was setting it up, there was Poe trying to get into the now closed window! Mom approached him with a tin of food but he hissed and fled. It was like he became feral again as soon as he was outdoors! Mom set the trap and then sat at the kitchen table, crying a little and trying to think of what to do. It was still very dark outside and Poe was so little to be alone!
And then there he was. Just outside the screen door. "Oh, Poe!" exclaimed Mom. Because I am an awesome dog and because I know that catching Poe would make Mom happy and also because I know that the door doesn't latch, I pushed through to catch Poe.
I chased him for awhile. I don't know why he ran from me. In the house we are buddies, you know. But he ran and then he got away. Not wanting to waste this lovely dark morning with the almost full moon shining down, I decided to keep running. The neighborhood is so quiet at 4AM! I could hear Mom behind me, beseeching me in angry whispers to come back and maybe even cursing me a little! I just kept zooming along. I rarely get a chance to zoom! Eventually I got tired. I could hear Mom's little bare human feet hitting the sidewalk "pat, pat, pat, pat" and then she was there, snicking a leash onto my collar.
So we went home under the moon with Mom crying about Poe.
When she had to leave for work, Mom left the window through which Poe had escaped open. Her internet friend John told her to leave a tin of stinky food on the inside of the window so she did. Then Mom closed the door so that no one else could get out and she went to work.
Guess what? When Mom got home Poe had come back through the window, eaten the tin of food and fallen asleep under the bed.
So all is well that ends well. Poe is home safe and sound, the AC vent is fixed so it can never happen again. Poe is also wearing a collar and tag and I am just waiting for the next time I can get out to traipse around the neighborhood, adventuring in the light of the moon.