Cattin' Around

When it comes to my pets, it just has NOT been my luck this week. On Friday night, Zippity broke free and took off. I looked for her for hours and had to abandon the search around 2AM to go to bed. Luckily, she found her OWN way home and was, cheerfully, standing outside the sliding glass doors at 6:10AM.
Well.. a similar thing happened last night, but instead of it being Zippity, it was our kitty that got out! *GASP*
At around 9PM I put Zippity outside for a potty break. I think that I left the door open a tiny bit because I was distracted by my 5 year old HOLLERING upstairs that she wanted another glass of water, another hug and kiss, another tissue, another trip to the potty....etc...
I came downstairs and turned on the TV but then heard Zippity barking so I assumed that she was done outside and wanted in. I didn't really notice but apparently the door was open enough for the kitty to squeeeeeeeze through and what Zippity was barking AT was probably the cat. She rarely, if ever, barks.
Our cat usually accompanies me on my bedtime rounds with the girls. He really follows me all over the house almost at all times. When he wasn't in the hallway when I came down stairs from FINALLY getting my 5 year old settled for the night, I thought that I may have closed him in one of the girl's closets or in my bathroom or somewhere. I called him and shook his food bag. (This cat's personality is 100% GARFIELD.) When there's food involved, you can bet your butt that he's gonna be there, right in the thick of things. He didn't come flying around the corner into the kitchen as usual. Hmm.. maybe he the girls left the basement door open? Nope... When that's happened before, he's let us know he's down there. Same goes for the Garage. No kitty, not anywhere! HE GOT OUT!
He is 3 years old, we adopted him from a friend who moved and wasn't allowed to keep cats in her new place. He had never, ever been outside. I was freaking out because we only got him in Mid-October and I didn't know if he'd even know where to go 'home' to!


After being up, tossing and turning and worrying, at 2:22 AM the moon light burst into my room right thru the blinds and woke me up. I jumped up, grabbed my slippers and ran downstairs to go outside and look for him. I opened the back door, the moon was brightly shining. I could see all the way down the street and thru the back yard into the neighbors yard, out across to the girl's swingset and the neighbours pool.
I called him once, "Pssssttttttt... here kittykittykittykittykitty..."
I listened for a second and I heard a 'prrt meow' and up the steps he came! Right into the house he trotted, right past me and straight for............. HIS FOOD BOWL!!!!