That darn cat

Sometimes I think pets, like little kids, have their whole purpose in life figured out — they're here to give you heart attacks, plain and simple.

Last night, I heard from my parents that Ziggy, the Gau family cat since 1994, had somehow gotten out of the house and just disappeared. On the surface, that sounds like a poetic way to say goodbye to your childhood pet. But all I could think about was how Ziggy is 16 years old, only eats soft food, has sight and mobility that ain't what they used to be, and frankly has been kind of a dummy from kittenhood on. No way was he going to survive on his own, and before nature took its course he was going to suffer. Depressing stuff to sleep on.

Of course, this morning my dad found him sitting in the back yard, muddy, hungry and freaked out, but completely unhurt. Oh, kitty.