Smokey

OK.  I did it.  After how cold it has been where I live, and all the rain we had on the weekend, I decided to try again to bring Smokey into the house.  I got out the dog's carrier, put wet food in the back of it, and waited.  She went in after a while, but kept one back foot outside of the carrier, and her fluffy tail.  When she slowly put her foot inside,  I tried to move her inside the carrier by closing the cage door behind her.  It did not work.  But I didn't give up.  It took a while for her to come back again, but she did because she likes her wet food.  This time I was able to close her inside the carrier.  I waited  few minutes to make sure she was not going to freak out.  In which case I would have let her back out.  But she remained calm,  so I took her inside and up to the attic spare room.  When I let her out, she just explored the room and came over now and again to get some pets.  I have the window in the room just enough for her to be able to look outside, but not enough for her to get out.

The above paragraph was written on sunday.  Today is tuesday, and this morning when I went to check on Smokey, she was not in the room.  It took me a little while to see the hole in the screen at the window.  Apparently, the opening I thought was not large enough for her to fit through, was large enough for her to fit through.   The room she was in was on our 3rd floor, the attic bedroom.  Right away, I freaked.  I ran downstairs and out the door to see if she was outside, hurt.  But I couldn't find her.  I called and called inside my yard and down the street.  No Smokey.  I went back to the attic room to see if maybe she was hiding.  No luck there.  Then I went outside again and called for her.  No answer.

And then I began to cry.  What if she got hurt and took off somewhere where I can't find her to get her help.  And I felt bad about my choice, and still do.  And will continue to unless I see her again and she is OK.

Apparently, I didn't know what the right thing was for Smokey.  She is wilder than I thought and would feel more comfortable being outside, no matter what the weather.  I wanted to "save" her.  Make her life better, easier.  I made the wrong choice.  For her.

I just want to know that she made it out of the house without getting hurt.  My husband left food outside for her later in the afternoon, and after we came back from walking the dog, the food was gone.  That is the only sign I have that she may be OK.

Please keep Smokey in your positive thoughts.  I would really appreciate that.