Sunday 17th June 2018
It is only 4 days since we started letting Ekanath out unsupervised again, he is now fully recovered form his illnesses and in truth we could have let him out a week earlier but for purely selfish reasons I didn't want to. I get very stressed when he is out and worry so much. This despite the fact that I have kept cats for just short of 40 years and have very rarely had any hurt whilst outside. Still it's like being a parent. You know you have to trust them to live heir lives but it doesn't make it any easier.
Anyway, we only let him out during daylight then, once he is in and night is approaching we seal the cat flap and keep him in till morning. On the first 3 days he went out for 4 hours then came home, but today he hadn't come back after 8 and I was frantic. Then I saw him trot past the front window. I was so relived. He trots past the front of the house, comes round the west side then comes in via the cat flap in the back door. So when he hadn't come through it twenty minutes after I saw him pass the front window I began to wonder what was going on. Then I saw him trotting past the window in the opposite direction. Turns ou he had decided against coming home.
Uncertain of why I decided to go out and see what he was up to. I went around the east side of the house and spotted him sat near the field, he clearly spotted me too and instead of running over to see his beloved human... he hid in the long grass. He was about 25 yards away and for a second I began to wonder if it was another cat, for all Ekanath is quite distinctive, so I called out to him, the following may or may not be a highly accurate account of what happened next: Me: “Ekanath?” E: “No Erm.. I mean.. nine!”
Me: “Pardon?” E: “Ich bin nicht Ekanath, ich bin eine deutsche Katze hier in einem Austauschprogramm” Me: “You expect me to believe you are not Ekanath, you are a German cat here on an exchange program?” E (Looking inordinately proud of himself) “Ja!” Me, “A Cat exchange program?” E: “Ja, das stimmt, ich bin eine deutsche Katze hier auf einem Austauschprogramm und nicht deine Katze Ekanath überhaupt. Ehrlich” Me “So wait a second, my German is a touch rusty but you are telling me that 'You are a German cat here on an exchange program and not my cat Ekanath ... 'Honest''? Also, when did you learn to speak German?” E “Offensichtlich spreche ich Deutsch, weil ich eine deutsche Katze bin”. Me: “I know it's you Ekanath, I can see the grey hair where it grew in over your surgical scar grey instead of cream-red. I'm impressed with your German though, it's better than mine. Mine has a strong Swiz ascent“ Ekanath (Mutterig) "Whatever“ Me: “Now come on in, it's time to settle in for the night!” Ekanath (dejectedly): “Du bist nicht mein richtiger Vater!“