Isla

Well the question of the week, the month, or even the year so far at Blanik is "Where have you been Isla?" We can surmise all we like but I guess we'll never know. I could end the post here but for me mulling it over is interesting.

Had you asked me a year ago if Isla could/would have Isla gone into a vehicle then I'd say without doubt, No! Jamie would go off with anyone who had a sandwich, but not Isla. Though she's not nervous, she's not one for going up to strangers. So what are the options? She's been living as an indoor cat with someone else and she finally got out? I can't see it, she was far too neglected for that. Her coat is knotty and tatty and she was/is so so hungry. For a cat to eat half a loaf ... well that's a hungry cat! She got lost? No, she's been living here for over 7 years before she disappeared, and there is no doubt that she would hear these dogs miles away. Had she been locked up somewhere she would have died. So the obvious conclusion is that somehow Isla was taken away from home, probably faraway from home and that somehow her inbuilt sat nav eventually got her back. We can argue all we like that she wouldn't go in a trailer, a lorry or a car but I just can't think of another feasible solution. If we can prove anything from yesterday, well it's that all Isla wanted to do was come home, if she could have come home sooner she would have done! 

So what do we do now? I have let her out of the kitchen, but for the day I've blocked off the cat flap, it's too cold for the others to go out anyway. To be honest Isla's made no effort to try and get out yet. If she was a rescue cat moving in for the first time I'd say keep her in for a month, but Isla has returned home to a place she's lived for 7 years, so what do I do? Sensibly I'm thinking go back to normal, but I'm so so scared of letting her out, though my gut is telling me it was a one off incident, no fault of her own, my heart fears the loss again. I've cried so much for this cat, it was worse than a death, with a death there is closure, a way of moving on, the not knowing was the worst ever. I don't think I could go through that trauma again. To be fair all Isla seems to want to do is sleep and eat ... and my word she seems to go into a deep sleep, maybe she's been sleeping with one eye open for a long time. 

Jamie and Choo seem to have instantly accepted Isla back, as if she'd been out for a wee and come back in. Luther   was unsure and Perry very nervous, but by tonight I think the penny has dropped with Perry. Archie of course has never met her and he's been quite scared, but she seems oblivious to the fact that he wasn't here before and I think that may help long term. Siska's introductions have been good, but Orin is yet to meet her, well he has met her but he was only 8 weeks on the day she went missing so I doubt he'll remember her. He may discover she demands more respect than he gives the boys!