Leaving the finca – for anything more than the occasional night away in a hotel on Mallorca – is not very practical. With eight cats – including our Birman, who lives indoors – we can’t just throw stuff into a bag and head off somewhere for a few days. It’s one of the reasons we haven’t had a proper holiday since we moved here, apart from a few days in Seville – when some kind, animal-loving friends looked after our brood a few years ago.
Hardly Plane-sailing
So when my cousin’s husband died suddenly recently, I returned to the UK for the funeral alone, leaving The Boss in charge of everything at home. My blog was neglected as I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find flights that were (a) into conveniently located airports, and (b) didn’t cost more than a week’s package holiday on Mallorca! Air links between Mallorca and the UK are woefully inadequate during the winter months, but things could improve next winter, as the Majorca Daily Bulletin has mounted quite a campaign . . .
The Disappearance of Shorty
Shorty relaxing in the largest plant pot in the garden
To add to the stress of the past few weeks, Shorty – the ginger feral cat in our glaring – disappeared. He’s a very affectionate cat, who enjoys a cuddle. Or, more accurately, often demands one. He’s also very greedy and was never known to miss a meal. When he didn’t turn up for breakfast one morning, it was strange enough. As the days passed, and my trip loomed, I began to fear the worst.
In the more densely populated UK, we would have wandered around the vicinity of our home, checking with neighbours that he hadn’t become shut in a shed or garage, or made himself at home with them. Here, where we are largely surrounded by fields, enclosed within dry-stone walls, looking for a missing cat is not so easy. We did, however, search the sides of the lanes to satisfy ourselves that he hadn’t been in a road accident.
Slimline Cat Returns
When I left Mallorca, The Boss promised to let me know immediately if Shorty returned, but there had been no news about him by the time I returned. But, to our great surprise and delight, the ginger one nonchalantly rocked up for breakfast on Wednesday this week – as though he’d never missed a meal.
Shorty had become somewhat barrel-like over the winter, because of his greed, and returned to us looking rather more streamlined. Where had he been? We’ll never know – but it could have been fat-cat boot camp . . .
Jan Edwards Copyright 2015
We have the same problem when we want to go somewhere for a night or two. So, we just stay home. Sometimes I can browbeat our oldest son to stay for one night so we can do so. Our dogs and cats absolutely love him. I think they think of as him as the “king of fun.” We also have chickens that need care and in the summers, have two pigs, too, so it’s really difficult to leave the farm.
I am so glad that your “Shorty” returned. Cats just seem to do that, disappear for days or weeks and then mysteriously return.
I can see that that ginger cat would be hard to resist. He is adorable. I do love ginger cats. I have one “official pet” who bites me from time to time if I am too forward with caresses. The ungrateful wretch! We are trying to teach him manners and it seems to be working.
I am also feeding two ginger cats who live under a large lumber pile up the road from us. I don’t know how they discovered the food I put on the open back porch. And why are my two visitors both ginger cats? There are actually about 12 cats living there according to the nice lady who lives across the road from them and feeds them, too. I would love to be able to make friends with my two visitors but they are very cautious. What would I do with THREE ginger cats, anyway?
I have thought about calling the local humane society. They might trap the cats and spay/neuter them and then bring them back to our rural valley.
Cats are the most amazing little animals!
I hope you’ll find shorty again 🙁
He returned on Weds morning, as though he’d never been away! Cats! They have no idea how much stress they can cause . . . :-))
Pfew!!!! So glad. And I know what you mean… Our indoor only cat once snuck out and was not to be seen for 24 hours. She pretended nothing ever happened and demanded dinner and fussing… LOL
We understand completely and can identify with all that.
We have been in Mallorca for 11 years and have not had a real holiday due to the cats.
This year we planned our first real holiday and went to great effort to line up house sitters a year in advance. Sadly, due to family illness we had to cancel and I am now in the UK, but my other half is stuck in Mallorca due to the cats.
Disappearing cats is another great cause of stress. When you are surrounded by open countryside, any search is futile. You just have to hope that they will return. Sometimes they do and sadly sometimes they don’t.
Oh dear! You are living our lives. I hope you (and we) get to have a proper holiday each one day . . .
It is very hard when illness or a passing means a return to the UK – especially in the winter. Hope you make it home to Mallorca soon and that the family illness isn’t as serious as a return to the UK probably suggests.