Backyard bobcat

Last night all three of my cats were outside, even the fat retarded one who normally doesn't choose to go outside. He really is retarded. Our vet has declared him "mentally challenged." I'm sorry if I offend anyone with the use of the word retarded. I don't mean to.

Anyway, all 3 cats were out last night. At about 2am I was awakened by some really awful sounding cat screams. I jumped out of bed because it sounded a lot like fat Dexter, who also has a really odd, distinctive meow. Because he doesn't go out much and is fat and spazzy I don't like him to be out at night because he'd be awful at defending himself and can't climb. Not even a kitchen chair. But when I went on the deck there he was, hanging out by the sliding door, pretty pleased that someone was finally coming to let him in. One accounted for. But I knew my other two were still outside. So who had made that noise? Called and called for them, to no avail. Not good. I went back inside, wondering who wasn't going to come home in the morning.

From my bed I heard the sound again, coming from out front. Got up again and went out the front door. Heard the sound loud from my neighbor's garden. Oh boy, I thought. JG is going to find one of cats dead in his flowers in the morning. I don't know why I didn't go over. Middle of the night thinking. I called and called some more and then went back to bed.

This time the sound was loud and close. I put on my flipflops and went down the deck stairs to the backyard. Didn't see any cats but I started to notice all the laundry that I had put on the deck to dry which had fallen overboard and I'd been to lazy to go down and retrieve. So I started picking up my laundry at 2:30 am, walking around underneath my deck calling for my cats.

Suddenly I heard a rustling noise and a meow and saw a cat run away from me. I quickly walked to the other side of the house. My rush of relief was replaced with confusion when I realized that this creature was too big to be either of my cats, had unusually long legs, a stumpy tail and tufted ears. But (middle of the night arms full of laundry thinking) I still kind of thought it might be one of my cats because it had the same markings as one and was lean like the other. That nonsensical idea only lasted for a second. This strange cat arched its back, ran a few feet from me and then settled rather comfortably on the side of my driveway. I was a little afraid, actually, so I went back in, calling again for my own cats as soon as I was out of the stranger's view.

Just before I decided to give up I saw our beloved Matilda come to the door. What a rush of relief. I was still worried about my own cat, Rock Star, but was not about to take on Rocky Mountain Wildlife in my nightgown and flipflops. I went to sleep wondering whether I'd see my Rock Star again or whether he had become part of the food chain. Thank God or the cat diety or Rock Star himself, he showed up at the deck door in the morning, as is his habit.

Now they are all sleeping in the basement. I will let them go outside again, because I can't imagine a life without fresh air, but not at night.

This morning I Googled bobcats. Look about the same as my midnight visitor.

I may have had an encounter with a bobcat. Cool.