We went back to our hotel to pack and load the car. It was a cold and snowy day. We started our trip cautiously with slow driving and frequent stops. 10 hours after we left the Mayo parking garage and 250 miles later, we stopped at a gas station near Chicago. As soon as Joshua opened the car door, we heard a faint cat meowing again! Bert and I thought we hear things. We called Joshua in and all sat quietly to listen. Long be hold, we all heard a cat meowing right outside of our car. With no cat to be seen anywhere in the gas station, Bert opened the hood of car just to make sure. Guess what he found! The same grey cat was sitting right underneath the engine!
It took us more than 30 minutes to get the cat out of there. Some passbyers told us to call 999 but then we were told they would just kill the cat. Toby finally got it out with some ham and cheese. It turned out to be a very cuddling cat. For the rest of the trip, both Toby and Joshua held it in turn. The cat was scared, but content.
As soon as we got home, he got scared again when Toby accidentially closed the garage door. The cat jumped off Joshua's arms unexpectedly and ran into the darkness of outside. We spent quite some time searching it but no success.
I posted its photos and message to our neighborhood facebook page hoping some would see it....
Two days later, one of our neighbors told us that the cat was in their garage. Unfortunately, it was still too scared to be coaxed out. It went hiding again under the car. The next day we had to let it out of the garage into the wood.
Another two days passed. Another neighbor told us that the cat was on their front porch. We tried again to get it, but failed again.
I prayed it would stay in the neighborhood. I prayed it would keep itself warm at night. I prayed it would come back to us. My prayer was answered on the 9th day when my cat Ali started to hiss at the door. Bert went to check and saw the grey cat right in front of our door. We started to give him food. With patience, we finally got him into the cat carrier and brought it inside.
He has been inside for two days. What a delightful cat!! It loves the dog. We first thought it is Russian Blue, but after I read the description of Russian Blue and Korat, I think it is a Korat which has amber color eyes and heart shaped face. In Thailand where the Korat originally came from, people consider Korat a symbol of good luck. My kids name it "Piston" for it has been in the car engine. I wish to name it "Survivor" - a good lucky symbol of my cancer free diagnoses and its luck to survived the car ride. I now pray it has no micro chip so we can call this cat ours. I think it is a girl:).
