Sunday, August 29, 2010

turtle, found.

distraught and heartbroken all weekend, i decided to take a bowl of food outside tonight and shake it around while calling for turtle. i had read online that after dusk is best when looking for your cat. right before i went outside, i felt compelled to check the basement one last time. with a flashlight in one hand, and food in the other, i whispered 'turtle' over and over again. i heard a faint meow and rounded the corner of the U-shaped basement, searching for the source. she meowed again, and i saw her peering at me from atop a brick wall that stopped a foot short of the ceiling. it extended through 3 storage units, all of them locked, one of them mine. she was in someone else's unit, so i ran upstairs and knocked on his door. thankfully he was there, and he unlocked the unit in order to get turtle. she ran away from him and toward my unit. i went back upstairs for the key and for matthew's help. he was then able to clamber up a few boxes and fetch her down.

a bowl of food and water and one unhappy bath later, turtle is busy licking herself clean. i cannot believe our luck. thanks for sending all those good thoughts our way.

leon is going to be so happy when he sees her tomorrow.

24 comments:

Jennifer said...

Hooray! Happy ending!!!

Moya said...

So pleased she's back. When Peeps escaped about 10 years ago, I found her at dusk (by chance). She was buried in autumn leaves which are a perfect match for tortoiseshell fur.

Welcome home Turtle! I am so glad it worked out for you.

Jennifer said...

I am so relieved! Turtle is back home where she is loved and belongs :)

romaine said...

i am so happy and relieved that you have your turtle back (she is adorable btw)!

redfox said...

Oh, GOOD. Hooray for your instincts.

jennifer said...

Yay! I'm so happy that you found Turtle! What a relief!

mr said...

our tortoise shell, Toast, went missing this summer on the day we were set to leave our home in AZ to move to OR for good. 8 hours later, we finally discovered she had found a way to fit through a tiny opening behind the stove and holed up in there, not making a peep. we spent the day frantic and left a lot later than intended, but we found Toast. so much understanding and empathy and joy that you found Turtle!

alyson. said...

hip hip!!

R.G. said...

yayy! i'm so glad he's safe and sound.

Amanda said...

Yay! :D

julia said...

oh good!! :) i'm so happy you guys were able to find him!!

melissa said...

thank goodness! so glad she didn't fall off the balcony. my cat's allowed to go outside, but you should see me once it starts getting dark out -- i'm all over the yard making strange noises and crinkling her little bag of treats to make sure she comes home. i'm so crazy about her, i would have been just as upset.

joyce said...

phew. i'm so happy turtle was found safe and sound!

Jess said...

so glad she's safe! Last summer I got home around 10 and could not find one of my cats anywhere, and woke up many times during the night and called and called for her - the next morning I heard her mewing from the neighbors garage, poor girl had been trapped in there all night! I had to wake up my neighbor also in order to get her out, such a relief!!

Claire said...

Oh Turtle! xxx

Q_9 said...

so happy for Turtle and you guys...

Unknown said...

oh!!!!! how wonderful!!!!!!!

fleur_delicious said...

oh, I am SO glad you found her. Our Zaha (yes, can you tell there's another architect in this house?) got out the night we got back from our honeymoon, it was an utterly heartbreaking first night back. (She returned at 3am, whew).

Catherine said...

That name gets me every time. I am so glad you found her, wonderful news. Happy reunion!

Lisa said...

I'm so glad you found her!

nanashi said...

so, so glad you found her!

Joanna Goddard said...

YAY!!!!! so thrilled for you.

Nome Alone said...

Glad you found turtle, that must have been so scary! And that baby of yours is too adorable! My gosh!

Pawling Print Studio said...

yay!! (and cutest pic ever!)