Poor Mattie

I feel I owe an explanation about my FB status update last night... Here's what it said, "Tracy feels guilty. I accidentally locked Mattie in the closet all day because I thought he was outside (I didn't think he was in the coat closet!!!)."

So, here is the back story. Mike and I were in a rush to leave for work yesterday morning (I had done something to hold us up, as usual -- this always happens). I looked all over the house for Mattie so I could put him up in his room. I looked all around: in the bedroom closet, on the couches, behind the couches, between the pillows on the bed - you name it. I did a last minute check in the coat closet, feeling around for him in the dark, because he tugs the door open sometimes and goes in there. I swear, he wasn't there!!!

I went outside with his food bowl and called his name several times. We finally had to go, so I just assumed he was outside. I sat at work all day thinking of work things then rode home from work with Mike talking about other things. I didn't remember that Mattie was missing until we pulled in the driveway. We went into the house, I called him twice, then bundled up and went outside. I called his name in the driveway, in the yard, in the neighbor's yard... I walked down the side of the street, calling and looking on each side of the road; then I repeated the whole thing while walking up the other direction. No sign of him.

Then, Mike was calling me! "Tracy! Tracy!" I walked back to the driveway to see Mike holding Mattie. Mike said, "Just wait until I tell you what happened." Back in the house he explained that he heard a meow after I went outside. He went outside and walked around the back of the house looking for Mattie. A light bulb went off in his head when he glanced at the coat closet door through the window. In the mud room he heard a meow. When he opened the coat closet door he found Mattie sitting by the door on a big plastic container of cat food.

Obviously I did not do a good job feeling around for Mattie before we left. I closed the closet door -- just in case he was in the house -- and trapped our poor feline friend inside. The little guy was stuck in the cramped, dark, overstuffed closet without water. He had plenty of food: there was a big plastic container with food that should be thrown out along with a half full bag and two brand new bags of his favorite kibble. The only thing was that all that food was sealed up.

Ooops.

After Mike explained the extent of my cruelty while Mattie clung to me purring, I felt I needed to try to make up for my oversight. We started with treats. Mattie got 5, like he always does. Then he looked in the cabinet where I keep his canned food and I took the hint that canned food was another good step. He got a full can all at once (usually he gets 1/2).

Fortunately for me, Mattie is the sweetest, most loving and forgiving cat we've had. He just wanted to be held and sleep on the couch for the rest of the night.

You can bet your bottom dollar I kept my eye on him this morning and he is safely tucked in his room today!

Smiles