Pumpkin the Cat, Pet Detective

Now here's something you don't usually encounter here on the outskirts of blogdom: a Mimilou cat story.

Actually, it's not my story but rather my mom's.

Pumpkin is your average housebound cat: a little on the sluggish side, a lot on the aloof side. Favorite activities include sitting in a cardboard box and sitting on the windowsill, gazing wistfully out the window at the wildlife that is passing her by.

One morning near her mailbox outside her condo, my mother noticed a sign for a lost cat. She hadn't seen any unfamiliar cats wandering around outside but made a mental note to keep an eye out.

A few days later, Pumpkin was perched in her sentry position near the rear window. It faces a woody strip that borders the condo property -- a prime spot for bird and squirrel watching. She began making some gutteral sounds, odd enough for this quiet cat that my mother walked over to the window to see what was prompting them. Her gaze fell on a gray cat in the woods that looked familiar. She went outside to check the poster for the missing cat, and, sure enough, the cat she spotted matched the description. She called the number on the poster and told a very relieved woman that she had found the cat.

Turns out the cat was being watched by the owner's friend and had slipped out the door. She had been missing for 10 days, until a cat with heretofore unknown detective skills came to her rescue.

I'd say that Pumpkin earned her keep that day.