Narrowly Averted Heartbreak

I let the cats out before we went grocery shopping.  Only one came back in...the kitten went missing.  I was driven to distraction with guilt that it was possible he was gone, he was a baby, and I just let him outside into the wilds of the world, woe to me I broke my own daughter's heart indirectly causing her very first beloved pet loose.  He's a cat though, and has a bigger cat as a great example.  I kept thinking, "weird that he'd go much farther than the small patch woodsy area where he and Porter normally play."  When I prayed it out, I somehow felt that Darth Siddius Kittius was safe and close, but we had to find him.  Of course all sorts of scenarios were played out by both The Man and I, his of course were darker and more sinister, filled with mean people doing mean things.  I was mostly worried that he'd been strangled by his almost-too-small collar and we'd never know. The worst part of the ordeal, the not knowing.  When some loved one, even a pet, goes missing the worst is not really knowing whether it's appropriate to start the grieving process. I did cry some, and yet still something told me that he wasn't far.

So, yesterday we were hangin' outside, Miss Monkey attempting practicing her two wheel skills a bit more.  We overheard neighbors talking about a kitten up a tree.  Immediately, "what kitten? where?"  Turns out Darth  Kittius was up a tree---almost 30 feet up a tree.  A tree that both The Man and I walked under several times in our attempt to locate him. 

Though the fire department said, "we don't do that anymore" when I called (which I totally understand, I grew up where cats/kittens come down on their own), a small contingent crew showed up anyway.  

And I'm really really glad they did, imagine having to explain to her much much later in life why the Firemen wouldn't help, and what really happened with her kitten who mightn't have had sense enough (at 7 months) to come down...that'd be some dark story to work out in therapy.

A hero is someone who helps us to avoid disaster and heartbreak.

Huzzah!  West Metro Fire Rescue! Huzzah!

e.t.a: according to neighbor-lady, Darth Kittius was playfully pouncing on doggie snouts as they sniffed those 'special' spots....guess he pounced the wrong pup, no wonder he skittered that far up a tree!