...shocked, but thrilled beyond measure!

Of course, also saddened that there was another cat at the same time.

As for cats in the house, do you think that Kitty has been in the house the whole time, or that she did get out, but got back in finally?

I had a cat once, a new cat to us, who went missing for over a week. We were finally sure that he (Ghost - guess how he got his name?) had gotten outside.

Finally, days and days after looking, calling, bribing etc. I heard a sound. There was a small bedroom next to ours. I'd turned it into a storage room, but that's where the sound was coming from. So we opened it from the side...as I'd removed a wall and replaced it with a folding thingy for better access...and we could hear him faintly. Without food and water he must have been in bad shape, we realized.

Dh went in, and had to slither on his belly between things to get to him and pull him out. That was the day that he learned that he'd become claustrophobic - not a fun day for him, pinned above, below, and on both sides.

Anyway, we got him, and he lived. But, he hadn't called until then.

Cats and their antics - sometimes argh!