Anastasia’s Great Escape

The humor of owning a cat is perfectly encapsulated when they vanish for hours, leaving you to worry and search, only to have them reappear out of nowhere with a look that says, “what I was here the whole time.”

In the early months of the 2020 pandemic lockdown, Anastasia entered our lives. She’s a stunning Siamese snowshoe cat who’s been an indoor-only kitty for the four years since she joined our family. On August 1st, we’ll be celebrating her fourth year with us.

I adopted Anastasia from a shelter when she was just an eight-week-old kitten. She had been left with a litter of seven other kittens. The moment I saw her, surrounded by her wild and playful siblings while she sat quietly in the corner, my heart went out to her. Within 24 hours, she was home with me. The shelter had named her Anastasia, which suited her perfectly.

Anastasia adapted well to her new home, even though she had some initial adjustments to make when we got Camille, our little Morkie. Anastasia rules our home, exploring every room and gazing out windows. I’ve never felt guilty about her being an indoor cat; she seems perfectly content.

However, just a few days ago, something unusual happened. I suddenly realized I hadn’t seen Anastasia for a couple of hours. I asked my husband if he had seen her, and he casually replied, “Oh, she’s around here somewhere.” But my concern grew when she didn’t appear after we called her name and brought out her favorite food—steps that usually get her attention instantly.

We searched the entire house, including the basement. My husband recalled he had been outside on the deck for a while and wondered if she might have sneaked out. Although it seemed unlikely, I decided to check outside just in case.

After about 20 minutes of calling her name and searching the area, I opened the door to our deck and there she was, standing calmly with a little twig hanging off her whiskers.

We have no idea where she was during those mysterious two hours. Of those, only 20 minutes were spent frantically searching, but it was clear Anastasia had been on a little adventure. Although she can’t tell us the tale of her escapade, we’re just thankful she returned safely. It’s one of those intriguing mysteries that enrich the life of a cat owner, leaving us to wonder what stories she could tell if only she could speak.