Catnapping

So there I was, minding my own business, pootling about and up to no good most likely, when I heard a cat meowling outside my window.  Took a peep outside and ascertained that the yowling was emanating from a cat box, carried by a man making soothing noises of the cat-calming variety. I thought nothing of it until I was suddenly struck by the conviction that it was my cat inside the box and that the man was being very clever in being so obvious, catnapping in broad daylight.  Who would suspect anything?  Me, of course.

I did what any sane, mildly manic middle-aged woman would do under the circumstances and leapt into my car in pursuit of this shameless criminal. At the end of the road I almost crashed, head-on, into the car of an acquaintance who I hadn't seen for a while.  What to do?  I didn't want to be rude and drive on without greeting her.  Neither did I want to admit that I was in a hurry to catch a cat thief.  I managed to scroll down the window, mumble something about it being lovely to see her, but no time, no time! - before screeching off in the direction of cat and criminal.

Not a sign of either of them. Not even the tiniest meow to be heard. Just the small voice of reason asking me what the hell I was doing? This didn't prevent me from performing a milder version of the Spanish Inquisition on my sons when I returned home:  "When did you last see our cat?".  All was resolved when she sashayed in a little while later with a look on her whiskers which assured me that no way would this cat ever be caught napping.