BETWEEN THE LINES: DISCOVERING THE NINE LIVES OF A CAT: ALL PLAY AND NO WORK

"Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement and love without penalties." -- W.C. George

He left as quietly and suddenly as he arrived, but not before leaving his mark on the household.

For three weeks, I was blessed with the presence of a lovable, gray and white cat. And in a household that had already meshed five felines, this stray Tom was lucky to have survived.

I'm still not sure how or why he did it, but Cosmo (the name my mother and I chose for him) made me his owner.

I already own two cats and they create enough excitement and adventure. Josie, the female, has a wallpaper fetish and loves to tear strips from the wall. Caspurr, the male, is truly affectionate but leaves clumps of white cat hair all over the place. I really didn't need or want another pet.

Adding a new cat to the precocious mix shared by my two and my mother's three cats would greatly upset the household balance.

At least that's the reasoning I used when the orange, male tabby showed up a week earlier. I took the tabby to the Humane Society after calling several veterinarian offices and the police department to see if he had been reported missing. He hadn't.

Despite all my warnings about our prior visitor, Cosmo moved in. He was armed with the playfulness of a kitten and an exuded and air of confidence unknown to most strays. He played with our toys, annoyed and aggravated the other cats immensely, ate their food and slept on my bed. If you didn't know any better, you'd have guessed he'd been living here all his life.

All this time I kept my distance, waiting for him to vanish or for his rightful owners to claim him. But he didn't leave right away and no one came after him.

After two weeks passed, I was resigned to the fact that I'd been chosen as his new owner. I have owned pets, especially cats, long enough to know that they choose their owners, not the other way around. The food and frolic had just been a test to see if we'd let him stay. Apparently we passed.

So I did the proper thing and made an appointment with the vet for the following week. If he was going to be a part of this family, Cosmo would have to visit the doctor -- all the other cats did during October and November. I've probably spent a week's salary on vet visits and medicine.

On his first visit, I spent $100 on shots, medicine and flea treatment for Cosmo. And wouldn't you know, the next day he bolted! No goodbyes, no strange behavior, nothing. Tell me I wasn't suckered into his trap.

I knew he was a stray, so I tried to give him some freedom. Apparently my plan backfired.

I've searched the neighborhood. I was out roaming the streets at 11:30 p.m. last Tuesday and again the next morning. It's rather difficult calling for a cat who hardly knew his name. I've even called the animal control officer and the Humane Society but nobody's seen him.

I just hope he's OK. Maybe he found his true owners or adopted another family.

My female cat misses her new playmate and I miss his antics about the house. I'd love to have him back. It's not often that a stray fits in so well with other pets. But Cosmo did.

It's amazing to me how quickly we grow attached to pets. I'm learning to cope with my loss. (But if you've seen him, call me at the Southeast Missourian at 335-6611, ext. 126).

Now I just have to break it to the vet.

~Laura Johnston is a copy editor for the Southeast Missourian.