Jack gives us a fright

Jack went missing overnight and had still not appeared by the morning. This is very unusual behaviour for him, because he likes his home comforts. I confess that I started to think the worst - after all he is an elderly cat (15 years old) and I pictured him lying under a hedge, injured or worse. This morning David and I got up at six and spent ages searching for him in the garden and the neighbouring gardens, calling his name, but there was no response. James was texting worriedly from Warwick. Unusually I wasn't going straight to school because I was going to assess a primary pupil at their school, so I was still at home at 9.15 a.m. when the cat flap opened and Jack came strolling in! I was delighted! He rushed to his bowl and I immediately threw out the old chunks and filled it with fresh new chunks - my version of killing the fatted calf! He was very hungry and ate the whole bowlful at once so I reckon that he has been accidentally shut into a garden hut or a cellar overnight. He was probably freed when someone opened their shed this morning to get some gardening tools; his reappearance coincided with the sounds of lawn mowers starting up in various neighbouring gardens. His fur was dusty and he smelt of grass clippings, but he was quite blasé about the experience, although very affectionate. I was just so glad that my furry boy is safe.