worry for wiggy

So now, at Midnight on a Sunday night, we're up waiting for the police. The kids founds puddles of blood on the backyard patio. With smaller splatters going up to the back door.

It's most likely that this is animal blood -- the neighborhood raccoons and stray cats get along like, well, like the Sharks and the Jets.

OK. That was in bad taste.

Anyway, the fact that the blood goes up to the back door was kind of creepy, so Blair felt we should call the police, who said they'd send a car. But with no active crime going on, this isn't a high priority.

My fear? I had a cat, Wiglaf, who disappeared a little over a year ago. And when I say "I" had a cat, I don't mean that we, the family, had a cat. Wiggy was my cat.

A few days ago the kids saw a cat in the neighbor's yard who kind of looks a little like Wiggy. They managed to get a picture on a phone. I said it's not him. Most notably, he's not long-haired like Wiggy. Of course, as the kids point out, a year on the streets could leave his fur matted.

Yesterday they saw the cat again. This time he was hanging by the front door. But he got spooked and ran off before they could get close enough to him. This time there was no picture, but they say it was the same cat. And I'm thinking about how Wiglaf would, if he were to return, go to one of our doors.

Now, tonight, this. Blood -- most likely animal -- in the backyard, with spots going up to the back door. What animal, other than Wiglaf, would go to our back door? We know this blood is fresh, since it was raining today.

I hope Wiggy didn't die tonight.