Princess is MIA. Jingles is Suspect.

It's been a crazy week, so just a quick note: Princess is MIA.

Sigh. Darth Jingles knows the rules about staying out after dark, yet she does it anyway. She’s a little black cat, pretty small really. She’s not a hunter, at least she doesn’t bring any “gifts” home. Okay, once, and to be honest it probably wasn’t greeted with the enthusiasm she probably felt it deserved.

In contrast, Princess is noticeably bigger and quite a bit heavier than Jingles. She is definitely a hunter, and clearly a survivor because she managed as a stray before adopting the cushy house-cat lifestyle. Oddly, she didn’t venture out much. Only about a half an hour at a time and didn’t leave the yard.

I think I’ve mentioned the cats don’t get along. They bait each other. I’m sort of wondering about this. First Jingles decides to stay out all night, again. She’s developing a bad habit. We know several times she’s been caught in the neighbor’s garage because we heard her meows when we call her. There may be another garage she frequently spends the night in, we’re not sure.

That this little featherweight can survive through the night might have sent a message to Princess that night was playtime outside. This clearly overrides our efforts to get them both in starting around dinner time. Princess didn't grow up being told she was going to be eaten by the neighborhood fox, although I've tried to get her caught up on the rumors.

So Princess didn’t come home last night. Or the night before. Everyone in the cul de sac knows we have a new Siamese, and she has a collar that is eerily similar to Darth Jingles’ with bells and tags and everything.

The Girl made rounds yesterday and no one had seen her. We tried to rouse The Boy to ride his bike around, but he was busy having his days and nights reversed and we couldn’t get him awake enough. Hubby went to the store yesterday and (morbidly) took the side streets and looked for evidence of a mishap. Nothing. I called her this morning. Nothing.

Jingles looks more smug than alarmed. That makes me suspicious.