Any fans of Disney’s The Lion King out there? Well, our cat, Simba, did a thing. (I named him Simba because, as a kitten, he was the first of four siblings to crawl out of the confines of the bathroom. He was so brave, like Simba in the movie.)
Back in May 2018, Simba decided he was going to reenact the movie. He took off. Didn’t leave us a note. No goodbyes. He was gone, just like Simba in the movie after Mufasa, his father, died. Uncle Scar blamed the young cub, urging him to “Run away, Simba. Run. Run away, and never return.”
Our Simba’s mom, Mittens, died in the fall of 2017. Are you seeing the similarities to the movie yet? Just wait, it gets better!
A week went by, then months, then a year...no trace of Simba, who we let outside on nice days because he loves the fresh air and enjoys hunting. Surely he wasn’t coming home. We figured an animal - likely a coyote, since we often hear them howling in the night - got him.
We have two dogs, one of which we acquired after Simba ran away. About two weeks ago, they were barking at something outside of the patio door. I looked out and there was a Siamese cat who looked an awful lot like our Simba!
I ran out the back door (without shoes on...in the winter...in the snow) and the cat took off towards the front of the house. I ran back inside, threw on some boots and a coat and exited the front door.
The familiar-looking feline was by the shed. I slowly and cautiously approached him. He let me pet him but one quick hand movement caused him to bite me. Ouch!
The cat then took off to the neighbors’. After Joanie got home from school - about an hour later - we went out looking for him, calling his name and “Here kitty, kitty, kitty!” No luck. We asked the neighbor girl, Sami, to keep an eye out for him.
A few days later, we heard a knock at the door. I answered it and I’m almost certain my jaw dropped. There was Sami holding Simba! I ran out to the shed to get a pet carrier and we coaxed (OK, maybe shoved) him inside.
But was it really Simba? We pulled up some old photos to compare. Our Simba has mittens on all four paws, and this cat had mittens on all four paws. Our Simba’s left front paw features a small darker spot, and this cat had the same spot. It was Simba, who had been missing for 1 year and 9 months! He had returned to his kingdom, just like the lion in the movie.
Simba was not malnourished, but he was extremely dirty (yes, I gave him a bath). He has a few bumps and bruises and it looks like he’s missing some teeth.
Watching him that first night, you could tell he was remembering...us, his home, his “brother,” Diego the mini schnauzer. (Diego remembered him too!) He has adjusted so well, it’s almost like he never left.
We are so grateful to have Simba back. We love him and his quirky personality! He will not be going outside again, unless he’s kenneled. (Lesson learned!)
Now here’s the funny part...In the movie, Timon and Pumbaa are the friends Simba meets shortly after he runs away. Our Simba got to come home to his very own Timon and Pumbaa - our dogs Buddy and Diego, respectively.
