Calico in New Beginnings

As I mentioned before, my dad bequeathed to me three cats. More accurately, I insisted upon taking them because I didn’t want to be one of those horrible persons who just leaves pets behind blithely assuming that they’ll revert to the natural instincts (they won’t) or find another home. I was able to get two of the cats into pet carriers three weeks ago, but I couldn’t do so with the last one, Calico. My uncle agreed to feed Calico for a couple of weeks until he could get her into a cat trap. Last Saturday morning, he succeeded in trapping her, and I drove three hours to pick her up, then three hours back home that same day.

I thought she would have an easier time adjusting, seeing as how the two cats I brought up a couple of weeks prior had already adjusted. Those two wandered off exploring for a couple of days, but now they basically spend most of their time around the house. When I let Calico out of the cage, the other two approached to greet her with their tales in that question mark-antenna position they use to convey friendliness. Calico wasn’t too interested in a reunion. She walked around the yard, jumped the fence, and has been missing ever since.

I’m worried she might have wandered off and got run over by a car. I hope maybe she found another house that feeds her better, but that scenario seems unlikely. If she got hit, I’ll feel like I killed her. What else was I supposed to do, though? My aunt and uncle wouldn’t have kept feeding her. If I had left her down there, she might have wandered off looking for another home and also got run over. I really hope I didn’t sign her death certificate by taking her in.