On Mon, 28 May 2012 00:13:02 -0700, "Joy" wrote:

"Takayuki" wrote in message
.. .
I went to the bottom of the steps and called him in soft tones like I
normally do. And surprisingly, he stretched and waddled down casually and
into my arms. He purred and purred as I held him close.

But when I got him inside, he abruptly hissed at the door he'd escaped
from, and puffed up his tail. I let him down, and he trotted up the door,
and looked outside suspiciously. He's winding around my ankles now as I'm
typing.

Whew! What a relief!

I credit advice from Gandalf (who's very active on Facebook) for keeping me
focused on the right places. He recommends a couple of websites, namely
http://www.missingpetpartnership.org...ry-lostcat.php and
http://catsinthebag.org/, for lost cat behavior.

Apparently, the important thing to do with a lost (displaced / indoor) cat
is to search hiding places in the immediate vicinity of the escape point
early and aggressively, before they have a chance to relocate to a more
distant hiding spot.