I went out to visit friends this evening. At 10PM, my mom called and left a voicemail. My cat had gotten outside. My fault: I'd left the external garage door open when I left (I meant to close it but forgot). Mom (having no way to know it was open and no reason to think it would be), opened the interior door so Lyric could have Garage Time. Lyric zwooped outside before my mom could close the door.

Lyric came meowing to the front door a few minutes later, but wouldn't come in when my father opened the door.

My new city doesn't allow outdoor cats, but Lyric was an indoor/outdoor cat for years in my previous one. She wrenched her leg once, but has never gotten in any serious trouble. She'd come when I called after she'd had her fill of outside (usually an hour or two).

So I wasn't too worried. But still concerned--she's never been outside around here--so I came home right away.

My first hope was that she'd come to meet me as soon as I parked: she always did that at our old place. No luck here, tho.

I got out and called her name. No response. Put my stuff inside, then came back out and circled to the back yard, calling her name.

As I walked through our small yard towards the neighbors on the southwest, I heard a distant meow. It sounded like Lyric's "where are you? I'm here" meow, and also there are no outdoor cats so it was highly unlikely to be another cat.