A cat story with a happy ending.  Our neighbour's cat disapeared for three days and as the temperature was down to 16F (-7C) they had pretty much given up all hope.  We had checked our sheds and outhouses but no sign of Skittles.  We had been hearing the occasional mews in our house but having looked in all the places that we thought a cat could get, decided that either we'd been hearing things or it was just wishful thinking, or perhaps owls.  Then, last night, a little striped head poked out from the cupboard under the stairs and went 'mew' at my mother-in-law!  Skittles had got frightened and had been hiding in our house for three days!  He then rushed into the lumber room and had to be retreived by our son (wearing gauntlets!) from underneath the spare bed which was so packed with stuff that we didn't think there was room for a mouse, let alone a cat!  Robert had to do an impression of Charles Bronson in 'The Great Escape' tunelling after Skittles.  After a terrific struggle with a squirming furry panic, Skittles has been returned to the bosom of his family.

Fortunately our son is an archaeologist and used to digging through stuff to rescue precious things lol.