So... how did he manage that??

That is a terrible feeling. Where can he be? Pit of your stomache is a knot. Brain racing to bad places. Leave it to Irving to chill with the puppies, no cats for him, puleazze! So glad for a happy ending. One of my cats, Tiffany the white one with blue eyes from days gone by, followed me to the trash compacter and decided to make a run for it. I was wearing my bathrobe. Period. As I chased her down the hall I heard my apartment door slam. No keys, no cat, no underwear. Yes I got the cat and eventually returned to the apartment, chilled like a fine wine. We love our pets.
Does Irving seem at all phased by this experience?

So glad he's safe at home again.

I only opened the door once this morning-- to put a trash bag in the hallway. My guess is that he followed me out but that I didn't see him. Somehow he must have walked down one flight and zipped into my neighbor's apartment when he opened the door, thinking it was our floor.

Oddly, he is rather unfazed. He is back to his normal butt licking and snoring.

Check access to air ducts. Cats who love to squeeze into small spaces (and sounds like Irving fits that MO) can wedge themselves into the oddest places and show up in the oddest spots. One of my friends lived in a duplex and his cat mysteriously appeared in the neighbor's house one evening. Air ducts and loose air vent covers..

I'm so glad that Irving was found safe and sound. My boyfriend's roomate's cat loves to zip out their door and into their neighbors, since they leave about the same time. What an awful feeling and day you had to experience. But, I'm glad that it turned out well.

ah, how scary!
our older cat, tibi, will disappear into the cupboards in the kitchen for days on end until we finally find her. now, however, we kind of know where to look when she goes missing.

So glad Irving is home safe and sound. Check your apartment for worm holes to another dimension. Cats love those.

on occasion, i cannot find cleo or mallow when i get home. i can just feel that pit-of-the-stomach ache reading this. thank god he is home safe!

one time, i couldn't find henry's cat, salmon. there are not many places to hide in my apartment...too small and too open! i searched high and low. henry finally told me that salmon is able to pry open cabinet doors with her paws and close them behind her. i checked under the kitchen sink and sure enough, she was in there. i've never been so amazed. oddly, she only does this when no one is looking. if i happen into the kitchen while she is in the process of opening the cabinet, she will trot off.

What a terrible, terrible feeling. My Sammy once disappeared. I was beside myself. I lived on the ground floor, besides the landlord's garage which was the cement wall onto my livingroom. After about 12 hours of searching the neighborhood, exhausted, I sat down and heard a slight "meow" from a distance (about 3 inches). Yes, he was in my landlord's garage...and my landlord WAS NOT HAPPY when I insisted, at 2AM, that she open her garage. I love happy endings!!

I actually felt a stabbing sensation in my stomach when I saw the "missing" poster. I'm so relieved for you--Irving is special even to your readers! I'm near-hysterical about keeping our door closed, and then sometimes I slip, or my husband does, and the cats try to make a move. Silly beasties, why don't they know that the life inside is so much better than the one Out There?

So glad that that story had a happy ending! I've "lost" Beavis in similar ways and he turns up in the oddest places.

Phew! Glad Irving made it home safe and sound! My orange baby cat, Phineas, has been pulling similar disappearing acts of late. His new hobby it bolting out the door whenever it opens. Luckily, he's a big chicken and always comes running back to the apt door, begging to get back inside. Sounds like Irving is a little more adventurous though!

I love that Irving has a secret sneaky side. I don't love that he was missing for so long, but I still have to give him props for pulling something so adventurous.

Oh, how traumatic for you and Irving! I once thought I lost my Thurston when we were visiting at my mom's house. I thought maybe he had gotten outside somehow, and would be in unfamiliar territory, and I was in an absolute panic. I searched everywhere and was sobbing hysterically, calling his name frantically and shaking the can of treats. Finally I found him, fast asleep, wedged up against the hot water heater in my mom's basement.
PS. You should read the book "Pet Detective" about a woman who taught her search and rescue dogs to recover lost pets!

my cat once escaped through a window that someone left open carelessly - and ended up just chillin' on the fire escape three stories above us! *sigh*

that's the worst feeling (cat-wise anyway), glad it turned out all right. seems odd that he not only sneaked out of your place but got downstairs and into your neighbor's apartment too. maybe it is the vents? my cat once found a way to get inside (under) a fiberglass bathtub. it was like leo in "catch me in you can."

just reading this made me feel sick. i'm so glad irving made it back home. the last two nights i've had dreams about having to rescue cats from dangerous situations and it makes me want to run home right now to check on my two kitties.

I am so glad to hear that your Irving is okay and that this is a happy ending. Although your day was stressful, you can now relax and cuddle up with the kitty. The pics you post are so cute. Cheers!

I am so glad you found Irving.
What happened when Irving met your neighbors dogs, how did that go?
How did Irving get into the neighbors apartment and what did he do when he was in there and realized it was not his home?

My heart sank when I saw that picture. Irving is the main reason I was draw to this blog. Just goes to show you that he has a few tricks up his sleeves.

good to know he's safe.

i think the bald belly is the key to the missing poster.

My cat Freddy escaped last month & did the exact same thing-- downstairs a flight to the apt. below where he was happily ensconced for 6 hours while I was outside screaming his name into Morningside Park at 1 a.m. Cats. Oy.

Whew! Glad he was okay. Who knew he could be so sneaky?