UPDATE as of about 11:15 AM EST Leaves was able to pick up Angelica and bring her back upstairs and close the door. So our baby is now home. We thank all in the community for your kind words, your concern, and your support.
Last night I posted I need to ask a favor - let me explain in which I told the community that one of our dear cats, Angelica, was missing. We now think she's in the basement. Let me explain.
We do not normally allow the cats in the basement and are very careful about it. On Sunday I was going back and forth doing several weeks worth of laundry. At one point our "bad boy" Cielito came running up, apparently previously having pushed open a not quite sealed door. We had thought it was just him, but he was running as he sometimes does when he picks on one of the other cats, of whom Angelica is sometimes a target.
Before I went to bed, I put some dry food and water on the steps.
Then at 3, Leaves woke me up.
She informed me that the dry food was missing, and wondered whether that meant we had mice or rats, or if it was just possible that our little "Biddle" as we sometimes call her was down stairs.
I decided that if the food was disappearing, I had better put a cat pan down there, just in case it was her. I also felt that were there mice or rats that the other four cats would be reacting - they were not.
I got up shortly after 5. The cat pan had been uses - someone had urinated into it. No feces as of yet, but unless rodents like cat pans, it is probable that our dear little girl is somewhat freaked and in the basement, but that would mean that she is safe.
We will move the food further up the stairs and monitor it.
If she is there, and somewhat freaked, we may have another problem to address. Already one of our other girls is so freaked by Cielito, who while he does not have a mean bone in his body is not really socialized to other cats - he was raised in a gas station in Southside Virginia where he was the only cat with lots of human attention. We will consider what we may have to do later.
I have not yet read the 100+ additional comments added after I went to bed, but I promised I would keep the community informed, so even though I might be inclined to write about one of my favorite Tuesday columnists, my highest priority for my daily diary this morning was this update.
Leaves and I thank this community for its caring and concern.
Peace.