Now I have guilt!

[eee1313]

I got home early from work (thank GOD!) to find my cat huddled in the stairwell.* She must have run out as I was leaving this morning, and I didn't see her go. She was all smashed into the corner of the staircase, like she was trying to hide herself, and her eyes were HUGE like saucers. The poor thing must have been terrified all day. That was nearly eight hours with no food, water, or place to go to the bathroom. Of course, as soon as I opened the door she raced inside to check out the state of her food bowls, followed by the litterbox. I am the WORST pet owner. I feel so badly for the poor thing. To make matters even worse, I not only will be leaving her alone for 24 hours while I go to Michigan, but she'll be alone most of the weekend once I'm back in Illinois, as I'll be out at my parents' house most of the time. My cat needs a good cuddling, and I can't even give her that. I feel awful. My poor baby.

*For the record, it's an enclosed, carpeted stairwell with radiators, so at least she was warm and dry. She would have had to go through two sets of doors to get really loose. But still!