Cat Tails

We have two cute little kitties that have been a part of our family even before kids. They will both be 7 this fall. Cleo is my baby. Beautiful, orange kitty who recently stopped being so crabby, since we shaved her 2 months ago. She loved it! Caesar is our fun loving, grey and white, boy cat. Ronnie surprised me with him one day. I was completely surprised. He knew I LOVED cats. Which was so sweet. The way Ronnie picked Caesar from his litter at the Humane Society is funny. Ronnie saw all the other kitties sleeping and laying on each other, and then he saw Caesar jumping and running around everywhere. CRAZY That is Caesar to the "T"!!!
Well, we have this problem, even more so in the warmer seasons, that Caesar likes to run out the door to outside. He takes off and hangs out under our porch (where no one can reach him). It drives me nuts now that I usually have my hands full. There's some background, here is what happened yesterday......
So, at about dinner time, we come in from outside and as the door opens, Caesar flies out and goes under the porch. I have learned to let it go, because he usually comes scratching at the back door. Poor Hayden was devastated that "meow, meow" (Caesar's nickname) was outside. By the time dinner was done, I went to check for Caesar, and sure enough, he was at the door. But he brought a friend. Yikes! He had a bird in his mouth, Blah! I panicked! I was trying to get him to drop it, so it wouldn't come in the house. Finally when he did, the poor bird was just lying there-alive. I was thinking that it must be hurt. I am thinking, I need a man! I am not into touching rodents or bugs of any kind. Poor Hayden doesn't like them either because of me. Yes, I classify birds as a rodent where, "I don't touch them." I called Ronnie, but he was at work and I didn't want to be trapped in my house because there was a bird by the door. Then I called my closest available man, my father-in-law Dennis. Have I mentioned how great it is sometimes to have my in-laws next door? Of course, ten minutes later, after arrangements have been made, the bird was gone. Oh...okay, I guess it must have been spooked and was fine now. I hate it when Ronnie works so much, and I hate it even more when stuff like this happens and I just want to be saved. You know?! Urgh! Well my day with Caesar wasn't over.
He snuck out again, and didn't come back all night. Ronnie got home late last night, so I kept having him check for Caesar. This morning, Caesar was still out there. Thoughts came into my head that something happened. We have so many cats in the neighborhood and a street, I thought the worst. Something bad happening to my cats still makes me sick. They were my first babies and they have been there. Sounds stupid, because they are ONLY cats, but it is true. I would have NEVER gotten through living by myself for 9 months while Ronnie was deployed, if I didn't have my cats sleeping by my side every night. Once my kids were born, they got brushed to the side, quite a bit. GUILT. Even though my cats drive me insane 80% of the time, they are priceless and unconditional, especially when I see how much my boys LOVE their "C-eo" and "meow, meow"