My mother called me last night, after she and my sister saw Odessa in the basement. She ran away immediately, but they were positive it was her. I took the train out there and slept in the basement tonight, but I had no nocturnal visitors this time. Twice I dreamed that she returned to me. The third dream I remember was that I was looking at porn on my computer. Some clips I have seen before, some new ones. Woke up with an orgasm - the second time in my life I've had one without the assistance of battery-operated devices. ^_^
Then I slept some more, and when I went out to call for the cat in the late morning, she answered me after a few minutes.
So, after four weeks apart, we are finally reunited.
She has lost a lot of weight, and she has a wound on her left front leg, but it seems to have healed OK on its own - no sign of an infection, she's not hurting, but I'm taking her to the vet on Monday to make sure she's fine. (They're closed tomorrow, otherwise I would have taken her then.)
Will go to a pharmacy tomorrow and get some de-wormer. After eating wild things for four weeks, I am pretty sure she has worms again, and getting rid of them will help her get back to her normal weight. Also need to remember to ask the vet for a new prescription for Frontline.
More happy news: I now have a laser printer.