Baran-Unland: Frances came to the right back door

On a sunny afternoon in late October 2005, I was at my desk in my attic office at our Channahon home, interviewing somneone by phone for a story, when my youngest daughter Rebekah burst in and said, “Daniel is feeding a cat.”

I spun around, shaking my head and mouthing, “No, no, no!”

But it was too late.

A tabby kitten wearing a red collar with a golden jingle bell had wandered to our back door, so Daniel, 10, gave it tuna and water.

When night fell – and the temperatures dropped – she was still in our yard. So my husband, Ron and another son, Timothy, coaxed her inside with tuna. Over the next week, we asked around town, hoping to locate the cat’s owner.

Many people had seen the kitten over the past three weeks, mostly near the towpath of the I&M Canal, two blocks from our house. The kitten was well-groomed, healthy and loved food. Perhaps she separated from out-of-town campers or a family that moved, they reasoned.

When no one claimed her, Timothy named her Frances, which means “free one.” A week later, we took her to the vet for vaccinations and spay.

Frances loved roaming as much as she loved food. One time, she even chewed through window screen to get out. But she always came back.

Once, she was gone two weeks and we thought that was goodbye – until a family knocked on our door one night with Frances in their arms.

“We heard she was yours,” they said.

They told us she loved hot, buttered toast.

Two years later we adopted an abandoned cat, Midnight, who gave birth to kittens that Ron named Faith, Hope and Charity, insisting we keep them.

Frances continued to roam. We worried a car might hit her – or another of our cats if it followed her. We finally installed an electric one – which Frances happily crossed in and out of the yard.

After a series of setbacks and serious illnesses, we lost our home in the fall of 2013. Prior to that, we’d tried rehoming the cats with no luck. We moved to an apartment with two of the cats. The others temporarily went to another son’s apartment in Morris.

Hope escaped from the apartment and wound up with an amazing microchip story and a home with a wonderful family.

[ Morris man reunites cat with Joliet owner ]

Frances simply escaped.

I wrote a blog asking if anyone had seen her. Someone messaged me: “I think my cousin has your cat.”

The cousin owns Rock Soul Love in Morris. Frances had simply strolled in one day and charmed the customers. Rock Soul Love became Frances’ temporary home. Once again, Frances chose the right door.

“Franny” was so popular, Rock Soul Love started a separate Facebook page for her photos. Several years later, Frances was able to rejoin our family and she never roamed again.

Two years ago, Frances developed arthritis and needed a joint supplement. But she remained a healthy cat, even at age 18.

Last month, she crossed the line, barely, into kidney failure. Despite best efforts, she stopped eating and drinking last week. We scheduled an in-home euthanasia.

When the vet arrived, Frances put on her best company manners and received another care plan instead, which worked well for several days.

But on Friday, she developed jaundice. The vet joined us outside where we set her free for the last time.

So for the family who lost the 9-month-old tabby with the jingle bell red collar and wondered what happened to her, we want you to know she came to the right back door.

She was welcomed with many open loving arms. And she had a long, wonderful life.