One evening, after we’d been there a few weeks, the dark mountain shadows were moving toward the house, and in the failing light, I saw a small animal coming up the railroad. Assuming it was an opossum or raccoon, I thought no more about it until I heard scratching at the door. “What is it?”and “Is it mad with rabies?” were my thoughts. The scratching continued and then I heard a gentle “meow.” Slightly opening the door enough to see what it was, I heard the “meow” again. Now, I knew what it was. There stood Muncie asking politely to come inside.
Only God knew how he had found me. We were sixteen miles away from where I’d left him with Ma. There were a mountain and a river between us. Had he followed a star to find his way as the early sailors had done to find their way across oceans? Thankful for whatever instinct that had urged him on, he was home, and I was overjoyed. To use Fred’s words, he was “razor-soup” thin and very tired. His sweet, but somewhat goofy, face gazed up at me and loud, rumbly purrs told us how happy he was to be home again. I’d never leave him with anyone else.
—Dorie Woman of the Mountains written by Florence Cope Bush
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a used copy of Dorie Woman of the Mountains written by Florence Cope Bush. To be entered in the giveaway leave a comment on this post. Giveaway ends December 2, 2025.
Last night’s video: November in the Mountains.
Tipper
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Great story, thank you for sharing it!
What a sweet story.
A friend of mine in Virginia had a similar experience. She had one pet cat and was caring for a stray outside. She assumed she’d found the stray a good home with a friend who lived about 7 miles away from her home. But after dropping off the cat to the friends house, the cat had other ideas. Several days went by when the cat showed up again at my friends house, apparently having followed railroad tracks to find his way back. This time my friend decided she’d keep the cat forever, and so they have been together about 5 years now and she just adores him. Sometimes a cat picks you and you can’t help but open your home and heart.
I would love this book!
You reading this book is one of the first things I heard you read. I enjoyed this book very much!
Animals are amazing. When my widowed Mom fell in her yard one day her cat stayed with her every minute until she was ok. Coupla years ago we gave a dog to our son in law, 30 or 40 miles away. It escaped the first night; i wondered for a long time if she would find her way home. I’d decided i wouldn’t give her away again. However, she never showed up. Have wanted this book for ages.
What a wonderful story! I would love to read this book.
I have always loved dogs. We never had cats growing up, but as a young adult my husband found a kitten in the road with its little tail broken sitting next to its mother who had been killed. It was so tiny and shivering from the cold and rain. He put it inside his jacket and brought it home. She was the sweetest little thing and was never a really big cat. We sure did love her and had her until she passed from old age. Needless to say through the years I have had the privilege and joy of dogs and cats.
I would love to read this book.
I agree with Norman. I had a dog named Bear growing up that I told all my troubles to. I still believe he understood till this day. Either way his listening ears were a great comfort to me! 🙂
This was something I needed to read today, bless you and thank you for your blog.
We have a solid black cat named Shadow. He has extra toes on his front and back paws. He looks like he has thumbs on his front paws. He is the second polydactyl cat we have had in our home. Both cats came to our home as strays. We named the first cat Smokey. He was just a kitten when he showed up at our home. When Smokey passed away we had decided not to have any more pets. Then about 2 years later Shadow showed up at our door. He was at least six months old and looked so much like our Smokey. After two weeks, no one claimed him. So, being he looked so much like our Smokey, we just had to take him in. Well, here we are 3 and 1/2 years later with a very spoiled cat but much loved cat.
What a sweet cat! I love Dorie! I would give the book to my daughter Dorothy called Dorie when she is older. She is 3 now
So sweet ! Hope everyone had a Blessed Thanksgiving!
Oh, this story made me cry. I love my old black cat.
Would enjoy reading Dorie’s book. I wish y’all’s YouTube channel had been around when my grandma was still alive. She would have really enjoyed hearing you read the stories and comparing vocabulary. She was from the Oachita Mt area of Oklahoma.
I think I have had too much chocolate pie, I just read the post, however it was in your voice in my head. I do enjoy listening to you read. Oh my!
As always praying for Granny.
Happy Thanksgiving to the whole family. Animals know where they belong. That was a very touching story.
I loved this excerpt!!; I’ve loved cats since I was a tiny tot. My grandpa had a yard full of them and from about the age of three I remember playing with them. I have a female cat named Dixie I got from my sister in law seven years ago. She was so tiny I brought her home in my hand and when she was six months old I had her spayed so the wandering Toms would leave her alone. With the kids raising their own families now, she is our faithful fur baby. About a year ago a huge neutered male ended up in our yard that didn’t belong to any of our immediate neighbors, so we figured someone threw him out. We fed him, but pretty soon he started yowling at Dixie, and we done something that’s not in our nature. We loaded him up in the truck and took him about two miles away to a distant neighbor’s house. Two nights later he was back on our back porch, lol and he’s been here ever since!!. Because of his crooked ear we named him “Crook”. I remember my daddy talking about a dog he had as a boy, that an uncle in Mobile wanted him. About a week and a half later and thirty miles he was back home. I thought you would get a laugh out of this Tipper. I’m a “little long winded” with my comment this morning. I hope yall had a wonderful Thanksgiving and granny got to come. Prayer for your sweet little mama!!
lol cathy i had kinda the same thing happen…i and my husband had a dog had puppies,,,we gave them all away…even the mama as someone wanted her and a puppy…ok a neighbor about 5 miles away got 1 of the puppies,, he took it home 2 days later it was back…i took it back,,,about 2 weeks later it showed back up…so i drove round and round thinking i was messing its mind up…ha…i took it back…this time it was gone about 3 weeks…it came back with scratches…i kept it the 3rd time lol…if it went that much trouble to find its way back it was ment to live there…
That’s what I thought about Crook, Teresa; Being that he came back, he just wanted us to be his family
Aren’t animals something else! such true blue friends we have in them.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with lots of family! I’m still waiting on my name to be chosen for a free book.
however, I am noticing that whenever I try to post a comment I get a message that states that I’ve already posted. how?
Franne, Sometimes there’s glitches 🙂 Sorry about that!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with lots of family! I’m still waiting on my name to be chosen for a free book!
Stay warm everyone!
Does anybody else remember a novelty song called “The Cat Cameback”? It popped into mind as soon as I started reading. Now, I’m going to search for it and hear it again. I would provide a link except that I don’t know how to do that.
What a sweet story! I think I may have read this book years ago….but would love to read it again. I hope Granny was able to be with you all for Thanksgiving. She’s an amazing lady…..and even though we’ve never met in person…..we all feel like she’s “our Granny”, too! ❤
Gene, is this the song?
https://youtu.be/MKBisvrw-I8?si=RAyPFB1we4_Ox1F0
Im contemplating finding my Sassy a new home, since she gets under my feet, and I’m scared she’s going to cause me to fall. She wants to be with me every minute, day and night. She’s a beautiful part Siamese, Hemingway cat that I got at a local shelter, and, apparently, she had a hard life before me. When familiar friends or family come to visit, she greets them at the door for tummy rubs. I think I’ll just take the chance of falling rather than give her up. She would probably find her way back home to me, anyway!
When we went to somebody’s house we had to walk because we had no car. Our old dog Pooch was never around when we started out but was always there when we got there. We finally figured out that he overheard us inside talking about where we were going and wanted to get a head start. Pooch was a smart dog, likely smarter than some people I know.
Ed, I had a collie named Pooch when I was a young boy. I know you like to look things up, Google the dog Chaser, Spartanburg, SC. It is said this dog knew over 1,000 words and toys and has been called the smartest dog in the world. A stature of this dog was put up in the city in 2021 when the dog died.
I am writing this to be humorous. If you don’t believe a dog is a man’s best friend, lock your dog and your wife up in the trunk of your car for about 30 minutes and see which one tries to kiss you when you open the truck to let them out. I heard another man say a man’s dog, unlike his wife, does not care if he comes in the house with mud on his boots and lays down on the couch wearing his dirty work clothes, his dog is just glad he is home.
LOL
We once had a dog that disappeared & we never knew what happened to him. Then 2 years later he showed up on our back porch. He must have traveled a long time because he was very, very tired & slept for almost 2 days straight. His name was Tramp which proved to be a fitting name for him.
I just checked out this book from my library and can’t wait to read it! Miss Tipper do u happen to have a list of all the books you’ve read aloud on your videos? I sure do appreciate you and I’m thankful to be a part of this family of acorns!
Robin, here’s a post that might help: https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/must-reads-for-lovers-of-appalachia/ Thank you!
Animals are smart critters…much smarter than we usually give them credit for. I had a tomcat named Gizmo and he disappeared for 6 weeks one time. We thought the worst after he didn’t come home the first week, I had walked allover the neighborhood with a can of tuna calling him trying to entice him to come out but to no avail. The worst part is that during the time he was missing I had moved to a new house. Thankfully it was my parents home I had moved from and one evening 6 weeks later mom called and said “We heard scratching at the door and there was Gizmo meowing wanting to be fed”. I said GET HIM INSIDE IMMEDIATELY I’m on the way!! I miss him very much, he passed last valentines day.
Dogs are definitely man’s best friend. I think cats are beautiful, but I have never had one that stayed inside due to my allergies.
Our pets can be so faithful to us – cats as well as dogs – they give such unconditional love and trust. We could learn from them! I had a cat that loved onions and salads, and later on another cat that loved for me to fix her a tub of warm water so she could have a ‘bubble’ bath. I love the purr of a cat – so calming.
Amazing!
I’ve heard many stories of animals getting back home after being misplaced. We had hunting dogs that we would haul to another state that would chase a bear, deer or hog to another state and a week or two later would show up at home. A friend in AZ left his dog with us while he was on vacation. The dog was fine in our back yard with a six foot fence as long as we were home. We went to church and came home to an empty yard. After a search of the neighborhood we went the 15 miles to the friend’s house and there sat the dog. It had crossed several busy streets, an interstate highway and 4-5 canals.
Love this story, cats and dogs both can do this, it’s amazing how they can do it.
I hope Granny was able to be part of the festivities yesterday—bless her heart it is only a God thing that can make us love someone so very much when we have never even met them….I wish I could find my way to Granny’s door just like Muncie did but I never have been one who was accused of being smart as a ____ (fill in the blank lol) but ‘dumb as a post’ etc etc is more my description ha ha
I had the same thing happen with my dog Shalico. My mom said I had too many dogs and I had to give one away. Some people across the river on Camp Towles road took him and less than a week later he came dragging in, soaked and weary. I kept him.
Animals are amazing and can be more faithful than humans!
Such a sweet post. The love of an animal and for an animal has no limits. We had to say goodbye to our sweet pup Scooter on the 8th of this month and the loss is still felt with the sight or mention of any other pet. ❤️
I saw the love of a dog yesterday for its master. My grandson (Brandon) has a half Walker hound and half Labrador dog that he has raised from a puppy. He named him Rebel. My son can’t keep him where he now lives, so I keep Rebel. When my grandson comes by, Rebel is beside of himself with joy and happiness to see him and will bark until Brandon and his truck are out of site when he leaves. It is almost like he is crying. I feed, play and take care of him but he is a different dog when Brandon is with him. Rebel loved my wife and grieved for several weeks when she died. I don’t think we truly understand how smart and the love of our animals. Not your usual animal, but I think of the love my Granddaddy and his mule Kate had for one another. Kate had been beaten very badly until Granddaddy bought her and won her love and trust. I think both of them would have died for each other, Granddaddy cried like a baby when Kate died.
A wonderful book! I won it last year and read it while I was without power from Helene.
Loved the story! I love cats and dogs! when I was a kid, my dad rescued a baby racoon who had lost it’s mother to some neighborhood dogs. We named her Rufus even though she was a girl. She stayed in a tree stand my dad made. She would come inside sometimes by pulling open the screen door. She was smart and clean. We lived in a rural area but there were lots of free roaming dogs so we eventually took her to the woods where my grandpa lived. she grew to be huge! She gradually went to the wild but at least once she brought her babies by for grandpa and grandma to see (and probably get a free meal no doubt). Animals are amazing!
I have often wondered what “guides” animals when hearing stories such as the cat finding it’s way home. The instincts of animals are incredible and never fail to amaze me. I have hunted the same lands for years and have noticed animals will almost always follow a traditional, but invisible pathway. Or, it least I cannot see it. I also noticed from the same stands through the years that deer would do the same thing even after loggers had cut the timber and destroyed any sign of an “animal trail” time and time again. I do think this phenomenon has something to do with the the earth’s magnetism/magnetic fields, etc. Whatever it is, I believe it is by design and with purpose and the furthest thing from an accidental and/or coincidental occurrence. Pastor Pyle explains this in the scene from “Sgt. York” where the he asks Alvin how bees find their way back to the hive, birds know to fly north/south, etc., meaning there is a Higher Power in the Lord.
For those who might have missed it; https://youtu.be/isLTJYsjuWw?t=1239
What a wonderful story! Animals can truly amaze me sometimes.
An amazing journey to reach his home! Love this story!
TY so much Tipper for all you do to promote all things Appalachia. Appalachia is a region built by GOD and given to a people who have, over generations, brought the land to life in themselves. The mountains are my Holy refuge. Here I am sheltered and comforted in HIS Merciful hands. Here I was born again when I found the Messiah, HIS Son, and here my body will die and I will step into Paradise at His side.
I keep every Acorn in my prayers. I pray also for the folks over on youtube and up Wilson Hollow. I feel we are family, connected thru a love for Appalachia and GOD. I love Y’all
Where there is a will, there is a way. Glad he found his way. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. God bless
Enjoyed the story, I have heard stories like this before. Cats are very smart and have instincts. My husband and I enjoy watching you and Matt. We met you and Katie at the book signing a few years ago in Hendersonville NC. I love to cook and garden and make lots of preserves. Thanks for sharing your lives with us.
This is a wonderful story of the faithfulness of our furry friends.
May everyone find a way home this holiday season.
Good heart warming story! Heard of dogs finding their masters but not cats.
I love Dorie’s stories! Would love to own this book. Thank you for this wonderful blog!
The words “sixth sense” comes to mind. But it probably isn’t a single thing but multiple ones. No matter how much we try to delve to the bottom of it creation, and especially life, remains mysterious. Wonder if she named it Muncie because it had an “M” in its forehead. Knew of a cat like that given the name “Murphy”.
What an amazing animal!
Everyone has heard of faithful dog stories but a lovely change to read stories about a faithful kitty.
Thanks fothe story this Thanksgiving season. Cathie in Utah
I would love to read more of Dorie’s stories.
Amazing!
I am more of a dog person, but how great are our animal companions! Thankful for all the joy they bring us.
That excerpt is so sweet. We always had a barn cat while growing up. Mama would never allow one in the house to stay. We could bring a kitten in to hold and play with occasionally but they always had to live outdoors. We never had any mice, and one time our cat even killed a snake out in the barn. It was bitten, but the snake wasn’t poisonous—so it survived. I remember one time our cat got what dad called a warble in its neck. We held it down and dad poured turpentine in the hole. It made the warble pop out enough for dad to grab with something. That cat took off like nothing you ever saw and jumped right in the creek behind our house. We all know how cats hate water! I guess that turpentine was burning bad. The cat survived that too. My children are both allergic, so the only cat we have to keep field mice away is our neighbors big black cat that roams around the neighborhood at night.
Brenda, if that turpentine had been applied to the other end, the cat would have outran a Cadillac!
Hope you and family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have never read Dorie Woman of the Mountains but would love to have you here book. My favorite book Is The Tall Woman by Wilma Dykeman. I’ve read it multiple times and may read it again soon. Wishing you and family a blessed day. Prayers for Granny.
I’ve heard of things like that. I’d say that’s one special cat!
My brother had a coon hound named Pearl. She always wanted to hunt all night long. If my brother got tired and was ready to go before Pearl, he would lay down his coat where they got out and when he’d come back the next morning Ol Pearl would be asleep on his coat. Animals are so smart! I reckon more than we give them credit for.
I am so thankful for you and your family Tipper. These thankful stories are wonderful. God bless & keep you and yours.
Dogs and cats have some amazing instincts that we still haven’t fully understood. Their bond with humans is nothing short of remarkable.
That’s a sweet story!
Good morning Tipper and Tipper fans!! Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and a great time with family!! Here comes another chance for an Appalachian memoir!! I’m excited I have at least a chance to get it! If not, I may have to buy it. I hope everyone has a fantastic day today and God showers us all with His blessings, especially sweet Granny!
thank you for the story ,I love animals, they are better friends than people, sometimes! God bless you have a great day