Kitty Hobo Signs???

My darling husband is away at a training class. The house is quiet. I came home tonight after another exhausting day at work to just relax and veg. I have the sniffles and a headache. I went to my Mom's on the way home to feed her ferrets, grabbed something quick to eat, took care of the dog, and sat down to surf the Net a little bit after opening up the sliders and windows to let some crisp fall air in to the house.

Mind you, it's getting dark earlier now, but I'm used to summer daylight, so I didn't turn on the lights in the rec room. The house is quiet, empty, and dark. I'm sitting upstairs when I hear this awful noise coming from the rec room.

It sounds like someone is trying to break in.

To the dark room with the windows and slider door open.

I very cautiously go down the stairs. With my oh-so-brave-dog cowering behind me. One of my cats is 3 feet away from the screen of the open slider door. Screeching. Hissing. Growling. I'm terrified. There is still a noise coming from the outside - something is trying to get in to the house through the screen.

The dog is smart enough to have stayed in the hallway, looking on with curiosity at whatever might happen to Mommy. The husband is in a hotel room in another state. I have to be brave and scare off whatever intruder is making it's way in. I go up to the slider...

And stare at a thin orange tabby trying to claw his way through the screen in to our house. NOT one of my two orange tabbies (note that I said it was a *thin* cat).

WTF??? Are there kitty hobo signs on my house? All I can think of is depression era cartoon cats carving fish symbols on our siding. "Good food and fat cats here".