I know how you feel there. I've been at my dad's place for two weeks now while my mother's been on holiday, and I went this weekend to check up on the cats to see how they were and if they had enough food, and when I called for them one them sped down the garden at full pelt right towards me, meowing her face off. I picked her up and she was so content to sit in my arms purring for at least twenty minutes. <3 And another cat jumped off a fence into my arms. :P It's like something a dog would do.
I've also had an older pet cat hit by a car. Seeing her by the side of the road... I've never had a worse feeling in my life.