Lost

And I'm not talking about the cat!

He's gone out of my life about as quickly as he came into it. He's been gone now for four full days and I can hardly do anything except look for his mischievous wee face at the window waiting to get in (I never installed a cat-flap because I knew he would bring in daily conquests so he had to sit on the window ledge waiting, patiently to get in). Perhaps that's why he left?

But I haven't given up on him: So far I've got the local shop owner to put up a small poster asking for anyone who sees him to give me a call; I've also been round the local neighbourhood handing out leaflets and asking if anyone has seen him would they also give me a call (they all know this cat because he regularly passes through their gardens on his travels, or sits under bushes waiting for unsuspecting birdies). Apart from the one cat hater I spoke to who would chase him, all my other neighbours were as concerned as me about his welfare. It took me a whole morning to go round them with all their own stories of missing cats! So not only is Leo now a celebrity but I've become the local idiot who's life seems to revolve around a pussy-cat!

After checking round my own patch lest he was lying injured under the shrubery I phoned Leo's first family (that's how I know his name is Leo and not really Toots {which is the name I gave her before I took her to the vet worried that I would end up with a litter of kittens, only to be told she was a boy!} - that's me: man of the world who can't tell the difference, ha!). Apparently Leo had turned up at their house three months ago, been fed, and disappeared again - back to my house! Obviously he has done this before - wandering off to ingratiate himself with another soft-touch family who will pet him stupid. So perhaps I shouldn't be surprised he's gone again.
I got two telephone calls yesterday: the first from a lady down the street saying she saw him wander through her garden. Out I went hoping that it was him, but no, it was an all black, long-hair and not my bold boy. The second call was from his previous family saying they were sure they saw him last night, but, again, when I got there no sign.

This is my wee pal giving me the eye as I try to photograph him for 'Cat' magazine or 'Cosmopolitan' or 'Time'.

Today I called the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA, of which I am a supporter) to register his disappearance in the hope that if he is reported as injured, handed in, or even killed, they will get to know about it and reading his "chip" will contact me. Nothing recorded yet.

What more can I do except walk the streets looking?

I've been giving this a lot of thought (obviously!) and it seems to me whatever his reasons for leaving I can only hope that it is by his own choice. I always recognised his free spirit (that's largely what I liked about him) and perhaps knew one day he would leave. He came into my life during a very low and dark period (J was ill and I had no-one to share my deepest thoughts) and quickly he became my pal (feeding him chewies might have had something to do with it, you think?). But it seems to me that in life we hate change and try to hang on to the status quo when, in fact, life constantly changes around us (nothing is permanent) and we either resist this change in circumstances and struggle, or we embrace the change and move forward. I don't want to move forward without Leo - but I may have to.

Latest update: Tonight, just as I was sitting down to dinner, I got a call from the daughter of one of my neighbours who lives close by in another area telling me of a dead cat lying in the street close to her house. I immediately set of to see for myself (I need to know either way). It was gone. I knocked the nearest door and spoke to the guy who firstly phoned the SSPCA, and then phoned the Council. He confirmed it was black&white and they must have removed it. J was in tears when I returned, but I am more positive: I will phone the Council in the morning and we will try to determine if it was Leo or not. My mixed-feeling hope is that it was another B&W who roamed that area - a cat with an endearing startled look on his face, but definitely not Leo.

We shall know tomorrow (I hope).

I'm sorry there is no arwork to talk about but I can't.