I'm sure a lot of members might remember me; I joined after losing my beloved dog Bono to heart failure in October 06. You might also remember me as I posted when my beautiful cat Darcey went missing in September 08. I'm just updating on myself and would love to hear how everyone is.

Sadly, Darcey never came home, and we have now given up the search for her, after 4 months of walking the streets, calling her name, putting posters up on most lampposts, leaving details at every vet and rescue centre within miles. But she is gone and we have been forced to accept it. I still call her name occasionally when I'm walking my dogs and I still feel a little hope when I hear a miaw in the distance which sounds so much like hers did. But I couldn't keep on with the hard searching forever; I have a baby son, and other pets at home to think of, and so it is with great sadness that I say that I have finally accepted that I'll probably never see her again and that she is most likely dead, although I still pay her pet insurance in the hope that maybe we'll find her. But it's only a matter of time before I cancel it. She was microchipped though, and that always gives me hope.

Sasha (my 6-year-old cat), Nieko (my Cavalier) and Coveu (my Jack Russell) are all very well. You might remember my getting a new kitten Sebastian too a few months back; I posted photos of him playing with my son. He's a massive big tomcat now, the king of all cats in the neighbourhood and the biggest cat I've seen and still only 7-months-old. We also welcomed a new Cavalier puppy Nancy into our ever growing household of pets; she's 4-months-old and gorgeous.

So I now have 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 birds and 3 fish. And 2 gone but always remembered and loved and part of me.

I've posted a photo of Nancy and Sebastian (Sebastian is a little woozy in the photo as he had only just been neutered earlier in the day - he's only 5-months-old in the photo and already huge) I look at Nancy and Sebastian playing together and it reminds me of how my dog Nieko and Darcey used to play together. I had them as puppy and kitten at the same time too. Poor Darcey.

Anyway, how is everyone and everyones' furbabies???

Wow...they are beautiful! Of course, we remember you and welcome back. You gotta know after seeing my avatar, Little Guy, that I love black kitties and Sebastian just makes my heart skip a beat and Nancy looks so tiny next to him..what a precious girl.

I am sorry you did not find Darcy but like you said, she is microchipped and I had posted a story about a microchipped cat being found after 13 years ...so you just never know. And Bono, I remember how devastating that was.

I am glad to hear about and see your new family. New memories and old memories can fit together in a family like a glove.

My new boy, Lucky, who I adopted from a shelter is considered about 3 years old so he had taught himself most things. He looks a lot like my Little Guy and what these babies all have in common is that special love you feel from them....it is like no other. I have had him just over a year now. I still miss my boy very much but it is very nice to be able to hug another...I don't like empty air.

I wish you and your family much happiness.

Judy

Was glad to see your name again. As I said in a post a while back. Don't ever give up hope. You just never know.

You have 2 beautiful furbabies there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats----Sebastian and Nancy!


Hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gillian,

I do very much remember your anguish over Bono, and all you went through during your long search for Darcy.

Sebastian and Nancy are just adorable. Thanks so much for the pic.

You will always miss your little lost ones. But I'm so happy to see you family is increasing in numbers, and love as well.

Congratulations,
Dayna

Of course I remember you Gillian.

Though I am saddened to learn that Darcey never returned home, I am elated you have brought a new furry love into your heart and home. Sebastian sure has grown alot!!! HE'S HUGE!!! Nancy is darling and I love the picture of them on what I am assuming is YOUR lap.

Wishing all of you many years of happiness together,
Beth

Hey, yeah that's my lap. Nancy is a mammy's girl and is a little afraid of my fiancé and pees when he goes near her. lol. But she's only a baby and will grow out of that, whereas Sebastian loves everyone and everything. All of the other cats in the neighbourhood are afraid of him because he is so huge, but he's just a big goof and a kitten still; Sasha won't associate herself with him, just as she never associated herself with Darcey. She's such a loner.

Brilliant to hear everyone is doing so well.

It's great to hear from you Gillian, great as well that you haven't forgotten us here either Welcome Nancy and Sebastian!
I am sorry for your missing Darcy, I agree that at this point you can only send her your love from your heart, wherever she is she is taking it all in this said, I'd like to remind you of Toughy (who was named as such before all her adventures really began) she was a street kitten adopted by a beautiful soul in Belgium, moved all around the world with that lovely woman who eventually met the one who would become her lover and moved in my neck of the woods to settle down.
The fellow's german sheperd was not friendly and one day Toughy decided she just had to sneak outside and then.... she didn't come back for eight months. With all the wilderness around here and the unkind weather, none of us held any more hope. One night as that lady slept she thought she heard a distinctive meow, she teared down the stairs and lo and behold: the cat had come back!!!! After that story , my neighbour who has many cats telephoned me about a missing calico, so of course I encouraged her with this story. Well, about that same time span went on and the cat came back there too!!! All this to say, there is always a glimmer of hope, no matter how discouraging things might seem. And with the beautiful family that you are building, if ever Darcy comes home it will be to a joyous one for the family is all there, here, there and everywhere, it's the heart that counts. Hope you keep coming back, it's so good to hear from you dear Gillian, hope you get enough quiet moments to come back and share your thoughts with us, you must be pretty busy with your
household

Oh, Gillian..I remember you well from when I first came here after my loss of Miles. It appears that Sebastian is not going to let me win the Biggest Cat contest....Five months!?

I am sorry about Darcy....it would be the never knowing that would gnaw on me....No closure.

Hi Gillian, often thought of you and if you ever found Darcey. I'm sorry to hear she did not return. She will forever live in your heart. Glad to hear otherwise all is well with your extended pet and human family. As for me, my heart is still broken, but I am healing slowly. I'm doing voulenteer work at my local shelter and so far it has given my great joy. It does come with it challenges. There is a cat there, Alden, who looks like my Arthur. He got adopted but got returned. He decided to use his new owners furniture as a scratch post. Dave still won't give in into getting another cat. So I'll do this in the meantime to fill my void..Thanks for stopping by and giving updates..Love the pictures..Take care..Ann

Toonie, Brilliant to hear the stories of pets being reunited with their owners. I know it's possible Darcey might be found. She was a great hunter and may have been able to survive on her own. But its been such a cold winter and she was a tiny little cat ... I also know it's possible she might have been taken in by people who haven't bothered to take her to the vet to be scanned for a microchip and have decided she's their cat now. But she HATED being indoors and she HATED strangers and so if someone had decided to keep her as their own, Darcey would have put up such a fight. But thank you for your positive thoughts.

Jack, Thanks for the message of support. I hope she hasn't passed in one way. In another I'd hate to think of her on her own out there, especially tonight as it is thick with snow and she would be cold. I'd rather she was dead than suffering. But thank you for the message.

Jon, Yes, the not knowing is the worst part. I just hope that if she has died, it would have been quick, and if someone else has taken her, that she is happy with them. Regardless, she'll always be my lost cat. Yes, Sebastian is so so big. I never thought he'd grow to be so huge. Yep only 5 months in that photo and he's still growing. He towers over my other cat Sasha (and I always thought Sasha was big, but she's tiny compared to him!) I'll post another photo of him when he is fully grown.

Ann, I'm glad to hear you are healing. I don't think we ever fully heal. My heart is still broken from the loss of Bono, and Darcey's disappearance was a different form of awful, although I coped with that better, possibly because I always had hope that she would be with me again and still do in a strange way. I imagine her living happily as the wildcat she was born to be. And if not there, at the bridge with Bono. I adopted her only one week before he went into heart failure and died, so they had met briefly. She had chased him round the family room wanting to bat his tail; he had lay down and let her mess around with his tail and ears; he was such a tolerant dog. They would have got along. My 2 lost babies.

Thanks to everyone from remembering me; I'll hopefully get on more often.

Can't get enough of those pics of your kids. They are so beautiful!


Wishing your sweet family all the best
Dayna