For those of you who know me, you know that I love our cat, Mr. Gilligan. I got him about 6 years ago from a family whose little girl carried him around from the day he was born, making him the cuddliest and most mild cat I've ever met. He was so cute--gray stripes, a crooked ear, and he fell asleep in my arms the first time I held him. Of course, I didn't find out until after I took this little kitten home that that particular cat was the little girl's favorite, and I felt so bad for taking him. This girl had named the kitten Gilligan, and even though I tried to think of a different name, Gilligan stuck because it really is the most perfect name for a cat. :)

Since then Gilligan has traveled all over the country with us, and I couldn't have asked for a better pet for that. He rode in cars and airplanes in his cat carrier, and he never made a sound until he was released. He was so good with Hadley, too--when she was a baby and enjoyed sitting on him, he tolerated it; when she got older and enjoyed carrying him around the house, he tolerated that, too. He liked sitting on our laps and cuddling with us when we slept, and he was actually really good at keeping the mouse population in check, too.

Sadly, last week Mr. Gilligan went missing and we haven't seen him since. This bothers me more than I care to admit, and I've been crying on and off all week. I feel silly because he's just a cat, after all, and these things happen. But still... he was my cat and he was my constant companion during the several times that Avram had to be gone. I really miss him and still open the door every morning expecting him to be there. I guess I still have a glimmer of hope that he'll show up one of these days, but deep down I know that he's gone for good. I don't know what happened to him and I probably never will. I just wanted to write this little post for him because he was a part of our little family and he will be missed.

RIP Mr. Gilligan.

2006