The playground and roads are all clear (no sign of Willy)

It’s 7pm now and I must have been out many times by now. I scoured the playground, walked down to Willy’s “house” (there is no sign of any occupants so I think my part-time cleaner’s information could be wrong), asked the chief security guard – no Willy and no news about him.

I have even sent out an email alert to the whole neighbourhood with photos of Willy, but as expected and as usual, nobody responds to emails about animals (lost or found, or anything at all). Only Francis, the cat-feeder, responded to say he had never seen Willy before.

I have also called PAWS, which used to be the council’s cat-pound and is also our nearest shelter. No such cat was brought in. But I know for certain Willy wasn’t caught by the council (just don’t want to leave any stone unturned, you know). He was around yesterday afternoon. The council does not do animal-catching on weekends.

Another possibility is that someone has caught him and has caged him for good reasons, maybe just as I did, to take him to the vet, as his anus is still a bit stained with faeces. After all, I caged Willy for 7 days too, when he was on antibiotics. During that period, someone who also looks after him (if there is any such person) may have missed him as well.

Willy only appears at meal times or only in the daytime. By nightfall, he is no longer around. So, he must have somewhere to hide when it gets dark. Maybe one of the houses in the neighbourhood gives him night-time shelter.

I know, all conjectures. That’s how our mind works, we create virtual realities when we don’t really know the answers. I like to think positively and stay optimistic. Thinking negatively and worrying are not productive nor beneficial.

Having said all this, I guess all I can do is to wait. If Willy is destined to come back, he will. If not, I can only wish him well, wherever he is now.

I remember how Cleo’s brother, Wolf, disappeared from our lives one day in our old neighbourhood. He was perhaps only about 5-6 months old. We searched for him for months. We never saw him.

So it pays to keep your cats indoors, but I cannot keep another cat in Bunny’s Place because no other cat can survive Cow, Bunny and Indy’s territorial nature.

I know the Patio Family is at risk, but sometimes, we can only do so much.

Daffodil, Rosie, Ginger, Vincent, Timmy, Heidi and Mr G are all here inside the house compound. Mr G doesn’t go home anymore.

Be safe, Willy.