Eulogy to Tieg...

You know those love at first sight stories? Where you and your pet meet, and bond? Well, this girl and I.... we had ourselves a case of mutual respect. She hated being held, hated being fussed over. She preferred to touch you and be touched only if she'd initiated it....

She was the 7th member of our household. Not a pet by a long shot, but an equal contributing member of the family. Lizards in the house? Not while she was on the job! Rodents and reptiles in the garden? Nuh-uh.

Tieg was a person, and a beautiful, vicious, responsive and responsible girl. The ultimate female. And a wonderful friend. Since her leaving, the lizards have returned in full force. And the mood this festive season is anything but.

It's always hard to lose a beloved pet. It's devastating when the pet is also a person, and a highly admirable one at that. She may not have died, but been kidnapped. But she's never gone missing this long. And she never said goodbye.

There are those who say a cat who is closely bonded to its owners will pick a place far from home to lie down and die. Some theorize it's because they cannot bear to cause their families the pain of their passing.

This may be true for some, but me... I still can't believe she's gone. I hope she's just been snatched rather than dead. Because she's who she is, and she'd find her way home.