Missing, presumed dead...
Tommy Boy was a much loved local character, and regular visitor to our bar. We first met this friendly stray about a year and a half ago, when he arrived at the door and politely asked for something to eat. He was ravenous! After that, of course, he popped in most days for a snack. We presume he had been someone's abandoned pet, though he was quite skeletal looking when he came to us.
He was pretty old, and did end up developing a couple of unsavoury habits - he once puked on Rolly's pillow, and he also took to climbing up on the platform in the garden and taking a leak - which was unfortunate for anyone who happened to be sitting underneath!
But despite this, we loved him. He was a gentle old thing, and adored having his ears rubbed. Like me, he spent a large portion of his day sleeping... He also used to balance on the edge of the water butt in the bathroom to get a drink of water, and when he inevitably fell in (more than once) it was hilarious!
The last time we saw him he could barely walk, and looked really sick. He refused to eat or drink anything, and wandered off into the garden, never to be seen again. Poor old Tommy - I'll miss him.