I’ve always wanted to do a piece about my babies, but I never thought that my first feature would be so sad. See, the other day, my cat R2 went missing and he hasn’t come home since. With each day that passes, I grow more worried about what has happened to him but while I do not lose hope that he will return, I just want to cry all the time because I miss him so much.

Let me tell you some things about my 3-year-old kitty.

Contrary to initial conclusions, I did not name R2 after R2D2 but rather after his big brother Ruffy, because he looked so much like his big bro. R2 actually stands for Ruffy 2. R2 was the youngest in a litter of three. He was the smallest and he was actually the plainest looking of his batch. Unfortunately, his big sis Sushi died of disease while still in the first weeks of kittenhood and his brother Chuckie died of an accident. R2 survived, thrived and actually became one of my favorites among all my “kids.” He has a personality, this one. He is spunky and sweet and has a mind of his own. Oftentimes, I wonder how he manages to get his way as much as he does. My mom nicknamed him “spoiled” because of this and I for one, cannot argue.

R2 took a while before he grew to become an adult cat. Most of his time, he spent wrestling with his brothers, causing mischief, lazing around. He’s the type of cat that can sleep through an earthquake, a rally or a major commotion. He doesn’t get fazed. He just sleeps through it all until the next mealtime comes.

Because of his personality, R2 has the record for the most visits to the vet to get an antibiotic shot. He has gotten one for tooth decay, gotten himself stitched up after cutting himself from a rusty spring, and went recently for a visit to the vet for a swollen jaw (infected again). He resists his medication, but is smart enough to enter the hospital ward (pet carrier) to get his special meal of Whiskas when he is sick.

He is very smart, my R2. He meows so loudly from the window, as soon as I get home to remind me that he is very hungry and that I need to get on it right away. He doesn’t stop until I capitulate. This is a technique which he shares with his little bro Teddy, who now has become my kitty alarm clock (He wakes me up every morning from 5:30-6 am for his breakfast). Worse, R2 and Teddy has developed a tag team system for this so when Teddy gets tired, R2 takes over, and vice versa. There is really no escape. R2 is also a tattletale. When alley cats try to take his food supply, he returns to the window to call my attention so I can go out and shoo away his competition.

I miss my baby so much. I hope wherever he is, he is fine and on his way back. I know that this would sound stupid to some but I really don’t care. I just want to share how great my pet is. I hope he returns really soon. Please help me pray that he does.