The One-Eyed Cat is Dead, Long Live the One-Eyed Cat

Lucky the Half-Face Cat (?-2009), RIP

Since I first saw him back in 2003, each year's first appearance of Lucky the Half-Face cat has marked the start of Official D'Israeli Springtime. Each year has seen him looking a little frailer than the last, and though I spotted him once in 2009, he didn't appear again before we went away to Greece, so I feared the worst.

On returning from the shops the other day, I spied two new cats asleep in the front window of Lucky's house, suggesting that both he and is sibling Intactikin (AKA Intractikin as he'd never come near me) have shuffled off this mortal coil and joined the choir invisible. I'll miss him; he had that rare combination of facial mutilation and a funny meow that was always guaranteed to raise the spirits of a sick f*ck like myself. Between the huge dent in his head and his increasing frailty, every new sighting felt like one in the eye for mortality.

What's funny is that one of the replacements is also one-eyed; whether it's pure coincidence or whether the owners adopt from somwhere that specializes in mis-shapes I have no way of telling. Or perhaps there's just someone in the house with a cocktail stick and a quick hand.

Anyway, though Lucky could never be replaced, D'Blog of Israeli wouldn't be D'Blog of Israeli without a facially-crippled cat for a mascot, so I say to you, behold… NICK FURRY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Spring Is Sprung!

Lucky the Half-Face cat from 2004

This year's first sighting of Lucky the Half-Face Cat means it's officially the first day of spring here on D'Blog of 'Israeli. I spotted him asleep on top of a car in the drive of (what I think is) his home while on my way to the shops. He was a bit too distant to photograph, so here's a shot of him from 2004.

Lucky The Cat 2008

Long-time readers of this blog will know that the spring hasn't started until we get our first sighting of Lucky the half-face cat. Yes, he's survived another winter, and though he's looking tattier than ever, and seems to be having a little difficulty with his back legs, he meowed at me and came over to be stroked when I spotted him on the way back from the shops yesterday.