Reg's story

Six years ago, Reg lived with a young couple who evidently didn't really care about him. They did not feed him or treat him properly. Reg would do his own thing, and soon found a neighbour who gave him all the love he'd ever wanted.

They say cats chose us, not the other way around, and Reg had made his choice. Not wanting to just take someone's cat, Lucy enquired with the owners if they would let her take him in. To add an incentive, really hoping they would agree to her having full custody of him, she offered them £50. As expected, they took the money and agreed he obviously preferred to be with her. It was the best day of Lucy's life!

Reg lived with Lucy in three different houses - her mums, her own place, followed by her partners place. He took to Lucy's partner, Joe, straight away - he was soon firmly part of the family! Having moved three times, Reg seemed very street wise, and he was a very intelligent and confident cat. He enjoyed walking over to the park or the shops with Lucy and her daughter. His brilliance even stretched as far as knocking on the door to let them know he was back and wanted to come in!

Lucy and her partner would say Reg would be around forever - he was well and truly an integral part of their family. Little did they know, he would have used up his nine lives by the time he was just 6.

Wednesday August the 1st is a day Lucy will now never forget. The families other cats were acting weird outside with another cat Lucy hadn't seen before. She walked out the front to see what was going on but they were just playing around it seemed. Lucy felt really odd though, like something was amiss. Reg hadn't been seen since that morning but, although Lucy says she had no real reason to worry at this point, she just broke down. Something was telling her Reg was gone!

Another day and a half went by and Lucy knew it was time to start putting posters around the area and ask about online - just in case. Every time she opened the door, Lucy expected to see him, but deep down she knew she wouldn't.

After two hours of putting the flyers around the area, Lucy received a phone call....

The night Lucy broke down with a horrible gut feeling, she was told by the caller, was the night Reg has been run over and killed. An elderly man had picked him up off the road and put him in a black bag. He planned to keep Reg untill the owner came forward, and had kept Reg safe for 3 days waiting for Lucy to find him.

Lucy remembers walking over to identify him and turning his head in the bag to see his face. He had head and facial injuries consistent with being hit by a car.

Lucy doesn't recall much of the walk back to her house - it was mostly a blur. She does remember wanting to get him out of the bag to give him a cuddle and wrap him more comfortably in the towel she had. As she cuddled him, and noticed the blood come from his nose, she fell to the floor crying.

Once home, Reg was buried holding his Dreamies and the family said their goodbyes.

Reg was more than just a cat to Lucy, and the family. Lucy notes how some people like to say 'it's just a cat' but that's wrong - he was their family member, her baby, and her best friend when no one else was there. The family note how there is a huge hole in the home now, and the absence of such a character is truly felt. Lucy's admits her heart will be forever broken and she will be haunted every time she goes out of the house and is forced to see where he was killed.

Lucy's best friend is dead but he will forever remain in her heart and memory!

Like CatsMatter, Lucy is outraged that someone could murder a family member yet no one can, or will, be brought to justice - not currently anyway!