R.I.P My Cave Dave

My sweet boy Dave (aka Cave, aka Cave Dave, aka The Boy, aka My Heart) passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning.

I am crushed. He'd been sick for a while, but he had such fight in him. I'm slowly adjusting to not having him rush me when I come home from work or curl up next to me on the porch swing or try to eat breakfast off my plate.

Goodbye, My Heart. There will never again be another you.

4 Months Ago....

Four months ago, I went into the Humane Society, still grieving for Tom, to pick up a black and white cat (Sphinx) for Gabe and Dave, who I wasn't sure I would ever have a bond with.
Oh, how wrong I was. 
Over the past 4 months, Dave and I have learned much about trust and friendship. 
The big gray cat who used to hide in our "junk" cabinet has shown a larger-than-life personality, and the kind of loyalty practically unheard of in cats.
The girl who was so sure she never wanted another cat opened her heart again and let in a cat who'd been through way more than anyone, human or animal, should.
I have people ask me "Does he always look this mean/smug/jerky?" LOL
He's anything but.
A few weeks ago, I had one of those nights where everything went wrong, and then, I broke 3 eggs while making dinner. I sat down on my kitchen floor and cried. And this "jerky", "smug" cat, all 14 pounds of him, crawled onto my lap and put his head on my shoulder.
People say I did a wonderful thing rescuing Dave.
I don't think they understand that he rescued me as well.

So...

...the other day, I started thinking about how much I missed my Tom. And how he was worth every.single.penny I spent on him and every.single.tear I've cried since his passing.

And I got the crazy idea that maybe we needed another cat.

And then we ended up with two.

This lovely creature with Gabe is Sphinx. She's pretty shy right now, and is currently hiding under our bed. She enjoys snuggles and licking people's faces. She's a year old and was found as a stray near the wildlife center in Banner Elk, NC.

This is my (other) main man, Dave. Originally, we were just going to adopt Sphinx, but I fell in love with Dave's face. He was given to the Humane Society with many, many other cats whose owners were going through a divorce. Dave enjoys stealing grocery bags and laying them out smooth to make himself a bed, as well as emptying cabinets so he can make a "Dave Cave."

While I truly believe that our Tom was a very special cat, and that there will never be a replacement, I think that rescuing animals is extremely important. Who knows, you may even see another Tuxie in our future!!!