Lost toy cat, heartbroken DD can anyone help?

[Ailuros]

Sadly DD's treasured toy catty took it upon herself, as cats sometimes do, to take off and fend for herself in the big bad world. Perhaps she took fright at the dramatic political headwinds and is now safely ensconced in a Norwegian passiv-haus, companion no doubt to a new family.

A couple of months have passed and DD (5) is still heartbroken. We find her staring sadly at pictures of cats and then bravely trying to carry on with the day Dowman Imports, the company who allegedly supplied and sourced Catty, no longer stock her - they have also stopped answering their phone.

DD's latest idea is that she will tell Father Christmas and that he will bring catty back because he is magic. She has somewhat comforted herself with the idea that she won't have to be parted from catty for more than a few months. So we are faced with finding the cat or giving her the worst Christmas ever when she finds that Santa isn't magic and that she has still lost her cat.

Please help us dear mumsnetters. We are desperate. Does anyone have a toy shop or toy basket with one of these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003KIDLIM/ref=cmswrcptai37UzDb5JGEQMJJ]]_]
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Note Catty's main features - particularly her pale pink nose and demented expression. In case anyone is tempted to post links to other similar cats we have tried others. The fact is, they are not floppy enough and their arms do not go in circles when you take them to their cat swimming lessons.
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P_s long time mumsnetter have namechanged!

Ages ago my ds lost his very precious toy cat and was devastated.
He was from a charity shop so had no idea where he was originally from!
Anyway I found a similar looking one, slightly bigger, longer tail and different nose.
He turned up on our doorstep with a note saying he had walked all this way and looks different because he had grown up a bit and hurt his nose etc etc!!
It worked a treat!
Good luck

Also, not at all helpful sorry, but google lend had these suggestions

There's a book called Tatty Ratty, by Helen Cooper, that might be useful to read with your daughter. It's about a toy rabbit who gets lost and has adventures before returning home again. These exploits change his appearance a little, so that when he arrives home, he looks newer... as Catty may do. Good luck OP. We have a much beloved stuffed cat in this house too, who I dread losing. I would miss her myself I think, she's quite a character.

Omg!!!! The cricket match! I’m reminiscing , do they use a Lego cricket bat? My eldest used to come home from uni for holidays and say to youngest “ an innings before tea?”. I’ve never met another teddy cricket team! The subbuteo crowds and floodlights also were used and reams and reams of paper to record scores. Once our cleaner accidentally threw a pile of papers away which were important league tables and records of each teddies best scores. It was pretty traumatic.
I’m keeping my eyes open in charity shops.
Could an overseas player ( cat obviously) be signed as an interim measure?

I've spent way too much time googling catty while the baby's been asleep! But she is elusive.

We've had a few successes with finding/replacing toys in our local mums Facebook group, have you tried posting in the Eltham mums/shooters hill local groups to see if catty's been found?

You must try posts.whiteboomerang.com/?q=priBfAaihloTbcMYcF5b1HeFQZtZqiA8zKaZ9wuXbkKPT3Q0IXSaafD0vh2QEzfSz72jHwRo0W15s2WAzxKzxHUgs-RumriNGj_MgtJR-A4,&h=9s3h1vyYTMn9cQ6p3BbS-HhXePA,&t=5d685896 Lost and found.

You can add a pin to a map to say where you lost it if you know. Also you can search. Worth a try.

Sad to see how many lost toys are out there and also found ones!

Hoping a replacement for Catty can be found.

I found this on ebay
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cat-black-white-in-X-Mas-Sock-18-inches-45cm-Plush-Toy-Soft-Toy-2810003/173972145648?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20180816085401%26meid%3D6c25a91e5a6246c1b8bd9c2454a7eb54%26pid%3D100970%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D292966986317%26itm%3D173972145648%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2481888&_trksid=p2481888.c100970.m5481&_trkparms=pageci%3A09230fb4-cab3-11e9-afc9-74dbd1806488%7Cparentrq%3Adfaa897d16c0ad31c3caa195ffd94a88%7Ciid%3A1

This one has the pink plastic nose and looks like blue eyes but is probably too upright to have swimming legs
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LIVING-NATURE-KITTENS-AN147-CUTE-CAT-PAWS-PETS-LITTER-PLUSH-SOFT-CUDDLY-TEDDY/254091023187?var=553430136858&hash=item3b29015353:g:HAwAAOSwws5cSEuM

This one is very similar, though I can't really tell if the eyes are blue!
Https://www.amazon.co.uk/GIZMO-black-white-lying-Plush-Kuscheltiere-biz/dp/B01N41UN3W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=Kuscheltiere.biz+gizmo&qid=1567121588&s=gateway&sr=8-1

The one by the poster before me is pretty similar if not Catty herself!

I do hope you find another.. I will keep searching for your DD

I will keep an eye out for one. Really hope one turns up for your DD

rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F153440232000

Just placemarking here as I will check the local Fenwicks - they sell
Keel which seems similar so I will keep an eye out.

Have you checked Hamleys? They have a ridiculous amount of cuddly toys and many different makers (that’s the main regent st store)

www.hamleys.com/hamleys-6-inch-black-white-cat-soft-toy.ir

Oh! Too small? Pink plastic nose and dopey blue eyes! Black paws because of all the dirt

It's not quite right, markings are slightly different but just dug this out of DD's abandoned teddy box. He's a bit grubby but think he would wash and I can confirm his legs do go in circles and his nose is indeed pink. Happy to wash and send if you think he's worth a try anyway.

I will keep my eyes peeled for Catty.

DD also has a much loved black and white toy cat called Kitty Kat. I don't know what we'd do if she ever got lost. She was 79p from the card factory and she just loves her. We've never been able to source a back up. She has a whole heap of other black and white cat toys but there is only one Kitty Kat. She's priceless.

could a teddy hospital fit the skin of the seatbelt cover cat on to the body of the calico one? Although I feel like a weird kitty serial killer suggesting it....

I thought I had found a catty on google last night on Shpock when I searched images but it was an old advert and had been deleted when I clicked on it.
Fingers crossed that one will turn up for your DD in time for Christmas.

If you look up Dowman Imports on Companies House (free to search on the official government page) you can click on "people", and then "current officers". There is one director listed, along with his home address. I'm pretty sure they've ceased trading, but if you write to him perhaps he could tell you which companies he supplied to and you could ring round them? Or maybe he has a box of unsold Cattys in his garage?

Wow morning all, you are all so kind and wonderful. I am following up all the suggestions one by one, have to work today so won’t get far with it but I’ll keep you all posted! Thank you for all the kind offers and thoughts. The calico cat on eBay was sold to me! DH has also ordered one from amazon so we are going to send one to teddy hospital and keep one as a back up in case she can be loved on her own terms. Or maybe if catty does come home she’ll bring a friend...

The other suggestion I was going to make is setting a search up on ebay so they email you if a Catty turns up.

I’ve just opened calico cat, she’s gorgeous! And floppy, and her legs definitely go in circles. I’d say she could, with regular lessons, end up an excellent swimmer. I’m glad we have a back up calico coming as I feel a bit conflicted about sending her for surgery when she’s already so healthy and beautiful

And thanks again for all the suggestions. I haven’t started on some of them yet but will...Setting up an eBay search is a good idea.

Have you seen this one from Corfe Bears?
www.corfebears.co.uk/osp-6173.php

Just to add, DNiece had a Douglas Cuddle Toy cat 15yrs ago that was fairly solidly stuffed that went v v floppy - DS now has it, and it's completely soft and would happily swim. Maybe if some of your rejected ones are too stiff they just need a lot of sitting on/bending to loosen them up?

Could you perhaps use Sharpie or other black marker on Calico Cat to cover her patches?

How's things going @Ailuros?