Black Cat Plushies and the Search for Darcy's "Mini Me"
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
For about nine years and nine months, I have been blessed to be "cat mom" to the greatest little black cat who ever lived, Darcy. Since adopting him back in October of 2016, I had not spent one day fully apart from him until just a couple of days ago, when we had to say goodbye to him. He joined my dad in Heaven, and now my husband and I have to learn how to navigate the rest of our earthly lives without him. It's not going very well so far, but I know time will help.
As much as Darcy loved me and wanted to be a part of everything I did, I wanted him to be a part of my favorite pastimes, too. My character in Final Fantasy XIV has rarely equipped any other minion than her little black cat. My Animal Crossing: New Horizons houses have always had a black cat in them. And my American Girl mini me has always had her own mini Darcy.
It's been so long, I don't remember exactly how it happened, but I found a mini Jiji plush from Spirited Away, and decided to use that as a mini Darcy. Real Darcy and mini Darcy have always shared that same expression: quiet, intense, attentive, and respectfully waiting. I usually saw that face when he wanted to politely ask for food or treats, or when he had been in another room and was wondering what I was doing. Almost like a "Hello? What's going on in here?" before actually entering.
In recent years, I began to wonder if I could find a better mini for Darcy -- something that looked a little more realistic and a little less recognizable as a cartoon character cat.
I first tried the black cat made by The Queen's Treasures. It's very cute, but has green eyes that don't match Darcy's yellow ones. Its fur is a little too long, too. But the biggest issue I have with it is it really disappears in my display case. I didn't realize until seeing the two cats side by side, but the Jiji eyes really help it stand out against the dark grass or in dim light. The Queen's Treasures cat has so little of its irises showing, even its eyes get lost from far away. I ultimately decided it wasn't a good fit for a mini Darcy but it might work well in another display area or even just as a Halloween decoration.
About a week and a half ago, I found a Folkmanis black cat finger puppet on Amazon and thought it might make a good mini Darcy. It's not bad, but it's not perfect either. The ears look round instead of pointed, so I keep pinching them into more of a triangular shape before taking pictures. The eyes are kind of off, too. There's something about the shape and maybe the placement of the pupils that make it almost look concerned to me. And like the Queen's Treasures cat, it also gets lost easily in the display case.
I think for now, the original Jiji plush is the closest match to Darcy. I love the way its eyes keep it visible in the display case, even in dim light. The expression is so similar to Darcy's, it always brings a smile to my face. It may be a little more cartoony than most American Girl doll pets, but it really does accomplish being a "mini me" better than the others I've found so far.
I won't be able to see my Darcy until I join him someday (hopefully many years from now) in Heaven, but at least my mini me will always have her "babycakes."
I love you, "Darcy Doodle." Forever and ever. ♥
