Tributes
YELLOW FUR’S FAREWELL
November 2005Cross the bridge, we’re over here. Now that’s a voice I haven’t heard in a while, it’s my old pal, Owl Eyes. Yes, I’ll be there shortly but first I want to thank all the volunteers who helped me when I was still alive. Thank them for me too. Of course I will. It was a very sad day when a very young lady found me at the shelter on November 12, 2005. As always she came looking for me to brush my fur and pet me (it was our monthly ritual) but instead I was on the floor and didn’t move. She went looking for
the lady in charge and said I think a cat is dead in Room 2 so the lady asked her Who is it? Then, when she realized it was me, she broke down in tears. I was one of her favorite cats. I never wanted Shelby to find me that way but I passed away during the night. So, I was gently removed from the room and all the ladies rushed in to comfort Shelby. So, Shelby, I’m sorry that your last memory of me wasn’t the most pleasant of things, but thank you for loving me when I was alive.
I arrived at the shelter when my former guardian passed away with some other feline housemates of mine. I was only there for a short time and actually got adopted with Napolean but alas, I needed dental work and my new guardian couldn’t afford the expense so I came back to the shelter. Don’t worry though; it wasn’t really a bad thing on my part. The dental work was done and it sure did make me feel a lot better.
You see, I was a special needs kitty with FIV and I was a really good friend with a guy that only has FIV cats. His name is Ed something (I don’t think he ever told me his last name) and he was on a mission to make sure I didn’t get overlooked. He had someone alert the other volunteers that I needed to put on some weight. So, all of a sudden, I had tons of men and ladies seeking me out, giving me food, talking to me and just making me feel so wanted. Sure, I was sick my last few months at the shelter, but it sure made me feel like a KING with all the special attention I was getting. Ed even started coming a few extra nights just to spend time with me and for that, a BIG thank you from me. It really did make a difference. I certainly did not die unloved.
So, I want to thank each and every one of you for helping me out but you know, a lot of you didn’t tell me your names so I’m sure you’ll know who I’m talking about you even if your names aren’t mentioned. So, Shelby don’t forget to spend time with the other kitties, play with them, brush their fur, and love them up. Ed, please take care of the special needs kitties, they really do appreciate your special touch. For every one else, THANK YOU from my heart for taking care of me, Owl Eyes, and all the other cats that pass through your doors.
Ok, I’m ready now . . . good bye.
Lots of purrs and kisses to all,
Yellow Fur
February 2006
Mingo, follow me. Is that you Parker #2 and who’s that lady brushing your fur? It’s Pat Brody, are you coming or not? Ok, give me a few minutes. I need to send a message and I cant type very fast.
By now, I guess you figured out I’m Mingo. I was a Pat Brody Shelter resident for a couple of years. I was rescued as a stray and that’s how I came to live here. Sure, I was very scared when I first arrived and it took a few months to settle down and stay out in the open so the volunteers could pet me and tell me stories. Yes, I had plenty of stories that I should’ve shared with them, but I just didn’t have the energy to do so.
You know, this shelter is cleaned every day, rain or shine, hot or cold and that’s something you don’t find out on the streets. To sweeten up the deals, all the cats are given fresh food, water, litter and bedding, Wait a minute I’m missing something – LOVE – on a daily basis as well. It sure helped to ease the pain of being a homeless cat. As a matter of fact, I decided that the shelter was going to be my home.
So even though my photos was taken, stories were written, I was even advertised in the local papers, nope, I just kind of ignored people when they wanted to adopt a cat and my plan worked. I was able to stay at the shelter. You see, I was very content having my needs met, I had familiar beds I treasured and I have my own circle of friends. No way did I want to chance giving any of that up.
I had planned on staying here for a few more years but unfortunately, I had cancer and it was a losing battle. At least I don’t feel the pain any more and that’s always a good thing.
I gotta run, Parker #2 is all young again and he’s almost getting impatient for me to cross. He does look really good though. So, thanks to all of you for caring for me and my love to each and every one of you. Oh look, my fur is already starting to change, Wow! There are some cats here I haven’t seen in a while. Save a spot for me, my fur needs brushing. Good bye and thanks again.
Mingo
Dear PBS –
I am so upset that I have to send you this message. Miss Bea or Beatrix as she was called at your shelter passed away on November 15th, 2000.
She came from the same house as Parker #7. She was very shy but once in a while, if it was very quiet, she might let you touch her.
She became very very ill and the only humane thing to do was end her suffering….
Peekachoo – 9/2003
She took a turn for the worse and passed away due to further complications…
Peekachoo came to us at 1 year old as a mom with kittens. After her foster time with her kittens, she was spayed and brought back to the shelter. She was just one of hundreds of short hair black kitties that come our way each year; not
especially unique to anyone but us shelter folks.
Well, she was always shy and stayed to herself those first few weeks at the shelter, and then upon checking her weight we found that she was not eating very well.
Upon further examination she was diagnosed with severe stomatitis. After several months of medical treatment for her condition, we sent her to Dr. LeVan, a dental specialist. She was diagnosed with “plaque intolerant lymphoplasmacytic faucititis/stomatitis complicated by fractured 6/4 maxillary right canine.”
We had Andie for 12 years and she was a Godsend when my son, Eric, lost his other cat (he was hit by a car). Poor Eric was so devastated that he kept crying “I want another cat, I want another cat” over and over again. Two days later, we went to the Pat Brody Shelter and found a wonderful cat named Annie. My son insisted that we had to get a “boy” cat and I told him that I read the name wrong and the cat’s real name was “Andie.” He was only 5 at the time so he believed me. Andie fit right in from the first night we took her home. She followed everyone around the house and was not intimidated by our older cat, Rainbow. Rainbow was not very happy to have another cat but Andie just walked away from her as if to say “Enough of this
nonsense” and that was that.
Andie slept with Eric the first night we took her home and for the first time in 2 days, we all had a good night’s sleep. One night, we went to check on him when he was sleeping and said “Look, he’s sleeping with a stuffed animal” on closer inspection, it was Andie. She got under the covers and put her head on the pillow next to Eric.
When Andie was younger, she was a great hunter. We had a bird bath which later became the “Fountain of Death.” She would hide in the bushes and when birds came down to drink WHOOSH Andie would grab one and then they’d be one less bird in the neighborhood. We had to put up a compost bin to distract her from the bird bath. As she got older, she lost interest in hunting, much to everyone’s relief.
Andie proved herself to be a great cat over the years. She was always amusing but at some times she scared us. Like the time we went looking for her and she was actually walking on the top of the roof. We called her to come down and she walked over to a nearby tree, jumped on it and climbed down to safety much to our relief. Sometimes, she would still be out at night and the only way to get her in was to shake a can of Pounce. It worked every time, especially if we had Eric call for her.
Another nice thing about her was how gentle she was. My son would practically hold her upside down and she let him. Andie was one cat that you could pick up anytime you wanted and would just cuddle and purr. She used to love to chase toy balls around the house and she loved little furry mice toys. Sometimes, we would find the real mice left outside but somehow they don’t look as cute when they’re dead.
As the years went by, we started adding more cats to the family. Andie was never bothered by other cats and as long as they didn’t bother her, she would go on with her business as usual.
Andie was very healthy until last year. At one point, we started to notice that she looked like she was losing weight and drinking a lot of water. We took her to the vets and did some blood work on her. At first, we thought she had a bad tooth because she smelled really bad. Then, we found out she had diabetes. We tried to get her regulated on insulin but try as we might, she wasn’t responding to treatment. I had a feeling something else was wrong with her too. She stopped grooming herself, and contined to lose weight. She used to weigh 11 lbs. and it was decided that if she got down to 6 lbs., then we would put her down to rest in peace. When I took her to the vet for the last time, they looked at her stomach and saw that it was bloated and said she had a bad liver. I stayed with her when she was getting her shot. She looked back at me and I said “It’s ok Andie, you’ll be with Rainbow and Smudge now.” After that, she went into a peaceful sleep and I was so glad I stayed there to watch my little friend Rest in Peace.
So long Andie from all of us. Hopefully, you found Rainbow, Smudge, Taffy and Lucky when you crossed the bridge and once more you can be your young, playful self again.
Love,
Mom, Dad, Eric and Mochee, Tombo, Sasha, Gwen and Wally
There he was in our driveway, not a year old, rolling around in the sun, hoping he would be noticed and appreciated. Boy, was he ever!
I am pretty certain I had seen this kitty before. There was a feral mother cat in our neighborhood that we fed and named Oreo because of her black and white markings. Her last litter was but one kitten who I saw only once with her. The markings seemed to be the same for both mother and baby especially the black nose. The next time I saw this kitty, there he was in my driveway. Patch came into our lives and enriched our souls.
We fed him regularly for several weeks. He was so happy to be fed and seemed so sweet that we decided we needed to find a way to catch him and make him our own. We did this with some deli roast beef and a little bit of a tranquilizer to calm him. The roast beef bits started in the walkway, up onto our porch and into our front entry where my husband stood behind the door. Once Patch made his way to the roast beef in the hall, the door was shut behind him. He shot up the stairs and hid in the bathroom.
I found him in there. It was easy. He stunk something awful. He did not fight me at all. I don’t even remember any hissing. Because he needed time to adjust to the house, us and our other cats, I carried him to the basement. He hid immediately, but I kept putting out food and water and he used the litter.
I called the vet so we could have him checked over, cleaned up and shots given. On the day he was to go to the vets, I found him on top of the oil tank. I reached up to get him and he simply went limp, letting me carry him up the stairs and putting him in the carrier. No fighting at all. That turned out to be Patchs personality all along.
Over time he became a happier, less scared kitty who eventually never again wanted to leave the house. He was content to sit in a window or poke his nose on a screen door, but he was happy indoors and really never wanted to leave.
He was younger than some of my other cats and would have liked them to play more, but mostly they slept together in the sunshine.
I remember him as such a strong and big cat with the most loving personality. He was not a lap cat a bit too timid for that, but always there to say hello when we came home and meowing at the window when we left the house for work. This is the hardest part now not having him to say hello and goodbye and it leaves a very bad ache in our hearts.
Because he was so gentle and submissive, he always seemed to take his orders from the other cats. In the end, he was the only one left and for 3 years he was our world and we were his.
So the kidney disease could not be totally stopped. Two years ago, he had one kidney removed and that did buy two extra happy years for Patch and us. In the last few months he was losing weight, but seemed to be doing OK. In the last week, things just got very bad. He became weaker and eventually did not eat or drink. I prayed that he would die in his own home, but it could not be. Thank god for a wonderful veterinarian that Patch knew and was so very kind to us both.
It’s going to take a while to get over the loss and for the ache to stop in our hearts. We will never get over how he touched our lives and I hope how we touched his also.
Goodbye Patch-Cat. We love you very much.
We knew he would leave us someday, but it’s still a shock to think that we won’t be able to go out into the yard and call his name and have him come over to sit in our laps.
Trans Am was the ‘old man’ of the shelter and was respected by all the other cats. He was a wise soul and we’ll miss him.
– volunteer Gita Devi
He wasn’t the most gorgeous cat. He wasn’t the most friendly cat, but Trans Am touched so many people’s lives. It was a very sad day when you passed away.
I remember the day over 13 years ago when the shelter director received the phone call from a person in Gardner stating “come get this %$#% mother cat and her kittens out of my Trans Am car. She just had kittens in my car.” The person was not a happy camper and obviously not a cat lover. This was the beginning of Trans Am’s life.
Over time, Trans Am’s mother and littermates were all adopted and Trans Am was the only one left at the shelter. As years passed, Trans Am had tried a few homes, but he was not happy and always ended up back at the shelter. Under normal circumstances this would make you sad, but you need to understand that the shelter
was Trans Am’s home. He had plenty of volunteers who treated him like a king, giving him a special food bowl and lots of hugs and kisses, and he was the shelter mascot. He not only touched our human lives – we believe he touched the lives of many of the cats who came to the shelter.
We will always remember Trans Am basking in the sun in the outdoor area or sitting in the cat tree in the second room – just waiting for his own food bowl. I’m sure there were many volunteers who gave him Fancy Feast vs. regular food, brought him pieces of sliced meat or gave him a pinch of catnip. He really was the king and was treated as one.
Trans Am, you touched so many of our lives, and the shelter will not be the same without you. You will always be the shelter mascot and you will be missed by all of us. We are so sad to have lost you – but on the other hand we can just picture you at the Rainbow Bridge greeting all the new kitties and becoming the KING once again. We love you.
– written by volunteer Sandy Merritt
Baby was a very special girl. I first met her in foster care at Libby’s house where she had the most unusual combination of kittens. There were five of them and three looked Siamese, one was an orange tabby and one was a brown tabby male, who looked a lot like Mom. She was a good mother to her babies and when the time came her kittens got adopted and she went to the shelter to wait for a home. She hated being in the cage during her quarantine period and would wail and paw at anyone who walked by. Finally she got her freedom, and headed out into the enclosed yard and got a little wild again, wouldnt you? She was skittish, especially with strangers, and though a few people were interested in her from
seeing her photo on the website, they would come to the shelter and decide they wanted a lap cat. So time passed and after almost a year, we noticed that she had some lesions on her face and seemed to have an infection in her ears. She had to go back in the cage for treatment, but because she was sick she didnt seem to mind. She started to really tame again too, because of all the close contact with the staff. Unfortunately she had a chronic disorder that would get better for a little while and then return. Even though she was only about 3 years old, eventually she became more debilitated from both the disease and the treatment. She was really in a catch-22 because the treatment, which should have helped was almost as bad as the disease. After a year of trying to get her through her disease, and because of her apparent discomfort the decision was made to put her to sleep. Although this was a very sad time and she never got her own home, she did get a lot of special attention from the volunteers. I keep her picture on my screen saver and she will always have a special place in my heart.
Madeleine
—
As a new volunteer I only knew Baby for a short time. I wanted to adopt her and provide a loving home for her, but she was too sick and a week after I started fostering her was put down. I want to acknowledge little Baby’s spirit and her short little life on this earth. She was sweet and gentle to the end and I will remember her in my heart.
Karen
We had finally located a local veterinary hospital that had the laser and ultrasound equipment needed to examine Coco: VCA Weymouth. We brought him there yesterday and the examination revealed that his kidney stones were so extensive that the mineral density had covered his kidneys and they were unable to process anything. There was nothing that could be done to reverse the damage.
The vet made the decision to euthanize this wonderful cat to spare him any more suffering. We know that many of you have sent money in to pay for Coco’s medical
expenses. The veterinary bill came to $650.00 and if anyone would like a copy of the bill, please send us an email and include a fax number or address so we can send you a copy.
Coco was a wonderful, sweet, gentle cat. Despite his ill health over the past few months, he continued to give us so much love. We know he’s now at peace, with all our other beloved felines.
Shayla went through so much in the short time that we knew her. Soon after her adoption she stopped eating and ended up having a feeding tube put in, as you can see in the small photo above. She recovered from that and gained weight and seemed to be doing fine. She and Ray 3 become friends.
But then, a month ago, she started to become listless and stopped eating again. When Kevin picked her up she screamed in pain and he rushed her to the vet. Her lungs were filled with fluid. They were drained and she was started on IVs and antibiotics. We weren’t sure she would survive the night. But she did and after FIP was ruled out, we hoped for the best. But – the next night she had a seizure and the vet did everything he could for her. She was still alive when he left the office at 9 p.m., but was gone by the morning.
Our condolences go out to Kevin who has now lost 2 special girls in such a short time.
Sandy Merritt
I lost my little feral FeLV positive kitty, Baby at the young age of 2 years old. We rescued Baby when she was a kitten and when we found out she was positive for FeLV we were devastated since her Mother and littermate who were rescued first had tested negative. In my heart and my head…I knew that Baby was a kitten with FeLV and she probably was not destined for a long life, but I still wished for the best – but no prayers in the world could save her.
She did not suffer long and her death was very quick and shocking…so quick we did a necropsy on her because it happened all to fast. The necropsy proved she had fluid in the lungs/abdomen and a tumor on the lymph nodes which is all normal with FeLV disease. (Damn….I hate that disease)
We rescued Baby at the age of 5 months and she was already on her way to being a true feral. It took a lot of patience and hard work on our part to reach her heart. We had her caged in a 40×80 cage and night after night for 5 months I sat in the cage with her. First I was greeted with these terrified little eyes and fangs with a lot of hissing and spitting – to eventually a happy little cat that loved her butt petted and had a purr of a lion. We eventually let her out of the cage and she truly enjoyed my cellar (rock ledge – trees for support beams she could climb – running water she could play in – high places to hide), but our best time was night time when she would be the first to meet me in bed. Hard to believe this kitty who was rubbing her face in my face and trying to cuddle up to my neck…was the same kitty who almost took a few fingers off of me when she first came.
We wish we could have given her more time in life…but I will say we did give her a happy content life for as short as is was. Baby was a great name for her…she was such a little tiny girl who didn’t think she needed anything in life – until she found love with us!!
Rest in Peace my sweet one!!
Sandy
You were the very best
You gave me joy for 2 great years
A memory for each new day
Then came the day of all my fears
The day you passed away
A part of me you took with you
And the pain I can not stand
But when this life on earth is though
I know we’ll meet again
love you sweet kayla
Be at peace at the rainbow bridge
Your mama Laura
Tuffy (18 1/2 years) died at home this morning. I adopted him in January 2001, thinking that I could give him hospice care for a couple of months before he died. Instead, thank god, he lived and had a wonderful spring, summer, fall and winter and almost another spring.
His records indicated that he was an indoor cat and he was. And, yet, one Sunday morning in 2001 I came home from grocery shopping and Mr. Tuffy slipped out the door. The rest is history. He loved being outdoors; we would go on long walks, looking for puddles of water to drink from and tasty clumps of grass. He would
just settle himself down and bask in a warm sunny spot in the yard.
He insisted on sitting in the driveway in my lap, even into the late fall. So I would be sitting there with Mr Tuff on my lap, both of us swathed in wool blankets, waiting for something to happen. If you ever drive by a house and see a crazy person sitting in the driveway in late November, then know that there is a cat in the lap.
Inside the house, he sought all the sunlight he could find. Room to room, cat bed to cat bed, beer flat to beer flat: that cat always found and claimed the most comfortable spot in the house.
He had chronic kidney failure and was active (for his age) until a week ago. He stopped pooping and we went to see the vet and he had a major enema on this past Tuesday. Things went downhill fast from then . But yesterday was warm and sunny and we sat outside and he limped around to scent things out and lie in his favorite warm spots. He died the next day, on the couch, at around 8:45 A.M.
I am so sad and I miss him and I thank his previous mother for keeping him alive and letting him be Mr Tuffy. But, you know, he had a wonderful life with me and he deserved every minute of it. It breaks my heart to lose him, but I am so happy I had the foolhardiness to adopt a 17 year old alpha cat, a real “Tuff” nut.
Best wishes
Susan Bowler
P.S. I also have Fluffy, we will see how that works out. Fluffy was crazy about Tuffy.
Sandy Merritt, a shelter volunteer
I lost my little healthy girl, Katy to cardiomyopathy on February 7th, 2002. With all my cats who do have medical problems, you can imagine the shock I was in to find Katy dead at home in her favorite chair. This is especially hard since I just lost my two old men, J. C. and Capone in the past 5 months.
Here is Katy’s story:
Thump…crash…Thump…Crash. This is how we first met Katy back in 1995. You see, she was a stray in my neighborhood and was picking through the trash on the 2nd floor porch. She was so tiny, she just so happened to get her head stuck in a empty can of cat food. The thump …crash was her trying to walk down the stairs with the can still stuck on her head. Considering this was 3:00 am in the morning, Katy is very lucky that Ernie just so happened to hear the noise and went outside to investigate. This is how Katy found us…..
Katy, better know as the b*tch (we meant that in a very nice way) was a beautiful long hair calico kitty who was no more then 7 pounds. She was very tiny compared to some of our other jumbo kitties, but Katy ruled the roost. She definitely had the calico kitty attitude and she has a constant look of “pissed-off” on her face!!! She was wonderful around Ernie and I, but any cat that dared to step in “her space” – Katy would start her whining. If the other kitty did not move, Katy would start taking swipes. If the other kitty still did not more, Katy would attack and whine at the same time!!! She always got her way.
Katy was always under your feet, or sitting on the table staring at you for her cup of water. (yes…she would not drink out of the 5 bowls of water I have around the house…no Katy had to have her own tea cup), or she would be at the door to go out, or at the door to come in, or at the window looking out, or at the window looking in. Nope she’s on my bed,,,now she’s on the bureau, now she’s on the counter..nope she’s in the sink. No matter where you looked…Katy was there. The house just seems so empty now….
Katy had been a very healthy kitty for the 7 years we have had her. Never a sniffle or sneeze, not one unhealthy day in her life. The only time she visited the vets was for her yearly checkup…which by the way was just done on Nov 20th and at that time she got a clean bill of health. It was a total shock to come home last Thursday and find Katy laying very peacefully in her chair. I initially walked in the living room and sang her our little song “Ka Ka Ka Katy beautiful Katy” and then said “come Katy you lazy bum…get your butt up”. As I got closer, I instantly knew something was wrong….she was not moving and already stiff. Both Ernie and I were devastated and in shock. We had to find out what killed our little girl, we were petrified that she might have got poisoned or ate something toxic or did I have a gas leak in the house. Dr Groby was kind enough to do a necropsy during her supper time break, the necropsy proved to us that Katy had died from cardiomyopathy (heart problems). Dr Groby really believes that Katy had passed away in her sleep very peacefully and did not suffer. For that we are grateful….the thought of her suffering all day while we were at work, was too hard to imagine.
To My Katy:
God Katy…you will be missed. Daddy and I are still in shock and it will be quite sometime before the grieving is over. You were way to young and healthy to leave this earth like this. Obviously, god has plans for you at the Rainbow Bridge. The Bridge must have some young kitties who need a b*tchy mom to put them in their place or some human who is very lonely and needs you to brighten up their day. There has to be a reason for you being taken away from us….We will miss you so…
Love,
Sandy and Ernie
Sandy Merritt, a shelter volunteer
Capone aka Bubba came into our lives about 10 years ago. Think about a big male macho tom cat with big jowls – very mean and you can picture Capone. Capone was named after Al Capone..aka scar face because of his many battle scars. There was no outside beauty with this cat….but what a beautiful kitty he was inside.
Capone was a true feral who fed off my porch for 3 years. We saw him survive through many cold winters and many battle scars. Anytime I placed the Have-a-Heart trap outside to catch him, he would just look in it, turn around and go off to the next house to try and get some food. About 7 years ago, Capone had got hit by a car – he could no longer walk, so he literally crawled in my shed to die. Ernie and I refuse to let him die, but yet our attempts to try and get him in a cat carrier to get the vets – failed. We then called the “big guns” – Priscilla from the Pat Brody Shelter to come assist and between us all we got Capone to the vets.
The vets of course gave us little hope. Capone needed his tail amputated and there was only a slight chance that he would ever gain use of his bottom half of his body. The vets said that even if he got use of his legs back they felt that he would never gain control of his urine/stool because of nerve damage. As well as…they kept reminding me he was truly feral and very mean – so how could I even consider treating him. They recommended putting him to sleep now. Of course Ernie and I discussed this and said “how can we give up on him now…..if he wants to live…we will help him” For months Capone lived in my cellar recovering and truly became my friend. We reached a point where I could massage his legs, pill him, give him a bath and even use the blow dryer on him to dry him off. Amazing..if you knew how feral he really was, but I think he realized he needed us to survive. After months he got the total use of his legs back – recovered from the amputation of his tail – but he never got control of his urine or stool. We of course lived with Depends on our furniture and did two loads of wash per day for Capone’s blankets and constantly had to clean up after him.
He did live a very happy and healthy life for 7 more years. There were times that we wondered if we had made the right decision when we saw him standing in the litterbox trying so hard to go or when his butt would get dirty and he would need our help washing him up………but then we would see him playing out in the yard, chasing the dogs in the neighborhood away from what he now considered his yard, laying on his back out in the sun catching the rays, and learning to love us with all his heart and soul and we knew we had made the right decision. He had become a big huggable teddy bear that had total faith in us.
Capone was getting old and for the last few months we did notice weight loss and getting slower, but it wasn’t until Sunday did Capone start to go down hill very fast. Capone, waited for both Ernie and I to get home this past Monday before he took his last breath and left this earth for the Rainbow Bridge. He had a heart of gold – loved him so – and will truly miss my brute of a man!!
Hugs to you Capone…rest in Peace.
Sandy and Ernie
Sandy Merritt, a shelter volunteer
My perfect kitty, J. C. was put to sleep on September 4th. J.C. was estimated at the age of 15 or 16 years old, but who knows…he could have been older. We were really hoping J.C. would just pass away at home, but we no longer could watch him suffer so we made the decision to help him to the Rainbow Bridge. J.C. had a wonderful life with us and it wasn’t until the last few months did we start to see him go down hill.
Here is J.C’s story:
In 1990 we noticed this very skinny semi-feral tiger and white kitty eating on our porch. He was a non-fixed male who loved to fight and had many battle scars to prove it; especially on his ears! He ate on my porch every night for approximately 2 years, but he would never allow us to get close to him.
You may ask how he got his name…well for the longest time Ernie and I tried to come up with a name for him, but nothing seemed to fit. One day J.C. was eating on the porch with his back to us and we noticed perfect stripes on his back which looked like a cross. Figuring it was a cross and the poor guy needed all the help he could get…we called him J.C. after Jesus!
It wasn’t until the end of 1991 did we finally realize J.C. really did not have a home and needed us more then anything. We found him about 1 mile from my house picking trash out of a dumpster down at the local store. At that point we realized just how sickly and skinny J.C. was getting and realized he had to become our priority.
In February of 1992 I think J.C. also realized he needed us because he was pretty sickly when he finally let us become his friend. The first vet visit was for testing, neutering, shots and treatment for mites and worms. It took a few months, but this very skinny little run-down 8 pound cat soon became this hardy 14 pound man of a kitty!
For many many years to follow, we could not have asked for a better kitty. J.C. was always a gentlemen, loved us for saving him, never sprayed, never fought with the other kitties, would NOT think of jumping on the table or cabinets, and actually was one kitty who would come running with excitement when you called his name (he did not have your typical cat-attitude)
We had many healthy years together even though in 1997 he was diagnosed with hyperthyroid, the tapazole always controlled it and we had no other healthy issues. In about 1999 J.C. started having some major teeth issues and I believe all of them were pulled with the exception of 6 teeth, but this never stopped him from eating his Science Diet Light which was his favorite dry food; along with a few fishy Fancy Feast wet flavors.
It wasn’t until the last five months that we saw J.C. go from 12 – 9 – 7 pounds. Of course we did all the tests we needed to do, but the vets really couldn’t find anything majorly wrong with J.C. other then old age. We were advised to bring him home and pamper him for the rest of his life. You would of thought at this point that J.C. was too tired and old to move, but …NO…this little old man insisted on going outside even though his little legs could barely hold him up. We would no longer allow him to go outside by himself…but he still tried to by running out with all his brothers and sisters. He would have good days where he would eat like a pig and walk gingerly and then he would have bad days where he didn’t want to eat and wouldn’t move too much.
The decision to put him to sleep was very hard, but I do believe we made the right one. On Sunday he could barely move, but being the gentlemen that he was…he continued to try and use the litterbox and even attempted to get up every time we walked in the room. He tried so hard to please us….right up until the end.
To J.C: You were the PERFECT kitty and nobody will ever take your place and we all loved you so. It’s hard to believe that with 21 other kitties running around my house…it feels so empty without you. Hopefully you are at peace at the Rainbow Bridge playing with your other friends who have left before you. I know you are watching down upon us and taking care of us still….you were the perfect gentlemen on earth and I’m sure you are a perfect gentlemen at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again…we love you!!
Sandy and Ernie
We still cant believe it. Rainbow, our old cat, is gone at 16. It happened so suddenly or so it seemed. Rainbow developed cancer of the mouth and we tried everything for one month to help her get better. Nothing worked, and poor Rainbow was in pain. So, with the help from our vet, we sent her over the Rainbow Bridge. Rainbow has asked me to thank everyone who has touched her life when she was alive and asked that I do it from her point of view. Ok, here it goes:
First of all, Id like to thank Mom who took me home as an abandoned kitten when I was only 2 months old (against her better judgement). I was later dubbed the Kitten from Hell because I was very mischievous. Mom had always wanted to have 2 cats and I just knew shed take good care of me when I first saw her from underneath a parked car. Thanks Mom, you did everything you could for me even when I wasnt being too nice to you. I know that you knew I still loved you but hey, I had a reputation to keep being a tortie. So long Mom, and thanks for taking me home.
Secondly, thanks Dad. If it werent for you, I would have had to find another home. Its a good thing I figured out that if I jumped on your chest and licked your nose, that you would be my ticket for staying here. My secret for only letting you hold me is I felt very safe when I was with the Big Guy and you were very comfortable. I know well always hold a special place for each other in our hearts. See ya Dad, I
miss you so much but Ill be good (or at least try to) until we can meet again.
Then there was Taffy, my surrogate mom who taught me things that kittens needed to learn from another cat. For one thing, I didnt know that you could do your poops outside, I thought you always had to use a litter box. Taffy said it was ok to go outside as long as you cover your mess. She also would swat me if I got too obnoxious, which happened at least once a day. I also developed a love of eating from Taffy. I always felt brave when Taffy was around because I knew she’d protect me from harm. For all the things you did thanks! I know you’ll save a spot for me when I cross the Rainbow Bridge.
I had a rude awakening when the new baby arrived at the house. Boy, this kid was even louder than me. I got a taste of my own medicine when his crying rudely awakened me. I taught Eric to have a healthy respect for cats and he taught me to run as fast as you can when there are little kids in the house. All in all, we got along pretty good, as we grew older. Goodbye Eric, thanks for putting up with the crabby old kitty and admitting that you like me even when I was being difficult.
After 4 years, Taffy crossed the Rainbow Bridge when she developed liver disease. I was devastated. As a matter of fact, I became a coward for a while until Lucky came in to fill her shoes. He was one tough dude and I thought he was going to kill me the first night he came to the house. Fortunately, he was gentle with Eric so he slept with Eric at night and went outside during the day. Fending off Lucky brought back my feistiness and spirit again. We did manage to become friends after 6 months and I actually missed the guy when a car hit him. Well Lucky, we can chase each other again when I cross the Rainbow Bridge. Isn’t that cool? A bridge is actually named after me.
After Luckys departure, Andie came into the scene. She was Erics new cat and my new friend. Andie was the first shelter cat and she was thrilled to see only one other cat at the house. I tried to convince her that I was the boss, but Andie was pretty independent and shed ignore me when she wanted to. We got along pretty good so I cant complain. Now with that said, ok Andie, now you can be the Queen of the house. Make sure the other cats behave and dont forget to cuddle up with Mom, Dad and Eric. Farewell Andie, I hope you have a long life before we meet again.
Dad must be getting soft as he gets older because he let Mom get her own cat. That cat was Smudge. She was another shelter cat and she was 6 years old when she was adopted. Smudge used to be a barn cat but Ill tell you this, she loved having a home and getting attention. Smudge and I became very good friends and would take naps on the same chair. She never talked but you always knew what she wanted because shed stare you down.
The funny thing about Smudge is she only had 3 teeth, no tail and she was very quiet. Smudge bonded to Mom and would leap over objects to jump on her lap. They were very happy together. It was a very sad day for the family when after battling kidney disease for 1 year that she died. We did get to enjoy her for 4 years and I can enjoy her again when I cross the Rainbow Bridge. But first, I have to finish this letter.
After Smudges death, Dad picked out another black and white cat from the shelter named Mischief. Her new name at the house was Mochee. Shes a nice girl and she had everything Smudge didnt teeth, tail and a MEOW. Mochee was a little scared about being held, but dont worry, Mom worked with her and now shes a lot easier to handle. Mochee was much younger than Andie and me so she got our energy levels back up. Mochee even took a few naps with me in my chair. Thanks Mochee, because you were always nice to me. Please take care of Tombo, Andie and whoever the new cat will be. Goodbye Mo.
Before I say goodbye to Tombo, Id like to thank my grandparents. I called them Grandmeow and Meowpa. Meowpa (grandfather) rescued me from a tree when I was only 6 months old. I was stuck in a tree overnight and finally, he got a ladder and gave me instructions by making me go in a circle to get down from the tree. This was the guy whos allergic to cats, so imagine my surprise when he was the one to rescue me. Im lucky because I had 2 Grandmeows (Yvette and Muriel). They were always nice to me even when I wasnt nice to them. I told you, Im a tortie, and thats my reputation. Goodbye Grandmeows and Meowpa, Ill be watching over you.
Last of all, Id like to say farewell to the King of the House. That would be Tombo. Tombo came to live with us last year when Dad decided that Mochee should have a buddy because she was the only indoor cat. Tombo originally came from a home with 50 cats, so he thought there was something wrong when he only saw 3 other cats. Yes, hes also an indoor cat and hes a purrfect match for the family. Tombo never had an adjustment period. He acted like he always lived here from Day One. Thanks to him, Mochee became a much friendlier cat because she had a little buddy closer to her age. I even saw them grooming each other. Well, Mochee is cute but Tombo got along with Andie and me as well. Thanks for all the laughs and I REALLY DONT WANT TO SEE YOU for a very LONG TIME. Goodbye Tommy Tombo. Since you’re the boy, Im leaving you in charge of the others.
One more thing, I know my family will get another cat because they know that there are too many cats out there without homes. To the future cat of the house, I only have four words to say: You’re one lucky kitty. Now, that Ive said my goodbyes, I’ll let Mom take over from here.
Rainbow passed away on May 11, 2001. Hopefully, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge and didn’t shred it on the way. Not everyone will know who Rainbow or her family is but let’s just say, she was well loved and had a very good life. She was saved from the streets and lived 16 good years. We know Rainbow will have good company with Taffy, Lucky & Smudge when she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Goodbye Rainbow
With love from Mom, Dad, Eric, Andie, Mochee and Tombo.