Lighting Candles Again...

Do you remember when the Cat Blogosphere came together one weekend in 2007 to light candles from one blog to another to remember dearly loved and sadly missed Ones at the Rainbow Bridge?
Kashim & Othello and Salome have not much been around visibly at the Cat Blogosphere the past months - well to be honest even the past year(s) - but felt with what is going on and with so many of our furriends needing purrs and purrayers we are in need of such a Weekend in Silence and Remembrance again.
If you want to join in, here is how:

Please light the above candle with us on your blog on Friday, Saturday or Sunday in Remembrance of all our dear furriends we had to say goodbye lately and those who came before. If you have a special kitty, woofie or furriend you are remembering let them know and they add him/her to the list.
If you want to join in please leave a comment here. You can also write to catboys AT paulchens.org and tell them your URL.

Candles lit for

all furriends affected by the bad weather in Midwest and Southeastern US| all critters in Japan that suffered from the big earthquake | SweetPraline |

Candles lit by

Kashim,Othello and Salome |

 

This candle lit by the

Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde & their Feeders

Rainbow Bridge - Miss Kitty

Miss Kitty was rescued about 16 years ago by my mom and my brother David.  She was always David's cat but she lived at my mom & dad's house.  First because he went to college, then because she didn't like anyone but David and heaven forbid there were other animals in the house!!  Miss Kitty was a feral cat rescued from underneath an old school building.  But my family has an excellent track record in rescuing feral cats.  It took many years before Miss Kitty would let anyone but David touch her.  Then it was just mom... then dad.  Oddly enough, she would come to me and my children... and once we married, my husband.  This rather shocked my mom since Miss Kitty didn't take to anyone else.  She was a long-hair black and white.  I have no pictures of her.  For the last six months or so she has spent most of her time on her pillow in front of the living room heater or on her soft throw rug on the couch.  She's been eating special food that had to be served in a particular way in a particular dish.

Since Christmas I've watched this beauty deteriorate.  Beginning to look like an old cat but still content so long as her people were there to serve her and give her the Proper Attention™ she deserved.  She spent a lot more time at the vets.  Last week she saw the vet four times and was diagnosed with kidney failure.  We all knew it was time to make sure that she was comfortable.  My brother went to have dinner with my parents, actually to visit his cat, Miss Kitty.  She had a good weekend but this morning she experienced seizures.  Mom called the vet to change her appointment from one to help her be comfortable to one to help her cross the Bridge.  Miss Kitty passed away in my mother's arms at the vet's office before her first shot.  She will be cremated and her ashes scattered over a farm that does that per David & my parents wishes.  My parents do not plan to get another cat.  Mom turned 69 this year and they want to travel.  It will be easier on them without having a furbaby at home to worry about.  But the house feels empty.  They haven't had a home without a cat since they were married when I was 11 (dad is mom's 2nd husband).  Their first cats were Elizabeth & Mittens, my late grandparents (actually my Aunt Susan's, see a trend here?) cat Gwenivere's last kittens.  Only two in the litter and we just had to have both.  I've lost furbabies over the years.  My parents, my brother have as well.  Every loss is like a hole in your heart.  But even though she was shy, she was beautiful.  And she leaves behind a small black and white hole.  Which explains why Star is trilling at me, trying to make me feel better.  Thanks for listening.

Kat

PS Corwyn just reminded me that Miss Kitty was 18 years old.

Farewell Sweet Charlotte

[from Charlotte's mom]

I JUST signed on to let you know that between 1:30 and 2:00 this afternoon Charlotte passed away.

Please thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.

She did not seem to suffer until this last day.  Starting last night she seemed to be in pain and frightened. We held her as much as she could tolerate. And sat with her, comforting her with touch and voice as much as possible. I made her comfortable with a soft towel and her own personal room heater in the bathroom. She knew she was loved and was not alone.

 

Cats Watching TV, Reading, & Nicodemus

It was a beautiful warm day yesterday.  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Horde spent most of the day outside, at least when not napping!!  They did come inside for their favorite show, Animal Cops on the Animal Planet Channel.  No, really.  Da Boys love to watch TV and they have certain shows that they prefer.  They like forensic shows over house shows, Cold Case over Law & Order (although Law & Order: Criminal Intent is interesting to them).  And there are certain shows that certain cats like more than others.  I haven't made a study of it.  I've always known that Da Boys like to watch TV and that they have preferences.  But I hadn't thought about it much until my son exclaimed, "They're watching the TV!!" the other night.

Now this is Nicodemus the Evile Anti-Koala.  He used to curl up with his head over my shoulder and read with me.  He was also known as the Velcro Kitty.  Poor baby!!  He couldn't retract his claws all the way so when they would get too long you could hear them in the carpet.  It sounded just like Velcro being pulled apart!!  He got the most astonished look on his face the first time I clipped his nails and he stepped on the carpet.  No Velcro sound!!  No sticking!  No having to pull up his paws to walk!!  It only took clipping his claws two or three times when the most astounding thing happened!

I was laying down in bed reading.  Suddenly there was this cat on my chest with his paw out!  Nikki had the most determined and insistent look on his face.  He tapped his paw on my chest impatiently.  "Well??  Do get on with it, my dear."  My brain suddenly made the connection.  Nikki wanted his claws clipped!  I quickly did the deed, whereupon he immediately tucked that paw under his chest and stuck the other one out.  "Come on.  Come on.  Chop, chop!  I've naps to take and birds to chase, donchaknow."  From then on, I never had to check Nikki to see if his claws needed to be done, catch him up, or hold him down to get them done.  He would hop up and 'present paw' just as if he were in the finest salon.  It's been ten years since he purred his way over the Rainbow Bridge laying on my chest.  I still miss him.  And I still sometimes feel his presence around me.

This is to everyone who has lost a fur friend or other family member.

  I did add the link to the whole card section for those 

wanting to send something to others via Snail Mail.