Thanksgiving Tribute

I was inspired to tell you a story about a special cat named Snowflake by Brian that I had the pleasure of spending the last year or two of his life with. He was a special cat, one I may have told some of you about before.

Snowflake was special in many ways. Yes he was FIV+, which made him special needs, but that's another issue. He was a bad*** when he wanted to be, and at first, he HATED me. He'd bite and try to attack me at every chance he could. I was intruding. But soon we bonded, and before too long, the attacking was all in play! He lulled me to sleep more than once after my Mom had died. He was huge for a part-siamese cat. Everything you think of when it comes to siamese cats, he was not. He wasn't small, shorthaired, and noisy. He was HUGE (bigger than any of my coons now), long-haired, and quiet. I still miss that cat. He went to the hospital 9/11/01 (yes, THAT morning) and was helped to the bridge the following Monday.

While we're talking about special cats, let me introduce Ollie. Oliver, or Ollie as we called him, was a rescue that was brought to me while I was in Iowa (when the twins were just kittens) by a neighbor. Turns out the cat had lice (which I hadn't had in a very long time), but luckily my roommate knew a cheap way of killing them without all the chemicals! Good thing too 'cause I'm quite itchy as it is - easily tickled, even by my own hair! He vanished shortly after we went our separate ways, and by now he's surely dead. But he was one sweet kitten!

This is Shadow. She was a sweet cat and we think Nimbus' half-sister (same daddy). I see the resemblance! She was a very sweet cat that belonged to my roommate back in Iowa. She's the whole reason Nimbus exists! She and Jadzia bonded instantly and Jadzia followed her everywhere - including outside. Shadow knew where all the little holes were, but once Jadzia knew where she was she freaked. She hated outside (and still quite detests it), and it made for many, many long nights trying to get her to come to me so I could get her inside. Shortly after we went our separate ways, Shadow became sick and went to the bridge.

Angel was a very special cat of Mr. Cat's. Her, along with Obnoxio (or Nupsy, as he calls her) were sisters and I believe littermates. Angel died of old age a while back (she was like 21 or 22), a testament of how much Mr. Cat loves and takes care of his cats. She was quite the girl, and sweet as pumpkin pie!

And this cat, I saved for last for a reason. This was Mr. Cat's impossible kitty. This is Astro, a cat that found his way to Mr. Cat years and years ago, a stray cat that decided he was ready for a forever home and picked his own! He was quite the fighter and defender of his turf, but inside, he had to take second fiddle to the girls. Astro got a very mean case of Lukemia and while he fought it good and hard (even catching full-grown rabbits as he was struggling to live), they finally had to help him to the bridge. But still... the cat that was a stray lived well into his teens. I wish I could've known Mr. Cat's cats, but I know now for sure that there's plenty of love left in him, because he's shown that same love and dedication to his new feline family! There'll never be another Astro cat, but there never could be. I don't think there could ever be another face as sweet but mean at the same time!
So this Thanksgiving, it's not about mourning the ones who have found their way to the bridge ahead of us, but treasuring the memories they gave us. Mr. Cat has memories of piles of cicadas, I have memories of a cat being mistaken for a dog (yes, Snow was THAT big), and we have plenty of memories of a kitten trying to eat Ivory soap (Nimbus), a stray cat that looked dead-on like Nimbus back in Ohio (but SHE was a bit too funny to even be Nimbus LOL), and a lot of other cats that we've been introduced to that touched us in their own ways. This Thanksgiving I dedicate to the laughter of friends and furfriends that have come before us and the knowledge that the best days are yet to come.