Dixie dog wearing her straw hat!
The lady has really been missing Cal a lot lately, which is to be expected. We really think she tries to repress memories to keep from crying. We've told her that isn't very healthy, but she doesn't listen to us --well what are we gonna do, we're cats!Well, her new blogger friend Shelly did such a wonderful thing for her. Shelly put a memorial of Cal on the Critters Pet Memorial site. Shelly has a page for her beloved pets who have gone to the bridge and she added Cal as a friend. When the lady saw Cal and the wonderful things written, she was so surprised. The memorial really helped her to find comfort and peace. Not to mention, she cried like a baby! She is so thankful that she has a place to visit Cal. Thank you for your kindness, Shelly!
Interesting story......Cal left for the bridge around 9:00am the morning of March 26, that afternoon around 6:00pm the lady and her mom did their 4 mile walk around the neighborhoods. The lady was avoiding being in the house as much as possible, so the walk was good for her that day. She has done this walk many times, but do you know what she saw this particular day? A black cat walking through the grass. She pretty much knows all the cats in the neighborhood, and this one didn't belong. She had never seen the cat before and has never seen it since. And trust us, she looks for it every day she goes walking. A friend of hers said it was Cal transitioning and she totally believes that. He probably just had to make sure she was going to be alright.
¯She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right
Yeah should be alright.¯
-Flogging Molly 
43 comments:
We are sorry you are still hurting, & we understand. It is so nice to have friends like Shelly to help you feel better. {hugs}
It is very hard to say goodbye to someone you love. Sometimes it is better to simply say 'see you later'.
We fully understand how hard it must have been to loose Cal. We wished it wouldn't hurt anymore, but it will probably hurt even a bit longer. The good thing is that the Lady did everything for Cal. And when it was time to let him go she did that too. That's the best every kitty can hope for! Even we miss Cal.
Please remember the good things and we would be very happy to read about him on your bloggie...
Purrs, Siena & Chilli
P.S.: The memorial site is a very sweet idea.
Mum says your mom has a wee pussy cat shaped hole in her heart. It will never heal fully, but she will always have a wee scar that will remind her of the special love she had for Cal.
Smooches
Poppy and Mum Q
That's a marvelous story about Cal and we think you're right, he was transitioning...
and perhaps that little black cat will cross your path again when you least expect it, and you'll know Cal is truly nearby. In truth, he'll always be nearby, in your heart.
I'm sure that was Cal that day on your walk. You will always miss Cal, he will always be a part of you. My mom still gets leaky thinking about our guardian angels. He had such a great life filled with love...and just like Siena and Chilli, we miss Cal too. He was very special.
PS, mom said that when our Maggie left for the Bridge, the next day our Colby woofie and Mikey and Lewis and Jonesie gathered at the base of the stairs and just stared at the same spot for a minute or 2. Mom said she was sure it was Maggie, just stopping back to say goodbye and check on everyone. It was very comforting.
Of course your mom is still grieving about Cat, but it sounds like the walk and the memorial page is just what she needs to begin to heal. Special purrs.
I am sorry that your mom is still hurting inside. These things take time, but like the humans say, time heals all things. Hopefully, through your love and support, she will move through this difficult time.
That memorial is really nice. I think the first year is the hardest, and it does take time to grieve. We lost two senior cats within six months a few years ago, and my husband and I had a really hard time even talking about them without crying for a long time. We still miss them. Of course, it helped a lot to have Franklin and Tasha (and we adopted Dobby during that time too), but individual cats are irreplaceable. Sometimes it's hard for people without pets to understand this, which is why the cat blogosphere helps.
(And I liked the story about the black cat - I think it was Cal!)
It's always so hard to lose a friend. That's a really nice Memorial to Cal. We're also sure that was Cal your Mom saw on her walk. We think Cal wanted your Mom to see how happy and healthy he was.
I miss Cal too and I never met him! He looked like such an awesome cat. It was the video of him rooting around in your wallet that made me love Cal. I had tears reading this because I know how hard it is. It's great to have a memorial that you can visit when you miss him
I believe that was Cal you saw on your walk because even though it's been almost 3 years since Muddy left, I still feel him checking things out once and awhile. I think he's checking out Sam & Deli and coming by for a kiss on the head...
Have a good weekend!
Beautiful Memorial! He is with our "cat angels" now!
purrs and love
Luna
( and mommy Léia )
The mom still misses TT and dat will be a year in July. It's okay to miss our furry loved ones and it is certainly OK to cry! Mom has found if she finks happy thoughts about TT dat it makes it alright. Cal wudn't want fer yer mom to not fink of hims. Yoo know, the mom has even cried in a bathroom at a store acuz she missed TT so much. Cal knows hims is loved!!
Milo and Alfie said it would be OK if I (Milo and Alfie's mom) left a message for Cal's Mom:
Losing a special cat (or any pet) is painful and the grief just doesn't dissipate and go away, it lingers. The more you loved the more it hurts - it's a two sided coin. So we're sorry you're hurting for loss of Cal - but at the same time, that tells us just how much Cal was loved. So embrace the pain, don't be afraid of it, it is an expression of your love for Cal.
Have you ever read this:
Living Love
If you ever love an animal, there are three days in your life you will always remember...
The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your young new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked numerous opinions of many vets, or done long research in finding a breeder. Or, perhaps in a fleeting moment, you may have just chosen that silly looking mutt in a shelter - simply because something in its eyes reached your heart. But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore, and claim its special place in your hall or front room - and when you feel it brush against you for the first time - it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years to come.
The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your long-time friend and see age where you once saw youth. You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw energy. And you will see sleep where you once saw activity. So you will begin to adjust your friend's diet - and you may add a pill or two to her food. And you may feel a growing fear deep within yourself, which bodes of a coming emptiness. And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day finally arrives.
And on this day - if your friend and God have not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own - on behalf of your lifelong friend, and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit. But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you - you will feel as alone as a single star in the dark night. If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not many in your circle of family or friends will be able to understand your grief, or comfort you. But if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul - a bit smaller in size than your own - seems to walk with you, at times, during the lonely days to come. And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you may feel something brush against your leg - very, very lightly. And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to lie - you will remember those three significant days. The memory will most likely be painful, and leave an ache in your heart. As time passes, the ache will come and go as it has a life of its own. You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache.
But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day when - along with the memory of your pet - and piercing through the heaviness in your heart - there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love - like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after the petals have wilted, this love will remain and grow - and be there for us to remember. It is a love we have earned. It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go. And it is a gift we may keep with us as long as we live. It is a love which is ours alone. And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our beloved pets - it is a love that we will always possess.
~ Written by Martin Scot Kosins, Author of "Maya's First Rose" ~
May you have a living love for Cal, Jan Marshall.
Well, what can I add to that. That was beautiful. Only people who have loved their companion pets can understand the very unique grief that comes at their loss.
I am so sorry you are still hurting from your loss. When I was adopted by my people they had a cat named Tiggy and we lost her like a couple of years after I came along. I know my people were very sad and I did my best to cheer them up. They still talk about her from time to time. I hope I leave a lasting footprint in their heart like Tiggy did.
Our Mom believes the only way to live with the loss is to talk about them! Share the memories with any one that will listen. It's OK if she and Dad sometimes call us Wizard! We feel it is an honor to be mistaken for their great baby! I am sure Cal was checking on your Mom to make sure she was OK.
I am so sorry for your loss. That was an absolutely wonderful tribute to your beloved Cal. You are a very special person who cares deeply for your 4 legged children. I assure you all of us here understand your pain.
That was a very special thing that her friend, Shelly, did for your mom. Sorry your mom is still feeling sad over the loss of Cal, they certainly had a special bond.
Tell your mom we are sending her lots of comforting purrs her way.
Mindy, Moe, Bono, Mike, Cookie
It's hard to lose a faithful friend like your wonderful Cal. Shelly is very sweet for adding him to the memorial.
We're sorry that your Mom is missing Cal, it is understandable. We didn't know him well but we'd like to think he met Wednesday at the bridge so she could have a Panther cat friend. The Memorial page is very nice.
Things happen like that to comfort us, and we are sure you did spot Cal on that walk.
Shelly's memorial for Cal was beautiful, and it made my eyes leak, too. It's okay for your mom to feel sad, and take as much time as she needs. My Mommie still misses a very special Siamese cat named Haiku who went to the Bridge over 20 years ago! Cal was an awesome kitty, and he will always be in her heart. And Cal touched us, too! So he will be in the hearts of many.
My mum was leaking at your post and said she understands how you feel. Mum also says she thinks your mum is so right about the black cat, it will be Cal saying hello I am ok mum. That must be a comfort. I quite often look up at a certain place, or look towards a door and mum feels it too. We thin k little Dolly cat comes to see we are ok.
That memorial site is so lovely and will give your mum such comfort.
Mum also says tears are good and bring release.
Hugs GJ xx
We are sorry about your sadness. That is a wonderful post. Mom had similar meetings when Frieda is gone to the bridge. Last week we had a visitor with the same eyes like Frieda and Mom screamed...look there is Frieda!!!She understand what you feel now.
That made us all teary eyed. It is so hard when you lose a special someone but it seems that Cal has figured out how to help your mom through it all.
She is going to be alright.
Purrs and hugs from the Sumac Felines
We're sorry your mom is missing Cal...we know how much Cal meant to her...and all of you! That was a really nice thing your mom's friend did...they say doing memorials, scrap books of photos, things like that help you get through it...it's sad to lose a special cat...our mom feels that way about Scooter, the one that came before us...we're sure that the black cat your mom saw that morning was Cal or was sent by Cal to let your mom know he was alright....purrs to your mom so she will be less sad....
Its owner can't be so sad =(
We also still upset about the departure of Cal, but she has to remember only the good things and keep smiling ^^
Jas & Gi
Oh that was sweet. I think it was Cal for sure. When the one before me died Mommy felt her jump on the bed in the middle of the night the night she went to the bridge.
Big mom hugs to you!!
I hoped Dixie cheered you up a bit with her silly hat! I am sure that was Cal you saw on your walk. I have had similar experiences when my cats have passed. They are always with you, even more so when they are gone. My heart is with you in your grief!
Cheri and the cats of Wildcat Woods
Cliff and Olivia's Woman:
It's so hard to lose a loved one and the pain feels like a black hole in the heart. Someone once told me, that when you choose to have a pet, you choose a future sorrow. I find it such a sad view of life, because it doesn't account for all the wonderful joys, all the cuddles, all the smiles and all the love. So even though it is sad and Cal is missed, he was also loved and gave love. That's a beautiful thing. And I'm sure he was the black cat in the grass.
The memorial is very nice and such a kind gesture.
Cliff and Olivia sends purrs.
I love your story about the black cat -- I'm sure you are right. I had to leave Monger to go to my grandmother's funeral the weekend he died -- I was devastated that I wasn't home when he went downhill so fast, tho I couldn't help it. A friend of mine suggested that maybe my absence gave him permission to die. He held on for me to get back (the pet sitter called with an urgent message to return) and I was able to say goodbye. I cry to think of it, but it was time for him to go. I still miss him.
Our internet is back up -- two days with no service -- and it is working properly, which is to say, acting like high-speed, not dial up!
I'm glad about the memorial to Cal. These things help.
I luvs da hat Dixie Dog!
Momma knows just how your momma feels. It is still a struggle for momma to thinks of her beautiful Patches cat without thinking about how she left this world. It can be a challenge to smile at wonderfur memories and not shed any tears. We sends luvs to your momma and all of you creek cats & Dixie Dog! You guys are da best!!
*purrrrrrrrrrrrs & nosetaps* to all of you!
What a sweet memorial to Cal. My mom totally understands the pain of your loss. I think that is ok! Mom herself still misses her Dandelion, her calico who went to the bridge over two years ago. Reading your tribute brought tears to my mom's eyes. Mom still has moments of extreme sorrow when she thinks of Dandelion. And to think, I used to torment Dandelion!
Also, thanks for the birthday wishes! Dixie dog wearing the straw hat is very cute!
We're so sorry about Cal. We lost our Mr. Pickles this year and just put a little statue in the catnip garden in memory of him.
I've had another cat pass away that actually came back to say goodbye to me...my dog woke me up growling at something. I looked down the hallway and saw a cat sitting on the arm of the couch in the moonlight. It looked like my departed Chester but I thought it must be a trick of light so I got up and walked down the hall. He turned his head and looked at me. When I got even with the bathroom door I heard a noise and looked in there and my other two cats were in there. When I looked back at the couch Chester was gone and my dog quit growling and laid down.
Maybe Cal will come visit you for a final goodbye.
So sorry about your loss, but what a beautiful story to have had one last moment with "Cal" while out walking that day. It's like an extra minute, a bonus special second to help heal.
How lucky, really, when you think of it. How many of us would do anything for just a few more minutes or one last look?
Stay strong and give the others extra love -- they'll all help you through.
That was a wonderful thing Shelly did for your Mom. It's a very lovely memorial for Cal.
The anniversary of our dog Stitch passing is coming up. Four years. It can still be sad to think of him, as he was a huge part of our lives and I wish he were still with us. Time is the only thing that helped lessen the immense pain.
It's not been long since Cal left for the bridge. Acknowledging your sadness, and crying, is good. ((for your Mom))
It was Cal! I know it was. To let you know all was OK and you were too!
Tommy says years ago, she had a mancat, named Morris. Feline leukemia took him away from her. Tommy says that night, she heard what sounded like a cat jump from a table. The noise woke her up. Morris was a big boned cat, so he made lots of noise, Tommy said. She knew it had to be Morris, because his Mommy, was curled by Tommy snoozing. She knew Morris checked in on her. She never heard it again.
Cal is forever with you.
That was so nice of Shelley! And we agree.
There is a time for loving
A time for losing, and
A time for remembering...
I'm so happy that the memorial for Cal has brought you comfort and peace. I know that doing to memorial for Comet sure helped me and that was ten years later. I just did what I would want someone to do for me if I lost Coal......hopefully that won't happen for 10....er, make that 20...more years.
Dixie is adorable!
I can understand how hard it must be for your Mommie after losing Cal, and I wish all the best for you in this difficult time. In time, I'm sure the sense of loss will be gradually replaced by fond memories of your time with Cal. Many hugs.
It's very hard after losing a furry.
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