Author: Carole

Hi everyone.
You’re receiving this letter
because you either interacted with Velvet
at some point or other in her life
heard me speak of her are a fellow pet owner or are simply a friend.
For those of you that never had the pleasure of meeting her
she was a pure-bred Siamese.
I received her from a family friend a few months after I turned 6 in 1983.
Velvet was roughly 4 to 6 weeks old at the time.

She passed away Saturday night at the age of 18 years 6 months.
If you didn’t know that’s a very advanced age for a cat.
They’re considered geriatric at 8
and the average life span is roughly 11-13 years.
Her life span of 18 ½ years is roughly equivalent
to a human living 90 years for perspective.
“urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

I know this letter is long but I ask that you read it.
I spent a while remembering all the things in my life with Velvet and
writing them down as much as I could.
To give you all an idea of what she was like and
what she meant to me.

We took to each other rather quickly considering
she was a kitten and I was a little kid full of energy.
I had a ton of time to play with her talk to her and
pretty much build a very strong bond that lasted her entire life.
She was a typical Siamese in look; jet black legs ears tail and face
with a light tan/gray body color
that over the years changed to dark brown/gray.
However she wasn’t typical in her behavior.

Velvet would do little things that would amaze us as she grew up.
It wasn’t uncommon to see her use our toilet instead
of her litter box (my aunt Thea said it blew her mind
when she saw it especially since she had perfect aim. lol)
turn on the water faucet if she wanted a drink
or push open doors if she wanted to leave a room.
She even learned how to stick her paw underneath a door
if the space was large enough
or into the crack between the door and the wall
and pull until it came open.
As you can probably surmise by now
she was extremely intelligent.

Very much a house cat she could be seen romping down the hallways
up and down the stairs or settling into a ball
on your lap for a nap.
I spent many hours running through the house
with a shoe lace trailing behind me
laughing frantically as she gave chase.
At other times when I was in my “down time” mode
she would climb up on my bed and
plop herself right on top of a magazine I was reading at the time
or just sit and watch TV with me purring.

She was never fond of the outdoors
but as she grew older she began to grow bolder.
When we moved in the early 90’s
we had a front yard with a tree and two bushes.
During the summertime she would come out and
sit on the stoop with me and soak in the sun
sometimes venturing out far enough
to take a few sniffs of the bushes or roll in the grass.
I guess she’d realize where she was because
like clockwork she would get up and run back to me purr a little
and ask to be let back into the house.
That process would repeat itself a few times during the day every day
until it got too cold for her to be outside.
During other times of the year she would sit up
in the window sill and lazily watch the world go by.

She would show her affection in myriad ways.
I’d wake up in the morning with her sleeping
next to my head chest or back.
She’d meow and lick my face to wake me up in the morning
for cartoons on Saturday and for school on the weekdays.
Come to think of it maybe waking me up on weekdays
for school wasn’t a loving gesture hehe.
She was even very protective.
If she ever thought I was under attack she would rush to the rescue.
When I was little my mom would tickle me mercilessly
and I’d be laughing and crying sometimes screaming
because I couldn’t take it anymore.
The first time I remember Velvet came out of nowhere and
jumped on my mom’s leg and actually bit and clawed her.
That continued for a long time until my mom figured
it was best not to try and tickle me anymore
with Velvet around.
Later on when she was older and
couldn’t really move around that much
she would give a growl if I cried her name out
during a tickling session.
It was generally enough to make my mom !
stop (love ya mom!).

I guess it was one of those perks
that come from being a protective owner.
I would feed her meat from my plate tuna fish
that mom would make and other assorted goodies.
Naturally she relished the food to the point where a meal
would not go by where she wouldn’t paw my leg begging for food.
I pretty much would oblige in every case
even at the chastising from mother. 🙂

Over the years I naturally had other pets;
two gerbils two cats and two iguanas.
She never bothered the gerbils
(though she did kill the occasional mouse
that found its way into our house)
or the iguanas but she had problems with the other cats.
The first cat we got was an all white mutt named Barnacle.
They actually got along eventually after a few weeks of tension.
I guess because Velvet was young enough (9 I believe)
so that she could keep him in his place.
If he ever got out of line it wasn’t uncommon to see her bat him
across the face or knock him down.
With the pecking order firmly established she grew comfortable
and they even started to become good friends from what I could tell.
Unfortunately my mom decided to give him to some friends of hers
because he was a marauder of meat.
Anytime she left food out to defrost
he’d throw it on the floor and devour it.
He would also tip over the garbage looking for food.
I guess she got tired of it hehe.

It was the second cat that we got Orion
who caused all the major problems.
Velvet was older at that time (11 I think) and
couldn’t physically stand up to him.
Over the course of a few weeks
I noticed that she began to get listless and was losing weight quickly.
It turns out that Orion was stealing her food
not letting her use the litter box until he had soiled it and
was taking her sleeping spot (the bean bag under my bed).
Once I realized what was going on
I very quickly removed Orion from the household and
she bounced back to her normal self within a week.
After that there was never another pet in the house.

Amazingly Velvet was still very spry even at the age of 14.
It was no feat for her to jump up into my lap
when I was on the computer and settle in for a few hours
as I worked surfed or watched DVD movies
(this was before I got my entertainment set in 2k).
She was still able to jump up to the top bunk of my bed and
take a nap in the pile of clothes
that I neglected to hang up (sorry mom!).
Even at that advanced age
I could get her to run up and down the stairs
up and down our furniture chasing after a shoelace.
Naturally she wasn’t able to give chase as long;
usually a minute or two before she would have to sit down.
Those were the times that I would pick her up put her in my lap
and let her chew on the string while I brushed her with my hand.

I think I truly realized how deeply
she was attached to me when I went off to Yale in 1996.
My mom told me that every day that I was gone
she would wail for hours and hours on end
when she would pass my room.
She wouldn’t sleep anywhere else but under my bed
on the bean bag that I had given to her
and many times wouldn’t come out of the room
except to eat and use the litter box.
But when I would come home during vacation
the wailing would stop and she would treat my mom as if she didn’t exist.
When I left Yale in 1998 and came home
it was as if I never left to her.

In the years from 1998 to 2001
I really began to notice the effects of age on her body
as her sleeping patterns lengthened
she gained weight and her hair color darkened.
She even had to take the steps one at a time
sometimes catching her breath midway before continuing.
Arthritis set in on the arch of her back and her legs.
Eventually we had to get her medication
so that she could move around effectively.
Cloudiness began to set in around the outer edges of her eyes
and slowly crept in until both eyes were covered with a light film.
At the end she would sleep an average 21 to 23 hours a day
only waking to use the litter
get food and water or come and say hi to me.

I moved out with my partner Edgar Peterson in June 2001.
Velvet would cry all the time for the few months
that I was out of my mom’s house.
Again she never left my room unless
she wanted food or to use the litter.
One day my mom decided to bring her over so she could
see the new place.
Velvet hated traveling
(normally she would put up a tremendous struggle)
but that day she was unusually quiet and well behaved.
Well until she got to our apartment and saw me.
Then she started meowing and purring walking around the house
generally making herself at home.
After maybe half an hour she became really tired
so I put her up on our bed. She fell asleep instantly.
Maybe 2 to 3 hours later mom was ready to leave
so we began putting Velvet into her carrier.
She put up the most amazingly struggle I have ever seen.
Even when we finally managed to get her in the carrier
she butted her head up against the metal grating on the door
desperately trying to get out.
In all the years that we’ve taken her places
be it the vet moving or just a ride in the car
she never ever put up that much of a fight or seemed
that desperate to get out.
We figured that she didn’t want to leave me.
As soon as we brought her back upstairs
she stopped meowing and walked down the bedroom and went to sleep.
Thus Velvet moved in. Luckily Eddie likes cats. 🙂

By late 2001/early 2002 her age had finally caught up to her mentally.
There were behaviors that after researching
I realized were due to her advanced age.
Sometimes she would step halfway into the litter box
think that she was inside and “do her business” on the floor.
Other times she had difficulty walking in a straight line.
And many times she would meow for no reason
just long drawn out wails.
When she would sleep she had trouble keeping her head up.
I began realizing that her end was coming a few weeks ago
when the behaviors became more frequent.

Through it all she still made huge attempts to socialize.
If Eddie and I were watching TV
she’d come out and sit at my feet.
Once she struggled mightily to jump the 1 ½ ft clearance
to get on top of our leather sofa so she could watch a movie with us;
a clearance that in her youth would have been nothing to her.
I knew she was determined because she stared intently
at the spot she wanted to get to.
Finally after a few minutes of staring
she made the jump and landed barely
before settling in for the movie.
It was the last time she would make any jump.

April 6th Saturday night I took a shower.
As was customary for her when I came out of the shower
she got up out of her “Bed Buddies” pet bed and
walked over to me and sat at my feet as I dried off.
She placed a paw on my big toe as was usual
before lowering her head onto her leg and drifting off the sleep.

A few hours later I wrapped her up in my scarf and
carried her in my arms a few blocks to the pet hospital.
She didn’t struggle
but she did meow greatly when we left the apartment.
I just kept talking to her you know to keep her calm.
I just kept saying “Sshhh. It’s okay Velvet.
It’s alright. I’m right here.
I’m not going anywhere,” over and over again.
She settled quickly and even began purring.

We got to the hospital and she started crying again.
I had forgotten to keep talking to her.
I started again and she quieted down again relaxing in my arms.
I took her in one of the back rooms of the hospital
where the doctors let me stay with her.
She was as wide eyed as I’d ever seen her in a long time
maybe years.
I had forgotten how beautiful they were;
deep blue almost like crystal very piercing.
I kept talking to her rubbing her fur telling her how much I loved her
how much she meant to me.
The doctors took almost half an hour to finally come
but I’m glad they did take a long time.
It gave me time to really be alone with her and
cherish those last moments.

They asked me why I had come to the hospital
for the euthanasia procedure and I explained her symptoms;
suffering from natural aging wear and tear
on a physical and mental level.
You know it’s funny.
They gave the normal platitudes of
“Well we’re sorry about your loss” and whatnot.
But I could tell the change in their demeanor and attitude
when I said in between tears mind you
that I had her in my care since I was 6 and
that she was 18 ½ yrs of age.
It was hard for me to keep my demeanor together
no let me be honest.
I couldn’t keep myself together.
They asked if I wanted a few minutes more but I said no.

The doctor raised her hind leg and shaved a tiny spot
on her leg so that he could see a vein.
She began to struggle a little bit and complain
but I kept rubbing her and talking to her to calm her down again.
He slowly inserted the needle.
At that point I sat down eye to eye with Velvet and
rubbed her face softly
heard her purring as she looked at me.
As the doctor injected the solution
I could see her breathing slowing her eyes dilating.
I kept rubbing her and talking to her even as her life was slipping away.
She meowed quietly as the doctor finished the solution.
A few seconds passed before she took one last breath
and then she was gone.

My research on euthanasia told me that Velvet
would be put into a deep and irreversible sleep
would feel no pain as the solution
relaxed her heart muscles and diaphragm
and stopped neural activity.
It was comforting to know that she didn’t suffer any
during the procedure and that I was there with
her to see her through it.

Velvet was my first pet.
For all intents and purposes we grew up together.
It’s amazing how many things can happen over 18 ½ years.
When I put her life into perspective
she lived through four presidents three domestic terrorist attacks,
two wars economic booms and busts and
only one truly good Batman movie.
She had a full life in which she was loved dearly and
she returned that love.

I had a very difficult time writing this down.
I had to stop a few times.
Remembering many of these situations
brought uncontrollable tears to my eyes
but in the end I’m glad I did.
It gave me a chance to fully reflect over my life with my cat
and see how much she was a part of it.
I hope that those of you who are still reading
at this point enjoyed it in some small part.
I tried to convey the sense of meaning
that she had in my life and what she brought.
She was one of a kind.

Malik Graves-Pryor

My Pooh Kitty had to leave me a few weeks ago.
I have had her since she was 5 weeks old and could fit her
in the palm of my hand.
We have travelled a long road together her and I.
Pooh would never chase mice that got in the house.
She grew up with hamsters mice guinea pigs gerbils etc.
So if a mouse got in the house
it was considered a pet and off limits.

She also was the neighborhood terror to dogs that came visiting.
She didn’t care how big they were
she’d chase them away.
No dogs allowed on her property and that was it!!

Sunday the 7th she wasn’t feeling too well and
I noticed she was wheezing when she breathed.
I waited until the next day and she was worse.
She was fighting for every breath she took.
I called the vet and off we went.
When we got there he took her temp and
it was normal her lungs were clear
but she couldn’t breath good.
He offered to a lot of tests to see what was happening to her
but I made the decision not to let her suffer
anymore than she had already.

I held my Pooh cuddled in my arms
told her what a good kitty she had been all these years.
Thanked her for being my friend and confidant and
said it was time for her to rest now.
I am crying for my best girl oh how I miss her.

God please take care of my special girl and Pooh.
I’ll be looking for you when it’s my time to go.

Love,
Your Mommy {Rose}

Mr. Tippi Toes came into my life and I was six at the time and
you we a good watch dog and
I got you from the same breeder as I got Miss Ladi Love from .

This is how you got your name
because your whole body was fawn
but your tips of your toes were white and on your chest
you had white and your tip of your tail was white.

Mr. Tippi Toes was my boy and you had a close bond
with Miss Ladi Love and you had very beautiful puppies
and again you were close to someone else.
My two cats and they would play
and Mr. Toes and Mr. Paws helped you with
your heart problem and the vet you went to
was the same one that Mr. Toes and Mr. Paws went to and
the three of you had to see the vet at the same time and
the vet saw that you had a heart problem and
he was mad that we kept you but somehow the cats
made his heart stronger by doing this to you
by racing with you in the house .

And all we saw was you then the cats and
then we had to take you back to the vet
and he asked how your heart was stronger and my parents said
that Mr. Toes and Mr. Paws was racing with him in the house
and for some reason you loved me very much and
I felt the same way and when I went to take you outside for a walk
you would stay close beside me and
you would not let no one touch me at all.

Then one of the neighbor kids wanted to steal you from us and
he dropped you and you got very mean to everyone
so you went to the animal shelter and you were put to sleep.

I miss you very much.
I only had you for two years .
Mr. Tippi Toes you will stay in my heart forever
and this is very hard to say this good bye for now.

And may Mr. Toes and Mr. Paws and Miss Ladi Love and
you are playing again.
And we will cross that bridge together.

Love always,

Your Sister
{Amanda}

Who could have guessed that a scrawny stray cat
with a knack for coming when called
would be part of our family’s heart for almost 14 years?
The cat-who-was-turned-out by someone else
became our precious “Jimmy”.

Only a cat of wisdom could have ingratiated himself
to a man who “hated cats” to the point
where that man went out with an eager almost-5-year-old
to buy a litter box
“but he isn’t going to sleep in the house at night;
he has to sleep on the porch.”
Only a cat of generous heart could have been patient
enough to wait for the man’s affirmation.
After all what was not to love?
Besides the boy and the mom loved him right away.

Jimmy became an integral part of the Scott family.
He was unfailingly affectionate unfailingly loving
and unfailingly a cat to the last.
When the man the woman and the boy took him in
he took them in as well.
When a little tiny puppy joined the family
he raised her to be his sister.
They were a family of five for many years.

And when the time came to go
it was without struggle
for Jimmy was secure in the knowledge
that he was loved and that the family would come for him.
And we did.
His mortal remains lie just outside the back door
in the yard he loved.
His spirit waits at the Rainbow Bridge
for the first of us to come and join him there.

Rest in peace my darling darling Jimmy.
You are the goodest kitty
in the whole world.

Love,

Mom
{Shaune}

The first rabbit we had was Clover a white dwarf male.
A couple months later
someone I knew was giving their black Havana rabbit Jackie
away so we took her.
We didn’t really want baby rabbits but it happened.
I found seven little babies one palomino one white
one grey with a cream underside
two that were almost identical in color
except for one had a little white on his nose
one white with a little light brown on her
and finally one white with dark brown patches around her eyes.

I took them out to make sure they were being fed every day
even before their eyes were open.
One by one the babies went to new homes except three,
the grey twin without the white on his nose and
Dotty the one with dark brown patches around her eyes.

Then we didn’t realize our cage for the mother
was a death trap.
It had been given to us with the mother rabbit.
The lid was half the top of the cage.
The rest was chicken wire.

Dotty was high stung and one day
when I was putting her back
she jumped from my arms to the chicken wire and
tried to jump into the cage.
Her leg got caught she squealed and squirmed then fell.
Her leg was snapped and the bone was nearly through the skin.
We jumped in the car and drove to several vets.
The price was raging from 700- 1,500 to fix it
when we remembered a relative
who runs a vet.
He fixed it for 200 and she was fine for a month.
Then on April 8 at ten
I took her out she was having trouble standing
and she was straining to breath.
Half a hour later
she was dead.

We buried her beside my rat Tiki the next day.
My poor little Dotty I knew her
before she had seen the light of day.
She was just a baby.

Alexandra

I just lost my little girl to a sudden disease
that took her away from me.
She was my soul mate where pets are concerned.
Right from the first day I brought her home
I knew she is…was so special.

The very first day and time I picked her up into my arms
she rolled over and looked up at me
with her sweet brown eyes as if to say
“let’s go home Mommy”.
I miss my baby girl so much right now.
It hurts so much and I feel so guilty.

I love her so much and still wish
she could walk into my room with her favorite toy
wanting me to play.
She was the sweetest
most loving little dog and was a part of my family.
She was a soft reddish brown with the fastest little tongue.
She loved kissing you and showing her love for you.
She didn’t deserve to die so young.
I do so miss my Cleo!!

She was there when my son or I felt sick
staying right next to us like a dotting mother.
She protected my son from what she determined was a bad dog
whenever one came around.
She was loved by all of my and my son’s friends.

She would do a “mind meld” thing
when she had to go out.
She loved to play tug of war and fetch
and add some of her most endearing qualities to the games
making you laugh.
She loved sleeping with Mom
with her head on a pillow and body under the covers
and just her head and paws out like a human.
I swear she almost thought she was one of us
just shorter and hairier.

I really really miss my little girl…..

Shelley

Missy was a wonderful all white American Eskimo puppy
when we first purchased her from a Miami pet store.
It was love at first sight.
She immediately became the humor in a family
of only my husband and I.

As the first sixteen years of her life passed
Missy would share our lives in
6 different cities and 8 different homes.
She always adapted and made us adapt faster.
She had more frequent flyer miles than most business travelers.

During the holidays Missy allowed us to decorate her
with ribbons hats and sweaters.
She always loved the attention and
was such a prissy dog who did not like to be dirty.
She barked at everything; but rarely at nothing.
Car riding and boat riding were her favorite sports.
And she knew the sound of getting
the car keys or the boat cooler.
It was so hard to deny her the simple pleasure of a ride.

Although she had been purchased in the sunny south
we ended up in a much colder climate.
We believed she finally was i
n the weather zone made for her system.
And she loved the snow.
Every winter day was like a new adventure
as she went out for her daily romps in the snow.

However on April 12 2002
I packed my bags to visit relatives.
That night Missy was let out like a thousand times before;
however she did not return.
All the neighbors and friends
of a loving rural community could not locate her.
Her vet said that at age 17
she probably just went off to die and
her pride would not allow us to see her wither away.
She was deaf and nearly blind
but had not yet lost control of her life.

We miss her desperately and pray that she found peace
in the rural western Maryland mountains
she loved so much.
Although we did not get to say farewell
we will love and miss our Missy always.

Sadly missed by

Debbie & Ken Bishop

I’d tell you that I was sorry for getting angry
when you wouldn’t listen….
you were an animal but more than anything a family member.
I’d give anything to hear you scratch at the door again….
to put your head near the bed and
wake me up to tell me you had to go outside.
To watch you lay in the sun and just be comfortable….
to let me brush you one more time….
to hold you close when it thundered because you were so scared.
 
I wish I could take you for one last walk down the street
to watch you prance around…..
to watch you get excited when all the neighborhood children
would come to pet you…
they all knew your name.
I’d like to give you back a few more years with us….
 
I wish I could have given you your sight back
and gotten rid of your arthritis.
With tears in our eyes we let you go to run free.
It wasn’t fair to have to worry about you when nobody was home
in case you had another seizure.
The Vet couldn’t guarantee it
so we decided it was your time to be free from all pain
free from worry.
 
But know this Blackie…
you’ll never be free from us
because you’ll always be with us in our hearts.
The memories of you will never be forgotten.
We love you….lie down now and rest.
 
We miss you.. :'(
 
Jim
 
 
 
 

I am 15 years old and so is my loving loyal companion.
Bethany has been my sister and my mother’s baby.
We lost Bethany’s brother last year.
It was the hardest things in the world for us.
We knew Bethany’s fate wasn’t looking well.
But I at least never felt these days would come.

I look at her and I wonder
if I could have been a more loving sister to her.
I’m just realizing that I might have taken her for granted.
I am so worried about my mom.
I love her so much.
It’s so hard to see the ones you love the most cry.
I never felt so helpless.
I can’t believe the things we have done for her
how much love we have given her.

She and her brother are
the most amazing creatures god could have ever given us.
We are so sad and scared because it feels like were loosing
a family member and I am so selfish.
She’s in so much pain and all I want is to keep holding on to her.
She is a little bit older than me and
I have never been without her for all of my life.
This is torture in the worst way.

I have learned death brings people together and
I feel so much closer to my mom and finally Bethany.
Just a little to late.

I remember when I was little I used to lock them in my room.
I read them stories and I used to have doggy picture day
where I would dress them up.
Bethany will finally get to see the ones I miss so much.
She will see Petey her other brothers and sisters and my daddy.
For that sometimes I’m jealous that she can go and I can’t.
I love you mommy so much and
you love reading these stories
because they help you
I hope I have you have helped you too.

I’ll be your friend not only your daughter.
Being a teen isn’t easy and I’m sorry
I haven’t always been there for you and Bethany
as much as I would have liked.

I love you mom and Bethany.
I’ll see you soon lil girl.
I’ll always love you and your brother.
You will be well taken care of in heaven.
Daddy will be there for you Bethany so have no fear.
I love you and I can’t believe this is goodbye.
I know realize how much you are suffering and
I know this is for the best.

Goodbye my only sister and loving lil girl.

Kerry

Brandy was my best friend.
She cheered me up when I was sad;
she made me even happier when I was already happy.
I was only 4 years old at the time
but I remember the first day
me and my dad and my grandma went to get her.
We had seen this 5 month old puppy
in a cage barking at us and jumping around.
As soon as we seen her it was true love.

The next 11 years was nothing but joy for all of us.
When God decided it was time to take her back
I wasn’t home.
I called my mom and asked how she was
and I found out that she had to be put down.
I feel so guilty that I wasn’t there with her.

I miss her so much and I love her.
I now have a new puppy
but it won’t be the same without Brandy.
She was my heart my soul my Angel.

Brandy
I hope your having fun with Gizmo Gismoe and Sam.
I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to hold you
when God took you away.
I hope you’ll never forget how much I love you.

Love Always,

Mommy Daddy Uncle Wilbur,
and of course…..
Your Sister Rachel

I first met Perky my grey dwarf rabbit
when I was seven.
I had been nagging my parents to let me get a pet for ages and
they finally agreed to let me choose one
for my birthday.

I went to the pet shop and looked around.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a small cage
in the back of the shop.
I went over to it and inside were three rabbits.
Two black and one grey.
This grey one was to be my future pet.
I chose Perky because I felt sorry for her,
you’re probably wondering why.
She was the smallest and she was sitting by herself
in the corner of the cage. I went over to my Dad and said
“I want that one.”
My Perky got put in a box and taken home.

She lived in a huge cage and
was let out to eat grass in our back garden.
She lived with a little guinea pig called Nervous.
Unfortunately Perky soon had to move out
because Perky gave birth to two adorable babies.
Daisy and Houdini.

Perky has had a few adventures.
I remember one time I went to feed her and
the cage lid was open
(her cage was outside as it was summer)
Perky was no where to be seen.
In the front garden my brother was playing football
when he thought he saw a pigeon.
This “pigeon” turned out to be my Perky!
My Mum did a fantastic rugby tackle (her first and last!)
and managed to catch her!
I still do not know how she got out
this will remain a mystery for ever!

In 1999 we moved house and of course all our pets came along.
Perky soon settled in to her new cage
(my Dad built an extension to her old one) and
she led a very happy life.

Perky had always had an obsession for sweet corn and
this made her very fat.
As she was so fat she couldn’t turn around to eat her stools (
poos) as rabbits are supposed to.
This meant she didn’t get all the vitamins she needed and
she has always has a messy bottom
which my Mum and I need to clean for her.
However she still lived a reasonably long time.

About a week ago Perky started acting strange.
She started limping around and she stopped eating and drinking.
Her eye would move back and forth quickly
as though watching a a moving object.
We took her to the vet and she had her first x-ray!
She has always been extremely quiet and trusting so
when she had her x-ray taken she didn’t move at all.
The vet looked at the x-ray and found she hadn’t broken anything
(the limping led us to believed that she might have fallen or
knocked something in her leg).

The vet then explained that she might have had a stroke
(the limping again)
or she might have a swelling in her brain
which was stopping messages being sent
to her foot to tell it to move.
She gave us antibiotics and we took her home.
We moved her into a smaller cage
so she wouldn’t have to move so much.
We cleaned her bottom every day and helped her drink and eat.

She seemed to be getting better
but when I came home from school on 29th April
my Mum old me she had died.
I was devastated as we had shared such a strong bond.
She trusted me completely and I always treated her best.
She was the pet I loved most and I lost her.

In a way I am glad she died as it put her out of her misery
her time came.
She led a wonderful life and made me realize how
we only know we love something a lot when it has gone.
I miss Perky a lot and I think I always will.
I hope she is in a better place and
is enjoying her life to the full.

It is hard to loose a pet.
Just remember all the good times you had together.
Don’t remember your pet and cry
remember your pet and smile! 🙂

Tina your adoring owner
X X X X X X X X X X

I purchased Tabitha
at a local pet shop while still a college student.
I kept her (in secret as pets were not allowed) with me in my dorm.
After school through several first jobs and apartments
she stayed with me.

Although very skittish as a kitten
over time her trust and bonding with me grew stronger
with each passing day.
She always “tucked me in to bed”
and went from sleeping at the foot of the bed
to resting near my head with physical contact with my hand or arm.

I woke up today knowing I needed to get her to the Vet
as the growth around one of her breasts
had grown too large again.
The sight of blood left behind was an omen.

She ate so well up until the end.
It just so happened I was out of regular moist food this morning
so Tabitha enjoyed a last meal of tuna-fish
normally a rare treat for her.
She ate a good portion.
Within the next hour we were off to the vet.

The vet was kind talked about all of the various treatments
chemotherapy radioactive iodine.
All quite costly with no guarantee of success
and very likely to lessen her quality of life.
At 15 years old surgery was not looking like a solution
as the cancer had surely spread.

I came home early from work today
where she would normally great me at the entryway.
I will miss our conversations as at times I knew she was trying
to extend beyond her mental abilities to tell me things.
I can hear her meow when I would play bagpipe music
or if I were to sing along with a tune.
She would try and join in.

Can a bond with a pet be as deep as a human one?
In some ways I think so.
There is a simplicity and understanding.
Words that can’t be said and yet do not need to be either.

Thanks for reading my story.
May Tabitha someday understand that I did not want her to suffer
and the choice to put her down was one
of the hardest I have ever made.

Peace to you all.

Daniel

After the loss of our cat four years ago
I had a strong feeling to visit the local shelter
and I announced this at the supper table
“I’m going to see if I can find another cat tomorrow.”
I went and looked but no kitty and I made a connection.

I had never owned a dog however
I went into the dog room for a look and
to say hello to the poor things.
One caught my eye as she looked just
like a chocolate lab – a type of dog I always liked.
I said hello to her and kept moving down the line.
Suddenly I heard a whimper and
when I turned around the chocolate lab wannabe was
bowing her head and raising her paw to me.
We fell in love right then and there.
I filled out the papers and took her home!

She immediately made herself at home and part of our family.
At the end of the week she had a vet appointment.
The vet asked me
“How do you feel about puppies?”
I said “She is a spayed female…”
The vet begged to differ and 2 weeks later Ruby delivered 9 puppies!

That is the story of how Ruby came to be in my life.
The way she left my life was a shock.
Yesterday morning I got up at 5:45 and
called to her to let her out. She didn’t come.
I went to her pillow and she appeared to be asleep in her favorite position
yet “my girl my Ruby” was not asleep she was dead.
My heart & soul screamed in grief.
She was not sick had played at the park the day before
had been eating fine etc.

The night before my husband had let her out for the usual
let her in and said goodnight just like always
we had no clue!!
We never knew her exact age
but with the vet’s help we determined
she was about 6 to 8 yrs old now.
She was ours for the past 4 years.

Ruby was a great dog and I will always feel
that it was some type of divine intervention
that had sent me to the shelter that cold February day.
I was rewarded a million times over for rescuing her
and will always be thankful that I had such a beautiful dog to love.
The story of how she and I came
to be “friends”
will always be a part of our family history.

I know in time I will be comforted by memories and
to know she died peacefully in her sleep on her own pillow….
but right now my grief is very painful.
Little things are the hardest…
the leash hanging on the hook
her not being at my feet or following me constantly
her nose nudging me for a cookie…
the things that are just part of life with a dog.
I have always likened the story of Ruby and
I to a love story…and this one has a sad ending.
I have had this quote on my fridge for months.
It is by Charles Ogburn.

“Happiness to a dog is what lies on the other side of a door.”

Goodbye “My Ruby Girl.” Rest In Peace.

Thank you
for reading my words and
allowing me some release for my grief.

Karen

This is a letter from DINgo to Betty.
DINgo was killed by a car when he left his safe yard
for some unknown reason.
He had been living on a small horse ranch in Ramona with 3 of my friends.
My friends Bill Selena and Betty had been taking care of DINgo
for the past 6 months and
I would visit him a couple of times a week.
He had the most perfect setup a dog could have.
The dogs he mentions in his letter are either
were his current playmates
Austin the Lab Lucy the Chihuahua and
Chelsea the old German Shepherd.
Harley Tausha and Brandy were previous dogs
that had the pleasure of living up there.

Brandy and Tausha lived many years and succumbed
to old age while Harley decided to go
after some livestock one afternoon and
paid the ultimate price.
Betty was the one who devoted herself to the dog’s well-being and
I can’t ever thank her for all she did for my DINgo.

I made a mistake today. I left the yard.
I know I am not supposed but I am a dog and sometimes I don’t listen.
Something bad happened and now I am somewhere else.
It seems like a nice place and some of the dogs
here seem to know where I came from.

Right when I arrived I was met by Brandy Tasha and Harley.
They seemed to know about all the people I knew.
They asked about Bill and Selena and
I told them that they were doing great and
had a wonderful little baby Alexa
that I had the responsibility of guarding.
They asked how Chelsea was.
I asked them if she has always been a mean little dog.
They said yes so I told them she hasn’t changed a bit.
They asked me what my name was and I told them I go by SuperDINgo.
Tasha looked at me and asked if I knew Betty.
I said “of course why do you think I look so happy”.
Tasha then said if I knew Betty
then I should have been going by the name LuckyDINgo.
I thought about this. I have been living on a one-acre parcel that
I have been the top dog of.
(Lucy can tell them the truth many years from now).
I have three of the best dog friends
a SuperDINgo could have in Austin Chelsea and Lucy.
(Not quite true but I am giving Lucy the benefit of the doubt)
I get fed twice a day.

They asked if I was getting warm broth poured over my food.
I told them of course doesn’t all dog food get served that way.
I told them how Betty drives me
around everyday so I get bark
at every moving or nonmoving object I see.

I have my own heater in the garage so that I am warm at night
even when the temperature dips down to freezing.
Every night Betty would let me sit on her lap till I was ready to go to sleep.
In the mornings after breakfast I would help Betty
with feeding the giant brown dog thing that lives in the corral.
While she is doing this I playfully put my tennis ball
where she is going to step so that she knows
I need to play fetch soon.
She always seems to like that.
She always seems to make time to play fetch;
sometimes I think that she enjoys it more than me.
I mean it does get kind of boring for me to keep returning that damn ball to her.
But if it makes her happy then I do what I can do.

I have been heavily involved in the construction of the addition
Bill has been doing to the house.
Nick (they seemed to vaguely remember him) has been digging these holes
everywhere and tying strings across them.
I think he has been trying to make Bill trip
so I have been trying to fill them in and
remove the strings so as Bill doesn’t get hurt.
Bill seems to appreciate this.

Dogs just know when people appreciate them.
During the night I am in charge of security.
So that Bill Selena and Betty know that I am doing my job
I let out an occasional bark.
I try to do this every 2 minutes so that they can sleep easy
knowing the all is safe on my watch.
Sometimes Bill or Selena come out to the garage
to thank me in the middle of the night. I get so happy to see them.
They use the funniest gestures towards me.
I am allowed to use the garage as an inside restroom
at night but I don’t.

My buddy Austin seems to think that he is not allowed to use
the outside restroom and makes a heck of a mess inside the garage.
I sometimes take the blame for what he leaves on the garage floor.
But that’s what friends are for.

I am in charge of the property and Austin is in charge of all the cars.
At least that is what I figure because he keeps peeing on all their tires.
I get blamed for that too.
One thing Bill Selena and Betty don’t seem to understand is physics.
Do they really think a dog my size could have produced
some of the messes in the garage?

Do they really think that a dog that knew how to catch chickens
without going over the property line would pee on a tire?
When I mentioned chickens Harley’s ears perked.
He said “You found a way to catch them without going over the property line?
I could have used you for a partner a while back”. !
I thought over the life I have been leading and realized Tasha was right.
Why the heck has Nick been calling me SuperDINgo?
I was definitely LuckyDINgo.

I am sorry about what I did today.
I made a mistake. I know that you guys are going to miss me.
I want you to know how much I am already missing you.
They seem to have everything here.
There is food all the time.
There is some guy who is constantly throwing Frisbees.
We are allowed to pee on everything.
The water dish is always full.
It is in the shape of a toilet which I don’t get.
It seems to be an “inside dog” joke.

There are no cats here to bother us
even though I actually like cats.
It is a wonderful place.
But it is has nothing on my last home and
it has nothing on you guys.
Here I will be called SuperDINgo
but there I was definitely LuckyDINgo.

Nick

Rudy (he was called Rudy because we got him at Christmas
Rudy is short for Rudolf) was our beloved black and white cat .
Although he was only 3-4 months old
we loved him more than anything.

The night of his death mum went to bring him inside for the night.
She called his name and he made a strange meow
but didn’t come so she called again and he made the strange noise.
When she found him he was lying down on the ground and
he lifted up his head and meowed again.

Mum rushed him down to the 24 hour vet which is quite a long trip and
by the time she got to the vet he was dead.
The vet said that a snake had bitten Rudy.
I will remember Rudy as a cute playful kitten
who loved people and wanted to be around them.
I will also remember that he ate two lots of breakfast that morning.
The last time I saw Rudy was when he brushed up against my leg
while I was at the computer while he was chasing a ball.
I loved Rudy and he loved us.
Rudy you will be forever in our hearts.
I will always remember you Rudy.

Simon

His name was Buster Brown.
He is the best dog our family has ever had.
He watched over our family and loved us like no other dog did.
He was the kind of dog
that would sacrifice himself for his family.
He would always be there for you when you needed him
and was very obeying.
 
Since he was a little puppy
he was always passionate to us.
He never did anything to harm us and he protected us very well.
He died on June 14th 2001
a extremely very very sad day for our family.
He was more than just a dog
he was part of our family just like everyone else in the family.
 
We are incredibly sad that we did not have a burial for him.
We would just like to say this to him
if he is listening up in heaven
“Buster Brown you were more than a man’s friend
you were part of our family and we loved you dearly
more than you would ever know.
You are the best dog we have ever had and you always will be.
We are so sorry we did not have a memorial
for you in our backyard. We feel extremely terrible about it.
We know you’re now up in heaven looking down on us
and we want to let you know that we love you
with all our hearts
and we will always will.
Love you Dearly”
 
David Tilly Sean and Shannon

Nicky is a Maltese.
He was born on 8th of August 1990.
I knew for the moment I saw him
he was the one for my family.
He was so cute and sweet easily catching our attention.
We knew that he was the one for our family.
We had him when he was only 2+ months old.
 
Nicky was very tiny.
I remembered the first time when my mother bathed him.
We were so scared because he was so small.
Despite his petite size
he was so brave always loyal and protective of us.
Nicky liked to chase after his favourite ball.
One of his favourite games was for me
to throw his ball
and he will run to fetch his ball and put it on my palm
and run far away for me
to throw his ball to him again.

He often mistaken the meaning of “Mama” & “Ball-ball”.
Many times when I asked him
“Where’s mama?”
he will run and fetch his ball to me.
However as he is the apple of my mother’s eyes
my mother still loves him as much,
despite the fact that she is often mixed-up with his ball.
 

Nicky is our family Angel
always smiling and always staying
with us despite of the fact that he had heart problems since young.
We knew that something was wrong with him when he
started losing weight at an alarming rate.
He was all skin and bones.
Our vet recommended that we brought him to the
animals’ hospital for a check-up. We had thought that he was
just losing weight because he had not been eating well.
 

However we knew that Nicky will be leaving us soon
when the vet said to us that he only had around 3 weeks to live.
Nicky was 10 years old and going towards heart failure.
Nicky had lived past the 3 weeks
but on the 5th week his body began to shut down food.
It was even too tiring for him to get up and drink water.
We had to feed him water to keep him going.
He could only lie down to sleep and rest
and yet he still gave us a loving and longing look each time
we look and pat his head.
My heart aches so much.
 
My family knew that Nicky will be leaving us anytime
and we spent every possible moment with him.
My mother told me that if one day
Nicky was to sleep & never wake up
she asked me not to disturb him
and let him have a peaceful sleep as he is really very tired.
 
Nicky’s passed away peacefully
in my room’s bathroom on 17th July 2001.
I was the first one to find Nicky had passed away
on my bathroom’s floor when I came back from work.
How I wished the floor will open up to swallow me at that moment.
My bathroom was his favourite place to be
when he was still alive.
He had to choose to leave us silently
fearing that we will be heartbroken had
he left this world in front of us.
 
Nicky was such a brave and sweet boy.
He had been determined to live past the 3 weeks which the vet
had estimated and never fearful in the face of death.
Nicky is still with us. He had never left us.
He is with us in our hearts.
We can feel him around us,
looking at us and guiding us all this while.
He was never gone even though we cannot see him
but he will always remain in our heart.
Nicky lives forever in our heart.

Nicky is at Rainbow Bridge now.
I miss Nicky often and think of him very much.
The song by Kevin Kern,
“In the Enchanted Garden” seem to fit in nicely.
I like to imagine that Rainbow Bridge looks exactly
like the Enchanted Garden.
 
It had been nearly 8 months since Nicky passed away.
I almost always cry overtime I think of him.
He had been with us for nearly 11 years.
The memory of the time spent with him
will be with my family forever.
Between now and till the time I can be with Nicky again
at Rainbow Bridge
I will be loving and missing him always.
 
June
 
 
 
 

I remember playing with our friends Siamese cat Jessie
when we would visit.
I grew to enjoy Jessie more each time we would visit.
She was an old gentle
well-behaved cat that really appreciated attention.
Jessie was an important member of Arnold’s family
because the middle-aged couple had no children.
I grew to enjoy Jessie so much
that I decided to purchase our own Siamese cat.
At first I was a little apprehensive about selecting a Siamese cat
because our family always preferred dogs.
Then I thought it over and decided it was well worth the chance
after remembering how much I enjoyed Jessie’s friendship
and our time together.

I searched for a Siamese cat
by looking at different magazines and publications.
I located a breeder of Siamese cats
in a small suburban town called Montvale.
Montvale is approximately a 2-hour drive
from our central New Jersey location.
I called the cat breeder and planned the trip
to select our Siamese cat.
My sister and niece went along with me for the ride.
The breeder’s name was Irene.
Irene’s home was pleasant and neat.
I remember Irene being very personable and friendly.
She talked with us for a while and then introduced us
downstairs to see the cats.

I was amazed! There were dozens of beautiful cats!
There were Seal Points Chocolate Points and all white Lilac Points.
The room was very clean and full of joy.
There were gorgeous adults and
many adorable Siamese kittens.
I was in heaven!
I remember the cats all being very friendly and gentle.
You could tell Irene and her family spent
quality time caring for the animals.
It was difficult to decide what kitten to choose.
All of them were so attractive and well mannered.
I tried to select a female kitten but none were available.
Finally I chose a chocolate-point male kitten.
Irene assigned a temporary name to each kitten.
My kitten’s temporary name was “Moose.”
I decided to name my new kitten “Sam.”
My grandfather’s name was “Sabatino” which is Italian for Sam.
I thought this would be a good one-syllable name for our cat.

Sam was almost all white as a kitten.
His beautiful blue Siamese eyes were striking.
I truly think Siamese cats have the most magnificent eyes
of any creature including humans.
Siamese cats impress me with their beauty.
In my opinion the most beautiful is the classic Chocolate Point.
They are mostly a light tan color with brown tail legs and face.

I paid Irene $300 for Sam.
We prepared to take Sam home and started off on our 2-hour journey.
All of us got into the car and
we placed Sam in a small cardboard box.
I can still remember Sam crying all of the way home.
It was a soft short cry that you couldn’t ignore.
My niece Michele consoled Sam while I drove the car.
She picked up Sam and gave him a gentle pat of her hand.
“Now now Sam It’ll be alright” said Michele.
I couldn’t wait to get my new family member home and
get acquainted.

Sam was never any trouble growing up.
One year after we purchased Sam our son Stephen was born.
Now I had everything I needed
a beautiful one-year-old Siamese cat and my pride and joy Stephen.
Sam grew very close to our son Stephen.
When Stephen was in his crib
Sam would jump in and cuddle close by.
Sam was always gentle with young Stephen and
we were never concerned about the two
of them snuggling together.

The years passed and Sam and Stephen grew up together.
Sam was always a part of Stephen’s life.
It seemed like both of them learned something new each day.
Sam loved to play with a ball of paper.
He would hit it with his paws and chase the ball across the room.
Stephen would throw the paper ball and
Sam would retrieve it to be thrown again and again.
They could both play for hours when Sam was young.

One of the funniest moments was when Sam climbed
atop my tall dresser and snatched a $100 bill from my organizer.
Sam ran around the house and decided to release the bill
behind the living room sofa. I couldn’t believe it!

Another favorite play toy Sam enjoyed was the plastic strip
that is removed from a gallon container of milk.
Sam would hit the strip with his paws and
return it to you so you could throw it again.
The charade always ended the same way.
Sam would eventually take the plastic milk top strip
to the kitchen and
hit it under the refrigerator.
I would move the refrigerator out of its location to clean and
find scores of plastic strips in the area.
It was fun watching Sam as you opened
a new gallon container of milk.
He would sit and wait for you to throw the strip.
Anytime an open box or bag was nearby
you knew Sam would be close by.
He loved to leap into the box and take a look around.
If a paper or plastic bag were left on the floor
Sam would eagerly wonder inside and look around.
If you wiggled your fingers against the outside of the bag
he would jump toward them and try to nip them.

Sam always slept with me until we purchased a small bed for him.
The bed was shaped like a small teepee and
had a small opening on one side.
We kept Sam’s bed on the cedar chest at the foot of our bed.
The inside of the bed was soft and Sam grew to appreciate
the warmth inside the private space.
If you placed your intruding fingers inside sometimes
Sam would give you a gentle nip warning you
that this was his territory.
It was a playful kind of nip that never really hurt.
Each night Sam would curl up with me for about one or two hours
then he’d visit my mother for a time.
After visiting mother for about thirty minutes to an hour
Sam would then retire to his own bed.

I remember the times when one of us was sick.
It would always be comforting to have Sam
cuddle tightly against your side or near your arm.
He just made you feel better by being there.
It was Sam’s unconditional love that just made you feel better.
He asked nothing from you but your presence.
He was like a tranquilizer to me.
Whenever he cuddled with me the worries and
stress of the day simply vanished.
My mother and I were always the closest to Sam.

When Stephen was very young he was active and
didn’t concentrate on Sam as much.
As Stephen neared ten years old
he seemed to appreciate Sam and paid more attention to our pet.
Stephen and Sam became especially close
as Stephen become eleven years old and Sam was twelve.

Sam would greet me every day when I’d come home from work.
Sam definitely new his name and would almost always
come when you called him.
He would leave his warm bed at about 4:00PM and
say hello to my mother in the Family Room.
He would cuddle on her lap and then jump to the sofa to greet me.
Sam would raise his back and
his body language would request you pet him.
I would proceed upstairs to get changed and
Sam would race me up the steps.
Then he would spring onto our bed and want to play.
He would follow us around the house like a shadow.
You could always feel him nearby.

Sam was like a clock.
You would always know when it was mealtime.
In the morning he would greet me at about 6:00AM.
Sometimes he would awake you with a lick
from his rough sandpaper like tongue.
He’d say hello and then follow me into the bathroom.
He would sit atop the toilet seat cover and watch me shower and shave.
Then once I dressed he’d follow me downstairs and
sound his typical raspy ‘meow’
which was his way of asking for breakfast.

When I would leave in the morning
sometimes Sam would sit in the full view glass
front door and watch me depart.
He was truly special.
Anytime you were fixing or working on something Sam would appear.
He would come up to you as if to say “What are you doing?”
It was a classic case of curiosity and the cat.
Walking around the house I always found myself
looking down at my feet periodically to see if Sam was near.

If I worked on repairing frustrating miniature Christmas lights
he would jump on the workbench to see what I was doing.
I’d always stop and take time to fuss over him and
give him a scratch and petting session.

Sam never left our comfortable home
so his coat was always clean and soft like silk.
I liked to sit and watch him groom himself in a warm sunny place.
He would reach every area of his body.
Sam would lick his paws to reach areas around his face.
His movements were precise and gentle.

During one warm and dry summer
I saw a small speck on his tan fur coat.
What was this small-black thing?
It jumped and I tried to catch it. Somehow Sam had a flea in his fur.
I want to the store and purchased a quality flea shampoo and
gave Sam a careful bath in the solution.
Once his fur was wet I observed the flea jump from his fur.
I was able to grasp the flea and flushed him down the drain.
Sam was always a joy to handle.
Even in the tub of water he was calm and behaved.

One of Sam’s favorite playthings was a ready-made bow
for attaching to gift-wrapped presents.
Christmas time was special with Sam.
He would inspect every present and take the liberty of removing
the nice bow from a present carefully wrapped by my wife.
Boy this made Denise mad at first.
Then she started to actually enjoy watching him play with the bows.
Denise would provide bows to Sam to toss and play with.
It was entertaining having Sam toss the bow around and
then deliver it to you from his delicate mouth.
I would throw the bow and he would scurry
after it and toss it about.
I will sorely miss Sam at Christmas time.
Sam would investigate the presents and parade
through the ripped gift-wrap discarded on the floor.

The only mischief I recall from Sam were the few times
he would get into the garbage container.
If we had chicken for dinner he would sit nearby and
wait for a chunk of meat to come his way.
After we would retire for bed
he would knock over the garbage container to dislodge the lid.
If you caught him with a piece of chicken bone
he would make a wild dash for the corner
of the kitchen under the built-in bench seat.
He would hide in the corner of the seating arrangement
until you relented.
Access to this area was easy for Sam
but difficult for us to reach.
We would find old clean bones in this area
when we inspected it periodically.

When Sam was about ten years old
we really experienced some excitement one night.
“Daddy Daddy come up here!” yelled Stephen.
“Help help Sam is behind the wall in the bathroom!”
When the builder constructed our home
he cut out a large opening in the back
of each vanity sink cabinet in all of the bathrooms.
This provided access to the plumbing and
resulted in a long narrow deep path between the walls.
Sam had opened the cabinet door and
wandered into the open area behind the bathroom wall.
Stephen was crying and very upset.
I also started to get excited and thoughts of the firemen
knocking down my walls to rescue Sam entered my mind.
“Sam here kitty-kitty. Come here Sam,”
I said as I begged him to exit the dark and narrow pathway.
Boy I really thought this was trouble.
Finally I thought of shaking Sam’s dry food container and
he slowly appeared from behind the vanity cabinet.
I cut boards and sealed this area behind
each vanity the very next day!

Sam liked to follow you around the house
especially in the kitchen.
One of his favorite stunts was
to open the corner cabinet door and climb inside.
Once inside he would go to the back of the large cabinet and
tease you to reach him.
If you ignored him he would eventually come out.

Every time we would go away on vacation
I’d dread leaving my best friend Sam.
We would have our friends feed and watch over
Sam while we were away.
When we would return home Sam would come downstairs and
give us his famous howling greeting.
One thing I never tired of was the beautiful sounds Sam could make.
From his raspy meow greeting to his louder howls
he was always a joy to hear.

We recently went on vacation to Cape Cod Massachusetts
during the summer of 2001.
We returned just before July 4th and
everyone was happy to see Sam again.
Little was I to know; I’d never forget this vacation.
A few weeks before we left on vacation
Sam started to be finicky and
was only eating certain food.
I switched foods because
he seemed to prefer dry crunchy cat food.
Then he stopped eating altogether.
I made an appointment to take him to our favorite cattery
so the veterinarian could check him out.

I have to stop writing this story now.
The emotion overcomes me when I reach this point of the tale.
I had an appointment to see our veterinarian on July 20 2001.
Mom Stephen and I brought Sam to the vet.
I had been delaying this moment
because I was worried what I might hear.
We placed Sam in his carrier with a small
soft blanket and got in the car.

Sam was fairly quiet and gave an occasional meow.
Stephen and Mom comforted Sam by reaching in the carrier to pet him.
“Now now Sam. I’ll be aright,” Stephen said.
I could tell Stephen was doing all he could to hold back the tears.
It was very had for all of us.
We arrived at the cattery and went inside.

The vet was very polite and kind.
She asked about Sam and told us
she would like to take a sample of Sam’s blood for testing.
She also mentioned Sam appeared to be dehydrated.
She demonstrated this by gentling squeezing Sam’s fur on his back and
showed us how it tended to stay folded even after releasing it.
Sam was drinking water but when I checked the litter box
he showed almost no signs of eating or drinking.

The vet explained that it is common for Siamese cats
to experience problems at Sam’s mature age of 13 and a half.
She mentioned the results of the blood test would be available
from the laboratory tomorrow at 9:30 AM.
She was blunt and expected the test results
to confirm her suspicion of kidney disease.
I don’t know how I held myself together at that point.
I just felt I had to be strong in front
of my twelve-year-old son Stephen.
Stephen and Sam had literally grown up together
with Sam being one year older.

Sam was always there for Stephen and
they had really gotten to be close over the last three years or so.
None of us had expected this day to arrive for another few years at least.
I made plans to put Sam down and also arranged for the cremation.
I wanted to make these arrangements now
because I didn’t want to discuss the technicalities
when I brought my best friend in the next day.
I figured if the lab results were good
I’d merely cancel the arrangements.

We drove back home with Sam and all of us fussed
over him all day and night.
I took as many photographs of Sam as possible.
Then I took a video of him playing with Stephen.
Sam didn’t act as if he were ill.
I filmed him crawling into a plastic shopping bag.
He rustled the bag when I wiggled my fingers against the plastic.
Even while he was sick Sam seemed like
he just wanted to please us.
The only time Sam showed he was ill was
when he tried to jump atop our cedar chest.
I spent every waking hour with my friend.
I had this sickening feeling about the news I’d receive on Saturday.
My stomach hurt beyond belief.
I have to stop typing this part of the story
every so often to gather myself.

This is the worst feeling I’ve had since the death of my father.
That Friday night I didn’t sleep well at all.
Sam curled inside my underarm as a lie down in bed.
It felt so good to have him near.
I had the sinking feeling it would be the last time
his beautiful soft body would be nestled near me.
It was painful to think I’d never see him again.
Sam awoke and wanted to go downstairs.
I carried him and thought he had to use his litter box.
I placed him near the box opening and he gently climbed inside.
When he exited I placed him in my arms and
brought him back upstairs to go to bed.

It was Saturday. The day I dreaded more than anything.
All of us spent as much time with Sam as possible.
I didn’t leave my friend for a moment.
I did not look forward to the call from the veterinarian
which I expected at 9:30 in the morning.
The phone rang and my stomach dropped.
Much to my dismay the call went like I expected.
The veterinarian explained a healthy kidney usually
is associated with a lab test number of two or so on the scale.
Sam’s kidneys showed a reading of fifteen on the test,
which meant his kidneys stopped working altogether.

I told the vet I wasn’t surprised and that I’d see her at 2:30 PM with Sam.
God I hated the thought of bringing Sam to the vet.
Somehow it felt as if I were killing him
even though I knew this was the right thing to do.
I spent almost every minute with Sam that terrible Saturday.
I kept hoping time would stand still.
I dreaded seeing the clock strike 2:30.
How could I bring my dear friend to the vet to be put to sleep?
Finally the time had come.
I decided to hold my friend while Denise drove the car.
Mom and Stephen sat in the back seat.
I was only a fifteen-minute ride to the veterinarian.
Sam was unsettled in the car.
We always placed Sam inside the carrier
when taking him in the car.

I just wanted to hold him this very last time.
We arrived at the office and waited for five or ten minutes.
This was about the worst experience I’ve lived through.
The staff greeted Mom Stephen and me and lead us to a room.
A stainless steel table was inside the room and
a bench was positioned nearby.
I continued to hold and caress my Sam all of the while.
I kissed and hugged him and said goodbye.
Even now when it has been more than four weeks later
I am upset thinking about this moment.
I’ll have to stop writing and continue the story again later.

The staff explained they would give Sam
an injection to send him into a deep sleep.
Then they would inject a drug to stop Sam’s heart.
I held Sam during the first injection.
He was relaxed and entered into a deep sleep.
Stephen and Mom wept and we all hugged Sam.
I held my dearest fried in my right arm and
felt his tongue against my forearm.
Then the staff injected Sam with the remaining drug.

It took about a minute or two and Sam’s heart stopped beating.
He was gone.
I felt terrible leaving my friend at the veterinarian’s office.
We all left the office and drove home.
My home feels like it will never be the same.
I’m in the habit of leaving the doors open in the house.
I expect Sam to jump against one and enter the room.
Even when I finish mixing a serving of tuna
I feel compelled to put the dish on the floor and
let Sam carefully lick the bowel clean.
Whenever I see a bright ray of sunlight hitting a spot
on the carpet floor or on one of our beds I think of Sam.
He loved to curl up and bask in the warm sunlight.
Picturing him peacefully soaking in the sun’s warmth
makes me feel good inside.
When I come home from work I miss him waiting for me at the door.
When we return home from shopping or a long drive
I expect to hear Sam inside the Family Room.
He would always hear the car pull up and greet us with a vocal hello.
It will never be the same.

Sometimes I can’t believe that I’m feeling this intense
especially when it’s been more than a month since his passing.
Right now I can’t imagine having another pet.
Sam was so special!
The family and I feel he can’t be replaced or equaled.
Sometimes I’m embarrassed to be a big strong guy with such feelings
but I just can’t help it. I know this feeling will dull with time
but I miss that little talkative fur-ball very much.

I loaded an image of Sam basking in the sunlight
on my computer desktop.
God the image is so real I can almost touch him.
I still can’t decide if the image makes me happy or sad.
When I take a long look
it brings a tear to my eye.

John S. Campi Jr.

A lot of people are terrified of Doberman’s
but I know for a fact they are often the biggest babies.
I had the pleasure of having one as my best friend for over 13 years.

He followed me everywhere I went and as soon
as I sat down his head was on my knee and
his big brown eyes looked up at me
with all the trust in the world.

We were deeply saddened one day
when he became very distraught and
just wanted to hide away – he was obviously in a lot of pain.
We rushed him to the vet but it was too late to help him.

Evidentally there is a disease that a lot of large dogs get and
their intestines become all twisted and
we had to make a very difficult decision to end his pain.

We all cried for days afterwards and
still get tears in my eyes just thinking about him.
I sure hope I get to meet up with him again in the afterlife.

Brenda

In November of 1989 my one and
only son Christopher came home for Thanksgiving.
When he walked in the door I knew something was wrong with him.
During that long weekend he told his father and
I that he had Aids and was dying.
He returned to L.A. after the weekend and
six days later the hospital called us to tell us that he had died.

Our world came to an end we went through the motions and
did what we needed to do.
Then it was over and there was nothing until that knock on the door.
It was my neighbor Alice come to see me.
In her hand was the most adorable little furbaby
a little long haired Chihuahua
She handed her to me with a big bow around her neck
and a sympathy card my face lit up and I said
“Oh Alice she is the SUNSHINE of my life”
and that when my little girl first came into our life and got her name.
My husband says that for the first six months
she didn’t hit the ground.
We would lay on the sofa together
under a blanket that eventually sunshine decided she owned.
I would cry and she would lick away my tears.

We became very attached and she would always meet me at the door
when I came home from work.
Then we became manager of a Mobile home Park in Napa California and
I would go home for lunch.
Sunshine would sit on the back of the sofa and
could see me in the office
from the big picture windows in the home.

We lived there for 10 years walking twice a day for her business.
We would always have desert together at night
before we went to bed.
She loved her vegetables green peppers
carrots even mushrooms.
She was always by my side or at my feet.
I loved her so much.

Then she got sick wouldn’t move very much ate little
we took her to the vet and she had a mass on her kidney.
We couldn’t afford to have any test or surgery done so we waited it out.
In February 2002 she showed signs of definite decline.
We just spent as much time as we could with her.

Around Feb. 25th I called the vet to have her put down the next Friday.
On Tuesday that night when I took her outside to bathroom.
She just laid on the ground I knew she would not make it to Friday.
That night at 2:00 AM I woke up and
she was laying next to me dead
I screamed.

It’s now March 27th and I am still crying.
It hurts so very bad. She was my best friend.
She meant the world to me.
She helped me through so much pain
just being there for me always.
I miss you Sunshine.
You will always be in my heart and mind.
Nothing or no one will ever replace you.
Rest in peace my little girl and I will meet you at the Bridge.

Carol & George