IN LOVING MEMORY OF “BIG REDD”
JULY, 2001 – NOVEMBER 21, 2003
With broken hearts, we lost our very first kitty cat, Big Redd, who succumbed to cancer at the tender age of 2 years, 4 months. It was so sudden we still cannot believe he is not here and feel so lost.
Big Redd came into our lives in a very unusual way. We have never had a cat in our lives, but our Bull Terrier, Zyggee, had to be raced into the veterinarian to have an abscessed tooth removed. When we took her in to the vets and went to place her in a kennel, she heard this tiny “mew mew” sound and Zyggee cocked her ears as if to say, “what was that”. She had just lost her sister Sara, PFS 2444, and hadn’t been herself for a while. Anyway we lifted this little orange and white kitten down from the top kennel and put him on the floor. He and his sister had been found by the vet on the highway hovering over their dead mother.
We brought the kitten down and it immediately started to rub itself all over Zyggee and Zyggee’s tail began wagging a mile a minute. We thought she was going to take off like a helicopter! So we decided to give it a try and we brought the kitten home and right away Zyggee’s mother instincts kicked in and she and Big Redd became good friends.
A year later we adopted another stray cat and then another one a few months later. Oh how the three of them used to love to play and of course Zyggee as their mother was supposed to oversee their activities and teach them to behave but that went by the wayside!!! All of our cats are indoor cats with lots of mischief to get into. But nonetheless Zyggee took special care of her babies.
Big Redd was a longhaired cat, he had such a pretty face and a delicate presence about him. He loved to be brushed and to snuggle. In the summer we used to have him shaved down into a lion type cut thanks to Auntie Kim and he looked so cute and cool.
We loved the way he tiptoed so daintily across the floor and his nightly visits to sleep between Bob and I, purring ever so softly. Big Redd loved the laser light and never tired of chasing it and/or the many toys he had. He also never stopped loving his adopted mom, Zyggee or his other sisters and brothers. One of his favorite tricks was to hide waiting for one of our Boston Terriers to come around the corner then he would grab onto their waist and go for a ride and then it was a playful WWF wrestling match and they never tired of that game. He also loved to sit high on top of the cat perch as the King and to “tent out” by my computer watching the outside birds with interest.
As he lay in my arms, we stroked his head and special places gently and as he passed to the Rainbow Bridge he was purring gently. He was a wonderful companion and we are saddened that his life was so short. Rest in peace sweetie till we meet again at the Bridge and I hope that both your mom and Sara are taking good care of you. We have so many fond memories of you, Big Redd, and you are all around us here at home and always will be.
Our profound thanks to Dr. Moffatt and the staff at the Transcona Veterinary Clinic who helped us through this wretched ordeal. Their compassion and caring ways are truly appreciated.
Love forever and ever Big Redd,
| Big Redd |
| Sharon and Bob Hoel |