Hello.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Angelica Louise Canton

or Angel for short.

I was born in 1993 on a farm inTatamagouche Nova Scotia along

with my brothers and sisters. I was the tomboy of the group and

had lots of fun playing and running about. Life was good.

The people who owned my mother allowed us as a litter to live

there in our mother’s care until we were ready to be given away

to whomever wanted a kitten to love. That’s the way it is and the

way it has always been. Rarely once you are separated from

your family do you ever see them again.

When Derek and Krista first took me home to Truro to live,

I thought that it was there that I would live forever.

They named me Tigger. I didn’t miss my family as I received so much

attention from these people and their children.

But they soon realized that I was a child too and I required a lot

of attention also so they saw it fit to find another home for me.

It was then I moved to the top floor of a house on Queen Street.

The man who took me in was nice to me but he definitely knew

little about taking care of delicate creatures and I was certainly

one of those. It was his friend Todd Canton who would come

over and pay so much attention to me.

I would always climb into his jacket and cuddle with him.

He always smelled so nice and always had at treat for me.

One day he whispered to me and told me that he loved me very

much and hoped that someday he could take me home with

him and I would be his little girl and he would be my Daddy.

So as time went on and I began to blossom as a woman I soon

became bored with staying indoors.

I learned early on how to open the bathroom window and

let myself out. My master would drift off to sleep and I would

drift towards the night.

It was during these evenings that I met up with several other

domestic pets and also some wild ones.

There were trees to climb and mice to chase but still I was not happy.

I so longed for a real home of my own.

Things began to happen to me.

I went through all the things that young female cats go through

and as a young woman I entered what was known as ‘heat’.

My body was ready to reproduce and this was nature’s way

of letting me know that it was time to mate.

I did what was expected of me and although I was anovice

a boy in the neighbourhood named Tom knew exactly what to do.

I guess that I was so busy with what was going on that I did not

notice that my master was packing and moving.

I wondered where we were going and if our next place would

be as comfortable as this one. But I was mistaken in the fact

that I was not going anywhere.

I was being abandoned. My body was changing I was hungry

and wet and scared. There was an enemy lurking about.

A large raccoon was scouring the neighbourhood several times a month

and he had decided that I would make a delicious lunch.

All the other times I could out run him but this time I was too tired

and weak so all I did was sit and hiss at him and cry the most

mournful cry hoping that it would scare him off.

What did happen was I woke an elderly neighbour and she came

out with her broom and scared him off.

She telephoned my master’s friend and he and his wife Sherry

drove into my yard in their brown Chevette and he called

me over to him. I recognized his voice immediately and

went toward him.

They took me home with them. My dreams had come true when

my Daddy took me upstairs to my new home on Prince Street.

It was there I would meet my brother and sister.

Of course there was a lot of hissing at first and a lot of kissing later.

Daddy gave me a bath with a good scrubbing and although I

don’t particularly like being immersed in water I felt wonderful afterward.

My new Mommy was everything I ever dreamed of.

She was kind and beautiful.

She fed me and pampered me and brushed me and I in return gave

her great big loves. Even though they both said they couldn’t

afford a third cat I knew somehow that this was the place

where I was going to reside until the day I died.

Mommy trimmed my nails and brushed my fur. And she made

an appointment with the doctor to have me checked out.

Dr. Gwen said that I should be spayed and they made a date to

do just that. Being spayed is an operation that takes place with

females and prevents any kind of reproduction.

After all we already had a full house.

Some very nice people at the Truro Vet took great care of me

and fixed me up nice. I was groggy after the operation but

I knew that I would soon be back in a comfortable bed.

It was then that I knew I was home.

Now Daddy will tell the rest of the story:

Tigger was not a suitable or original name for such anelegant

creature as my Angel.

She was a gray tiger striped kitten with piercing green eyes.

So whenever I went over to my friend’s apartment and she

and I would cuddle I would call her Angelica or my Precious Angel.

Somehow deep inside I knew that one day she would come

and live with me. Sherry said that it would be impossible to keep

a third cat but before the first evening was over she had the

cat under her shirt and was referring to herself as Mommy.

I am not sure who was purring louder. Mommy or Angel.

And so we decided that we would make room for one more.

Rory had already made friends with her and although India

would never admit it she too thought this stranger was to

say the least‘ intriguing’.

It was when we went to pick her up from the vet that we were

given disturbing news.

During the operation Dr. Gwen discovered that Angel was pregnant.

That was taken care of. The second was that Angel during

one of her many excursions outdoors had contracted

Feline-Leukemia a deadly and contagious disease.

She offered then and there to put her down at no charge to us.

She asked if we would like to talk it over. Sherry and I do

not have to talk. I could tell by the expression on her face

that she wanted that cat to come home with us and she did.

Dr. Gwen warned us that maybe Rory or India may have

contracted the disease through drinking water or sharing the

same litter box. I thought the whole thing impossible until I

did a little research.

My main concern was with Rory as he and Angel were

constant companions, wrestling and play fighting with

each other all the time.

But it turned out to be India who picked up the virus.

Rory was clean.

We safeguarded by getting regular vaccines for all and although

there was no guarantees it was a positive step.

Dr. Gwen told us that there are cats who live successful lives

with the disease and show only symptoms at the time of

their decline and there are those that go quite quickly.

The whole situation was overwhelming to me as I was the one who

brought her home and exposed her to the other cats and

also that Sherry was becoming increasingly attached to Angel.

So we did what all parents do when they face the horrors of living

with a child who is going to die.

We took it all ‘one day at a time’. The thing is Angel got healthy.

They say that cats possess an ability to destroy this disease within

their own bodies and they are able to build up resistance.

At that time I feel that it was too late.

She did however live one year before showing any

signs of weakness.

India has outlived Angel by three and a half years at present.

For that I thank God.

Now Angel was so full of life that her moving in with us was an

education for all. She was a pouncer and a jumper.

Her favourite resting spot was the top of the refrigerator.

That was one minute. In the blink of an eye she would

charge down the hall and jump on top of Rory and give

him a good thumping.

She would then dash back up the hall like a flash of light

and disappear out of sight.

These things she did with a stomach full of stitches.

Dr Gwen said for her recovery to keep her settled.

There was no way in hell that Angel would do anything unless

Angel thought it was a good idea.

We all loved her spunk. From her green sparkling eyes to

her devilish behaviour I welcomed her into our fold.

It was a full year for her.

She had found the home she so richly deserved and I was

proud of myself for taking on the role of rescuer.

All was well. Then one day I noticed that she had trouble eating.

This went on for a couple of days and since she was not

getting the nutrition she required Angel began to lose weight

and was quite lethargic.

I said to Sherry that I thought the end was near because I consider

myself to be a realist while she prefers quite often not to face facts.

I called the vet and told her of the signs and she confirmed

that Angel was entering the final stages of the disease.

It was kind of like her being HIV positive but now she

had full blown AIDS.

Still I was brave. After a visit to the vet it was suggested that

we take her home for the weekend and decide on

Monday what to do about her. That is what we did.

Laying almost lifeless on the daybed in the den I sat down

quietly next to her gently stroking her fur.

It was at that moment when she looked up into my face with

very weak eyes that I felt she was telling me that it was time to go.

I no longer was the brave hero I felt totally helpless.

This was going to be the first death at Prince Street and

since my wife was literally beside herself with grief I had to

be the bad guy.

I carried her into the vet wrapped in one of my tee-shirts,

her face covered. Outside in the waiting room was a young

couple with a half grown puppy and I could see the mutual

admiration growing amongst them.

The woman inquired as to what I had under the tee-shirt and

my reply was ‘someone very I’ll’.

She said nothing else. Dr Gwen was not there that day

her mother Dr Mowbray was.

I told her the situation and after examining Angel she too

agreed that euthanasia was the solution.

It was to be done with a needle directly into the heart.

She asked me if I wanted to go outside while this all took place.

I told her that I wished to stay because I wanted the last face that

Angel saw to be mine.

Sound corny? Who cares. I loved that cat and she had

become part of my family and that is not an easy thing to do.

In a brief moment my Precious Angel was gone.

I asked the vet half jokingly if she had a needle that she

could stick in my heart because I felt like it had just broken.

The assistant named Sara began to cry.

I guess that she was able to empathize with my situation.

When I left Angel behind in the room I picked up my empty

blue cage and started to leave.

I glanced over at the young couple who looked up to see

Sara crying and my leaving empty handed and the lady

began to weep. I told them not to get too attached because

they’ll break your heart.

I went home thinking that I probably scarred those two for life.

All I know is that I know that I will never be the same man

I was before meeting Angel and I just hope that I am able to

make a difference in the way that people view nature’s children.

PS I love you Sherry. These stories and all that are put into them

are really my way of saying how much you make

want to be a better person.

by Todd Canton