I had the pleasure of belonging to a beautiful white cat named
“Snowy” for nineteen years. I found her in a stable when she was three
weeks old. My husband told me to do whatever I had to do to bring her
home to live with us. I spoke to the owner of the barn and promised him
that she would have the best life a cat could have. He really didn’t
want to part with her but after my pleading he gave in to me. She was
wild and had no idea how to act. Her first real meal was a can of Tuna
fish which she devoured after attacking me. I wasn’t a cat person and
still prefer dogs. I think she knew that. She ate very well for nineteen
years. Her favorites were: Tuna Shrimp Swordfish Halibut Bluefish,
Crabs Ham Hoagies Fillet Mignon and Prime Rib just to name a few.
The Chef would make a plate just for her when we went out for dinner,
and we brought it home for her. When we first got her she was infested
with fleas and worms. It took about a year to get all the vermin off
her. She would bring my right slipper to the door when she saw me pull
up in the car after work. She waited for me on the window sill watching,
and waiting patiently. As soon as I walked in she would start to meow.
That drove me wild I needed some time to relax after a hard day at
work. I would say Snowy you are acknowledged and she stopped. I would
lay down for a half an hour to an hour and she would rest with me.
Her favorite game was flipping a q-tip at me. She would get one
end and put it behind her front teeth and then use her paw on the other
end to flip it threw the air. We would put her brush
on the floor and she would hold it with her two front paws then she
would rub her head all around the brush and groom herself.
She loved to hear about how beautiful she was.
She also enjoyed walking around the property with us off leash of
course. She would not tolerate a collar and leash. I bought one for her
when I first brought her home. I took her to the Mall so I could get the
correct size. I had Snowy under my arm as we walked past a Parrot in his
cage. She hissed and spit and the bird had a heart attack and died. I
didn’t have enough money with me to pay for the bird. The manager asked
me if I needed any help. I asked him how do I get out and his response
was a quick as I could and I did. We often think of this story and have
many fond memories. She loved Country music and would lay by the
speakers. We groomed her every day with her brush and a warm hair dryer.
She would roll over on command. It took ten years to win her trust. I
never broke her spirit she was born free. Her last few years I could see
her slipping away from us. Loosing weight and her appetite was waning.
We found a Vet in the Yellow Pages who would make house calls at all
hours of the night. She would need I.V. Fluids and he came as soon as we
called him. It was less traumatic for her. He was anything but cheep,
but she was worth every penny. Her regular Vet wouldn’t make house
calls and insisted on doing Jugular sticks every week to check her
blood. I could see the pink inside of her ears getting Jaundiced and
suspected Liver Cancer. I believe I was right.
Eight years ago I got a call from my sister in Georgia that
our Mother had a Stroke so I had to leave and take care of her. Before
I left I told Ken if Snowy took a turn for the worse to take her to the
Vet and let her go. I knew I would never see her again. He called me
two weeks later and said I had to come home. Mom was doing much better
so I started my 14 1/2 hour ride home. When I arrived she was still
hanging on. She wanted to see me one more time. Ken had all ready called
the Vet. Twenty minutes later the Dr. called us and told us to bring her over.
I asked him if I could have a copy of the above poem to help me threw the
grieving process and he obliged. We both held her in our arms as she went to sleep.
We had lost a great friend. We have her ashes in the headboard.
I went back to where the stable was to show the man pictures of her.
I couldn’t find it. I wanted him to see the great life we had provided for her,
but there was a school there now and the stable was gone.
As Snowy aged I carried her up and down the steps to save her as long as I could.
She is deeply loved and missed and always will be.
It’s been eight years since we said our good-byes. Ken picks up
her brush every day when he does his hair and kisses it and then holds
it next to his heart. It was his very first Pet.
Sincerely,
Eileen and Ken
| In Memory Of Snowy |