Lightning Lloyd by Chris & Family

Oh! How do I even start your life story! You have brought our family such joy and happiness. We only had you for 10 very short years. But just a ton of happiness.

It started when our daughter Julie was only three. My brother Lloyd’s cat had kittens and of coarse Julie picked you out of the litter. Begged us to keep you. We told her that she couldn’t have you because we already had a cat and Misty was just to old to bring a kitten into the house. You kept telling us that he could live out side with Sweet Dreams.(our mouser) So days went by and September came. Danielle was going into first grade. That would leave Julie home with no big sister to play with. We decided to let Julie have this little kitten that she named Lightning Lloyd. After her favorite Uncle Lloyd. And your brother’s name was Thunder. The first day we had you you climbed up our willow tree and couldn’t get back down. I called the Fire Department and they so kindly sent a man over to get you out of the tree. When you got older I took you to the vet to be fixed because you were going to live out side and we did not want you running around with all the females. You turned into such a fighter and you were so protective of Sweet Dreams. The two of you became such good friends. You would catch a mouse and would always bring it to the porch for her. Sometimes you would share but other times you would keep it for youself.

On your first Birthday Julie wanted to give you a party. So here I am making you a cheese cake. Julie stuck a party hat on you and all the birthday trimmings. You were such a good boy. So every year after we would do the same thing. Same party hat. We put it in a safe place and will keep it forever.

I remember the first time you got hurt. You got in a bad fight and your leg was ripped open. The vet sewed you up and you had to have a drain tube but in. Dave nicked named you tube cat. But just for a little while. One evening I found you on the deck just laying there. It looked like you were having a problem breathing so off to the vets we went. We had to take you to a different vet because our vets office was closed. The Doctor told be that you were having a heart attack. I could not believe what I was hearing. He took an x-ray and found your heart was enlarged. I had to leave you over night and that was so hard to do. Now I had to go home and tell Julie her cat was very sick and didn’t know if he would make it. She cryed all night long. I was so afraid to call the vet the next morning to check on you. He told me you made it through the night and I could come pick you up. The vet said he was so suprised. The shape he was in last night he only gave you a 20% chance to live.

Over a year went by we lost our beloved Misty and again we were faced with the possibility of losing you. We could not find you for two days. We looked everywhere and just couldn’t find you. On the third day the girls seen you in the neighbor’s yard. I was not home but thank god Dave was. Took you to the vet and you had to have surgery on your leg. Dr. Steve said he has never seen such a wound before. And then he discovered the problem with your heart. He told Dave that he really didn’t think you would pull through and it would be better to have you put down. All Dave said was “You have to fix him”. Steve said he would do what he could. By the time I got home and Dave was telling me the bad news the phone rang and I picked it up. Dr. Steve was on the other end I held my breath he said Beleive it or not Lightning has pulled through once again. You can pick him up in the morning. I couldn’t wait till morning and what a long night it was.

We arrived at the Vets and Kim took me back to get you. Seeing you for the first time broke my heart you had so many stiches and tubes. As soon as you heard me coming you cried out all I could do was cry. We brought you home and nursed you back to health. That is when you became our inside cat. It was hard for you not to go out side but we knew we had to keep you in. You spent all winter inside. We would bring Sweet Dreams in at night to keep you happy. You had a second heart attack. Steve put you on medication for your heart a baby aspirin every 5 days and a potassium replacement. We really spoiled you.

Then spring came and we were all getting excited about going to camp and spending time there. This was your first year going camping. We spent a long holiday week end there and on May 29 2000 we were on our way home. You crawled in the back window of our 1999 Volvo Sadan your favorite place to lay and feel asleep. We were hit head on by a drunk driver. Thank god we all made it out alive. But you my baby boy hit the front windshield. I will never forgive myself for not having you in a carrier. But you have always been so free. I just could not put you in a cage. Stupid stupid me. Why was I so selfish. We took you to Dr. Steve again a couple days after the crash and had to leave you for two days this time. We picked you up and Steve just kept telling us how amazing you were. For every thing you have gone through you have made it once again.

But come July 16 2000 you just couldn’t hold on any longer. You went into kidney failure on Dave’s birthday. Took you to the emgergency hosp. but they just couldn’t save you and we had to make that dicision to put you to sleep. I have never seen my husband cry like he did then. We all loved you so very much. You were such a very speical baby boy. I miss you laying on my chest at night. All 16 pounds of you. You were the best and we miss you so much. I’m so sorry for all the things you went through in your short life. We could never replace you. I hope you have come across Minnie and Misty and have become a family.

Dave and I still cry when we think of you. I told him I never wanted any more pets; it is just to hard to let go. But I have to tell you we did not make it a month and we bought two pets. We all had such an empty spot in our lives. And we know that Lightning sent us our new babies to love. We now have BoJangles an Abyssinian and a Chesapeake Bay Retreiver named Baylee. Lightning we hope you know that we still love you and miss you dearly. And some day we will all be together again. See you at the Rainbow Bridge. Thanks for a very speical 10 years.

All our love Chris Dave Danielle and Julie

P.S. Lightning Julie just wants you to know that she doesn’t like BoJangles because it isn’t you. I keep telling her that it is ok to love him that you would not mind. Because you and her will always have a special bond. Love you our Little Lightning Boy.