MAGIC FOR MARIGOLD
She started off as an unborn baby kitten and he poor mother was desperate to find a home. Her mother was starved and out in the weather cold wet and frightened. One stormy night a kind lady opened her front door thinking she heard a noise and she saw a little cat cold wet and scared. Fortunately for the little cat this house had people that loved animals. There she found a new loving and caring home with plenty of furry friends to play with.
One day the lady discovered this little cat was pregnant so now she was getting extra special care. Three little kittens were born and there names were Petuna, Marigold and I cannot remember the third name. My mother and I kept visiting as we knew we would take one or two and maybe leave one kitten to stay with her mother. Unfortunately two of the kittens died before they reached six weeks. It was very sad as we don’t know why they died however little Marigold survived and as six weeks we were keen to take her to her new home. We felt very bad for parting her with her mother and that day was very traumatic. I know in my mind I thought maybe we should leave her with her mother.
The lovely lady who had adopted the mother was very reluctant to let her go as well. I know my mother felt bad to take her from her mother. We still did because my mother had lost her previous cat several months ago in very tragic circumstances and felt she could give Marigold a very safe and loving home. We had decided not to let her outside with all the dangers of snakes and other cats. We had built a lovely enclosure along the side veranda plus she had the run of the house. This was fine for a while but during her first year she became very sad being locked up. The enclosure was surrounded by the outside garden and she would just look out and gaze at the birds and everything. Inside she would climb up the top of the curtains and also along the tops of the doors. We thought she would have a terrible accident indoors as she was becoming frustrated being locked up inside.
One day the decision was made to let her spend some time outside. This seemed to work out well as she did come in when she was called which is the major thing with cats. Unfortunately one day when she was about two years of age my mother had an accident with a shoprider. She was asked to take it down to the main street of town because my dad’s shoprider that he was using had broken down. My mother has never ridden one and was very scared to use it but she thought she should help. Not wanting to be on it while turning the shoprider because she was high up on the veranda and she didn’t want to drive it off the verander. She decided to try and turn it and just stand next to it. When she did this the machine took off and threw her up in the air and she landed right next to the wooden balustrades of the veranda. Her little Marigold came to offer assistance but didn’t know what to do so she wandered off. My mother was in lots of pain and couldn’t move.
Eventually after about an hour a lady offered to drive my father to his home and she stayed with him while they looked for mother. Then they found her on the ground and the lady rang the ambulance. My mother was brought down to the city in an ambulance for surgery as she had broken her hip in two places. While she was in hospital dad stayed up in the country to look after the house and pussycat.
This happened on the 9th of August 2004 and my mother’s birthday was on the 15th of August so dad came down to visit on her birthday. His car broke down and my brother drove him back home.
About two weeks after this my father came down as this was the first day my mother was out of hospital and I was going to look after her at home. When my father arrived I said are you going back up tonight to be with Marigold and he said she had been missing for two weeks since the 16th of August. He isn’t sure what happened to her. I rang the lady who had Pansy her mother and she went to the home to check the cat door was opened but it wasn’t so she pushed the things that were blocking it out of the way so Marigold could get inside is she found her way home.
Our special lady friend also rang the vets and kept an eye out for Marigold as she knew her very well. Dad said he found the body and then buried her. We never found out when she actually died or how she died and we do not know where dad buried her. He was pretty vague over the whole thing and never told us where he buried her or what he wrapped her up in.
So this is Marigold’s story, two years of being cared for and looked after and loved ever so much but unfortunately Marigolds mother was very sick in hospital and me her daughter was by her side very worried that she would not get better. If I knew she was not going to be looked after then I would have gone up and brought her back home to take care of her myself. In fact I did think about doing this but thought that she should be ok with dad.
Dear Marigold, I am so sorry for not taking care of you and bringing you into my home. I don’t think my three boys would have liked it at all but they would all just have to get along. I cannot believe that a precious little cat had to die because of neglect in MY FAMILY and I promise it will never happen to one of my pets again as long as I live.
The amount of care and dedication and protection I give my cats I feel helps prevent bad things happening to them. If you had of been with me I know you would still be alive today. I hope one day your lovely precious spirit comes and lives with mother and me and that you let us know who you are. We would love an opportunity to take care
of you properly again.
As you know now that my Simba died of kidney failure this year in January. He was my faithful stray who lived with me for 8 years and I will never get over the loss of Simba but it filled my heart with happiness to know that he lived a long happy life and died of something OLD cats get. I wish for you that experience one day down here with us
to give us a second chance.
Your human mother is so heartbroken over you and you know how much she loved you and protected you. So you know the tears she sheds often for you and the little chats she has with you. We both feel so helpless at losing you and its so difficult to get over this. I hope that Simba and Rose and Bridie and Boots are there waiting for you and taking care of you. Well not Simba as he arrived after you. Also your lovely little sisters that never made it past a few weeks after birth.
To dear Marigold, Barbara and Siobain love and miss you very much. Your human mother Barbara misses you desperately and will never forget you and wishes she could hug you now and see you grow up. Please dear Marigold know that we love you still and will continue to keep you in our hearts FOREVER and FOREVER.
It is never goodbye we will see in when we cross RAINBOWBRIDGE our very special furbaby.
PS Dear Marigold I hope you don’t mind but just before Christmas we bought for mummy a little kitten to help heal her broken heart. It seems to make a difference even though we still shed tears for you and tell the new kitten all about you. I hope you don’t mind as she isn’t a replacement but all little furry ones need a good home and I don’t think mum could have waited a year before she had another pet.
It’s just as well as Simba was helping mum through all this because he is so special and he died in January. We can never replace you or Simba but there is room in our hearts to give any little furry one a home. Dear Marigold, please watch over this little one who we have named Christobelle because she deserves a long life like you did and I feel we seem to need some help from our angels from up above. So please watch over her and my mummy as her heart cannot be broken too much.
MARIGOLD
Marigold Marigold where have you been?
I’ve been climbing up a high tree Marigold Marigold what do you there?
I frightened a little bird up in the air
My clever Marigold who I loved
| Marigold |
| Barbara Florence Mulligan |