It seems that since we moved that I have lost 3 wonderful fur children, 2 cats and my beloved BC all were wonderful elements in our multi household and it seems that each left a lasting legacy of love, laughter and tears.
When we moved 12 months ago we had 38 cats and 2 dogs we are now down to 36 cats and one dog and at times of anyone loosing a fur kid it brings it all back so I fell the time is right to bring them nearer by way of writing
Firstly lost to FIV related things was her hissiness Holly of Ardoch and Fetternear on 26 August 2006, followed on 16 Feb 2007 by my beloved BC Breeze and finally on 11 May 2007 my wonderful golden oldie Bert all 3 have left a hole in our dynamic and are missed all the time.
Our other losses are older but still fresh when their day comes around firstly on Mother day 2 April 2007 I lost my wonderful Toerag at age 7 to an RTA and I thought that nothing could heal the pain but he lives on in his full sister Sweetie who is now 15.
Next one who broke our hearts was Haggis on 18 May 2002 only 3 years old and our first ginger ninja - Phoenix and bailey carry that mantle now as they were born the day he died and each seems to have part of Haggis with them could just be a ginger nija trait though
Then Moose another reject in natures world after 11 months in a CP shelter he found his way to us as an oldie with issues - he lost an ear to skin cancer but played his ace with the no eared side where food and treats were concerned then he got given an 8 week notice to quit this world and proved everyone wrong by having a glorious 9 months and died in my arms on the way to the vet at the exact place toerag and Haggis were killed I took this as a sign that his brothers were there to meet him that was on the 17 January 2005
All were rescues except Breeze he was a present from a friend - some came with conditions that made them not your average cat - Holly was a feral with FIV who we could never touch till the last moments of her life when the fight had all but gone but she was loved by us for her spirit and although only owned by us for 8 months when the vet said she was only a feral I did put him right she may have been a feral but she was ours and would have the same treatment as all our beloved kids, cremation and then home to where she should be.
My losses are older and some still fresh but I can say time does heal the pain of the loss somehow it never quites takes away the gaping hole they leave, others join our families but those who have left us are still with us and I for one can now look at photo's of the Bridge kids and only shed the odd tear but each date they left is remembered by us and I'm sure that they do pop in to see us in the guise of the other kids as sometimes the look they give us is enough to say we are doing ok but just checking up
I think the hardest part of loving them is loosing them but think our lives have been blessed by them being in it some for a long time othes for a fleeting moment and ours have left the legacy that no one is turned away from the door whatever the reason they just sort of become another pawprint in the Clan Cats lives and another name on the vets list with nice/nasty/feral/and really nasty feral against them for however long they stay
