You were rescued from a cold winter’s night, found eating garbage, by the Minister and his wife in my parents’ old home town. You cowered in fear whenever anyone came close.
You were beautiful and had the most gorgeous green eyes.
I won’t lie, your brother Pal, he hated you at first when you came to live with us.
For the first 48 hours he was so angry. He’d scare you into hiding and would not let you leave the safety of your hiding space. He hissed and he growled. I almost returned you, fearing that Pal would never accept you into our lives.
Quickly, Pal realized that you were no threat to him. You were always submissive, never an alpha cat. You did nothing unless Pal did it first. From eating, to jumping up on the furniture, to stalking birds. You followed Pal’s lead always. He taught you not to be afraid. He was your big brother.
Pal loved cardboard boxes.
I’ll never forget the day you decided to chew on Pal’s box, I laughed and laughed, as Pal slept on obliviously.
Eventually, you claimed the box for yourself.
You and Pal were best friends and brothers. Always together.
Very unexpectedly, we lost Pal. He passed away with what was suspected to be a massive heart attack. No warning at all. He hadn’t been sick and had even been to the vet’s the week before for a check up. He curled up into his favourite sleeping place, a laundry basket, and passed away.
I cried and you cried for weeks. Neither of us expecting to lose Pal so soon and so unexpectedly. Hearing your meows of sorrow and loss, broke my heart.
No longer having the alpha cat to tell you what to do, you became a Momma’s Boy. You found your voice and chatted constantly. You were never far from my side as I worked.
You were my quilt inspector and stole bobbins and thread spools to bat around on the hardwood floor.
You played hide ‘n’ seek every single day. But you always hid in the same place and would give yourself away by your loud purring. It was your morning ritual.
You loved having visitors and would run to greet them in the hallway. You loved your Aunties Julia, Gailene, Viviane and Caitlin best. They knew the minute they sat down, you would be on their lap.
You welcomed Slade into our home and taught him not to be afraid and how to play. You grieved when we lost him 2.5 years later.
You dreamed of catching the pigeons that landed on our balcony.
You loved to play with your feather toy and spent hours chasing the little red dot of your laser pen. Milk-flavoured Temptations were your favourite. You were fascinated by water. An ice cube in your water dish would entertain you for 15 minutes.
You loved to be outside for hours.
You were a very good boy, sweet natured, loving and obedient, for the most part. You wouldn’t eat human food, but that didn’t stop you from trying to steal my dinner. A left-up toilet seat made your day and a watery mess for your mom to clean up. You had a gentle soul and touched the hearts of many.
Dr. Black and Dr. Sine from the Centretown Veterinary Hospital tried so hard to save you this past month. It wasn’t until after you had passed away, that we discovered you had cancer everywhere. How you managed to survive so long is a mystery.
You were Dan, Danny and Daniel, but most of all you were your Momma’s baby boy.
Thank you for your love and sweet kitty kisses. Rest in peace my baby.
I am sooo sorry, Michele. I somehow did not see a posting of your loss on FB. I know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. They are family. The loss is great. Sending you hugs of consolation.
It is hard to lose such a good friend, but you gave him a wonderful life that he would never have had without you. This post is a lovely tribute. Thanks for sharing.
Daniel was a beautiful cat. So sorry for your loss.
I am so so sorry for your loss of your precious baby Daniel. My heart breaks for you and you will be in my thoughts & prayers…just know that your sweet boy is playing with his brothers now, pain free and watching over you from above. (((HUGS)))
I am so sorry for your loss, I am in tears. I can relate to how you are feeling now, we just lost our 13 1/2 year old chihuahua Thelma to an owl/buzzard attack, she was taken and we never got to say goodbye. I agree with Leslie your post is a lovely tribute.
I hope you can take some comfort in the knowledge that you were a blessing in his life, as much as he was in yours.
what a beautiful tribute to your sweet boy. I am so sorry to hear of your sad news; my thoughts are with you.
It really is heartbreaking to loose our pets…….but we do have to remember how much joy they bring us. They never seem to be with us long enough.
What a beautiful tribute to this obviously well loved family member.
Dear Michelle,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Losing a “baby” is heartwrenching and tragic. Now that you know what troubled him last month, maybe you can a little solace in knowing he is at peace and no longer in pain.
Please accept my condolences for Daniel’s departure.
Beautiful tribute to a beautiful boy. I am so very sorry for your loss, gentle hugs.
I’m so sorry you lost your baby boy. Unless you are an animal lover, it’s hard to know how tragic this can be.
Rest in Peace Baby Boy.
Oh Michele I am so very sorry. I loved hearing all about him and how he loved your quilts. I know your heart is broken. (hugs)
Sorry to hear of your loss, your photos are wonderful and show us his whole life with you. Hugs!
I’m so sorry for your loss. It is certainly hard to lose a well loved kitty. He was truly a beautiful boy. May he always play in the Catnip Fields Over The Rainbow Bridge and continue living in your heart.
Yael
So sorry to hear of DANNY BOY’S departure from this earth. I am glad to have met him, and know that he is now playing with Pal and Slade in a place where there is no more pain. RIP Daniel.
What a beautiful post and memorial of your family pets. It shows how much you loved them and how much they loved you.
Your story of your wonderful kitty made me cry. My sweet husband said that this is one advantage of emails–you don’t have to send tear-stained letters–and this note would have been. We’re so sorry you have lost your baby.
Your beautiful story brought tears to my eyes. I’m so sorry you lost him. Obviously you loved each other and shared so much. May your memories comfort you.
{Hugs} and {purrs} for your loss. I’m sure my Jasper is showing Daniel the ropes on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, where he will be waiting to greet you.
My condolences on the loss of your furry child.
thank you so much for sharing your story, it made me think of the pets I have lost and my favorite one of all. He was a dog, but the best friend anyone could ever have. Thanks for the story.
Aww, Michele, I am so sorry, too. A beautiful tribute to some beautiful children. I loved reading how Pal taught him not to be afraid. We have cared for some former feral cats who would probably not be tame today if it were not for them watching another cat interact with us. Hugs to you!!
So sorry to hear about your baby boy. I know it is the hardest things us humans have to do is to have a beloved pet pass away. Especially if it is unexpected. May he cross over that Rainbow bridge and join all of our beloved lost pets as well. He is now with Pal and Slade and they will be together forever. Here is a poem for you: MY FOREVER PET
There’s something missing in my home,
I feel it day and night,
I know it will take time and strength
before things feel quite right.
But just for now, I need to mourn,
My heart — it needs to mend.
Though some may say, “It’s just a pet,”
I know I’ve lost a friend.
You’ve brought such laughter to my home,
and richness to my days.
A constant friend through joy or loss
with gentle, loving ways.
Companion, friend, and confidante,
A friend I won’t forget.
You’ll live forever in my heart,
My sweet, forever pet.
— Susanne Taylor
Oh Michele, my heart grieves for you. What a sweet tribute you wrote for him. I know how much it hurts to lose a precious pet. You’re in my prayers. :)
Hope this helped with the grieving process. Thinking of you.
So sad and such a moving tribute. From one true pet lover to another, sending a big warm hug to you.
This is heart breaking news Michele. Losing a pet is a painful ordeal that we as pet lovers must endure. I enjoyed hearing about Daniel and the joy he brought into your life. Sending healing hugs to you, hope they help.
So sorry Michele, what a wonderful tribute to Daniel.
Made me cry, remembering my own cats that have passed on.
Michele, I am so sorry for the loss of Daniel. This is the most lovely tribute I’ve ever read about a pet. Tears came to my eyes as I read it. And reading that you have lost two other cats, too, just really made me sad for you. Our dog Skeeter died of cancer several years ago and I still get teary-eyed just thinking about it. Know that I am thinking of you and wish I could give you a big hug in person. ((*))
I’m so sorry. We lost our dog last November and it still hurts to think about him. I’m glad you have pleasant memories of your little buddies!
I can’t believe I didn’t hear about this. I’m at work now feeling very sad but will call later.
Hugs,
J.
I am so sorry for your loss. Having lost my Whisper boy less than 6 months ago, I know how hard it can be to loose a 4 legged member of your family. I am sending you my thoughts and best wishes. xo
I’m very sorry. Our beloved pets are so precious to us and hold a dear place in our hearts…..forever.
I’m very sorry for your loss. What a lovely tribute. Please accept my deepest condolences.
I know how hard it is Michele, you did everything you could and still this is the outcome. Peace my Friend!
What a lovely tribute to a beautiful kitty.
I’m so sorry — I know how hard it is to lose a beloved kitty.
You were very blessed to be loved and share your life with such a wonderful cat. I’m so sorry for your loss and can only imagine how much he will be missed.
Michele, am so sorry for your loss. Daniel and Pal are now together in kitty heaven..you gave both Daniel and Pal a wonderful life. Take care…
What a touching tribute to a life of a wonderful pet. I am sorry for your loss and so understand.
Tears are close to welling out of my eyes…what a wonderful tribute to your baby boy…I am so sorry for your loss!
So very sorry for your loss
This post brought tears to my ears. What sweet gentle, gentle souls they were. Now they’re all together watching birds and sleeping in heavenly sunshine. Many hugs. It’s never easy to lose a fur-child.
So sorry Michelle – what a beautiful tribute. Dan will leave a big hole in your life.
A beautiful heartmoving tribute to a very special boy. My thoughts and sympathies are with you.
Sorry for your loss. I know how I’d feel if it was my Chloecat. The pictures and story is a very loving memorial to Daniel, Pal and Slade. I hope his loss will not keep you from sharing your love with other fur babies.
Mary
my sympathy is sent to you Michele. Beautiful tribute to your friends
Your Daniel is the spitting image of my Abby, who died last summer at the age of 19. I swear that brown tabby’s are just the kindest, gentlest cats there are.
You wrote a beautiful memory for Daniel. I’m sorry you lost such a sweet pet.
What a beautiful post for a beautiful cat. We lost one of our dear kitties toward the end of last year, it was such a sad time. My thoughts are with you
What a great memorial – our hearts go out to you and we know how hard it is to lose a four legged family member.
Sending you good vibes!