Tributes

"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.  Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way.  We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan."  Irving Townsend

Kitty Cat Albright:  My very  first pet.  My dad brought a little gray long-haired kitten home right after I was born.  At the time, my mom was very afraid of cats and wasn't too happy about having a kitten when she just had a new baby.  That's why she never really got a name, just Kitty.  My mom still calls her by her nickname, Puss. She endured many pulled tails and swimming pool torture when I was little and didn't know any better.  I'm ashamed of that behavior now.  Kitty grew up with me until we were both 18-years-old.  Her final year of life she was deaf and got all matted, which is really sad, because in her younger days, she won second place for "Best Groomed" at the local park's pet show.  I worked for hours un-matting her and I think she realized that, now that I was older and wiser, I had more respect and caring for her.  We were very close.  She was 18-years-old when she woke up blind and feeble and my mom did the humane thing via the vet and sent her to kitty heaven. 

Moochie Saperticker Fearless Fosdick Albright:  When I was ten, I began the usual "I always wanted a puppy" routine on my parents.  The opportunity arose to adopt a mongrel puppy from an old neighbor.  We just came to visit to see if we would like the dog.  Now, puppies are adorable and have round, warm bellies.  Everybody loves puppies.  My mom is the real dog person of the family, so she picked up the white and beige puppy and he fell asleep in her lap.  Well, that did it--home he went.  It took awhile to think of a name for him, but I named him after a child actor that made a lot of Disney movies (e.g., Old Yeller, Swiss Family Robinson, etc.), Kevin "Moochie" Corchoran.  My mom added all the other names when she would "talk" for him.  Moochie grew into a mid-sized orange and white long-haired sort-of collie, sheltie, whatever.  He also participated in the local park's pet show and came in second for "Longest Tail."  One special talent, other than the many tricks he learned, was that he was also a gardener.  He grew great tomatoes! (Try and figure out how he did that!)  Moochie lived a long life, got fat and full of lumps and arthritis.  He was 14 when my parents decided he should be humanely "put to sleep."

Dusty:  A beautiful, gray long-haired kitten (sort of looked like Kitty) my ex and I adopted from the Michigan Humane Society.  He had the neatest personality and was very playful.  He would chase flashlights and catch the billiard balls as they went down the slide in the pool table.  He slept on his back and under the covers; or propped on a window sill.  Kleenex was not safe--he would pull it one-by-one out of the tissue box and drop it on the floor.  One time, he even came out of the bathroom pulling the toilet paper and unrolled the whole thing.  He adored olives--they made him high, just like catnip.  The other odd food he would eat was red licorice.   Dusty developed a urinary tract blockage at the age of 1 1/2 caused by excess potash in his cat chow (many cats died that year until the company changed their formula).  Unfortunately, the only humane thing to do was to euthanize him.  This was extremely difficult for me, because I loved Dusty like he was my own human baby.

Lady Amanda Hichophauser:  What can I say about "Mandy?"  My ex and I picked her out of a litter of 11 when she was 4-weeks-old.  We brought her home when she was 8-weeks-old.  This sweet, not-so-little puppy grew into a loving 130 lb. Saint Bernard.  She was so gentle and loved to lean on you when walking around the yard.  You never wore good clothes around her, as she was always drooling on you.  She would sit calmly by my brand new baby boy in his swing and play with him when he was a toddler.  She died at the age of six due to a "female" infection that was in epidemic proportions in my city.  Six Saints died during the same week of the same thing.  She was such a good dog.

Domino:  I got this muted (or dilute) calico as a kitten for free through an ad in the local paper after my divorce.  She was a very pretty cat with long fur, purred extremely loud, but she was afraid of everything.  She loved pepperoni.  Domino was also quite sickly.  She was about five years-old when she died.

Husky Hamster:  You guessed it!  He was a pretty hefty little hamster.  He was a master escape artist--he would chew his way through the plastic joiners in his Habitrail and venture out.  Good thing, Lucky (my black cat) never mistook him for a field mouse.  He also loved to wander around in his plastic ball--he would go everywhere around the house.  He was a lot of fun and lived to over two years old.  (Note:  My son won "Goldie," the goldfish, at the Michigan State Fair.)

Sheena:   This beautiful German Short-haired Pointer actually belonged to my mom and dad when they lived "up north" on Long Lake.  She came into their life as she bounded down a friend's driveway and my mom just couldn't resist.  She had been abandoned and mom's friend was looking for a home for her.  Her original name was Sheila, but mom didn't like that name for her, so she renamed her after the Queen of the Jungle.  She loved to sleep in bed, like a human, with her head on the pillow.  Any guests at the house always had a sleeping companion!  If there were too many guests, she would make the rounds all night.  She loved to swim and catch minnows.  And she was a great companion for our entire family.  Unfortunately, she died tragically and unexpectedly.  Broke all our hearts.

Candy Cookie Kesbright:  The same friends that offered Sheena to my parents, offered this English Springer Spaniel puppy to them, as well.  Their dog had a litter.  She loved to chase my son around in the snow and steal his winter hat.  She also played tetherball with him.  She was potty-trained in the snow and, during the Spring thaw, there was less and less snow, of course.  She would search for a small patch and do her duty there.  It was so cute--she had to be trained to use the grass.  She was pretty high-strung.  She would scream (like you were beating her) and piddle when we would arrive home.  She loved sleeping in bed with you, but don't dare try to touch her--her eyes would bare white--pretty scary.  After my dad's first heart attack, they had to move back to the Dearborn area and bought a mobile home, so I had to keep Candy for them.  She nipped my son's hands three times (once she bit his hand really badly) and nipped three other children.  I couldn't take the chance that she would severely scar some child or my own child, so at the age of about five, I did choose to have her euthanized.  Sad, but she had become too dangerous.

Rocky:  (No photo available.) This little orange kitten came into my mom and dad's life after his many heart attacks.  He had been abused--some kids had tried to strangle him.  That's why he was named Rocky, because he fought back to live.  He was so tiny and would crawl up my dad's body and lay right by his chin and purr and sleep.  I think he was just an angel-kitty sent from heaven for a short time to help my ailing dad to the end of his life.  (My dad loved cats.)  Rocky was chronically ill and only lived a very short time after my dad died.

Lucky:  Click here to go to his memorial site.

Destiny:  Click here to go to her memorial site.

Saber:  Click here to go to his memorial site.

Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you...I loved you  so----'twas Heaven here with you.  (Isla Paschal Richardson)

Your Pets in Heaven
by Ken D. Conover

To have loved and then said farewell, is better than to have never loved at all.  For all the times that you have stooped and touched my head, fed me my favorite treat and returned the love that i so unconditionally gave to you.  For the care that you gave to me so unselfishly. For all of these things I am grateful and thankful.

I ask that you not grieve for the loss, but rejoice in the fact that we lived, loved and touched each other's lives.  My life was fuller because you were these, not as a master/owner, but as my friend.

Today I am as I was in my youth.  The grass is always green butterflies flit among the flowers and the sun shines gently down upon all of God's creatures.  I can run, jump, play and do all of the things that I did in my youth.  There is no sickness, no aching joints and no regrets and no aging.

We await the arrival of our lifelong companions and know that togetherness is forever.  You live in our hearts as we do in yours.  Companions such as you are so rare and unique.  Don't hold the love that you have within yourself.  Give it to another like me and then I will live forever.  For love never really dies, and you are loved and missed as surely as we are.

  is a memorial page for deceased pets.  Very touching.  Also, and  are good bereavement sites.

COPING AFTER THE LOSS OF YOUR PET

A Cat's Prayer

Although I am too proud to beg, and may appear to be a very independent creature, I ask for your loving care and attention.  I rely on you for my well being much more that you may realize.

This I promise, my benefactor, that I will not be a burden nor will I demand more of you than you care to give.

I will be a quiet, peaceful island of serenity for you to gaze upon; a soft soothing body to caress, and I shall purr with pleasure to rest your weary ears.

Since I am a gourmet who appreciates different taste sensations, I pray you will give me a variety of nutritious foods and fresh water daily.

You know, dear friend, how I love my independence.  Allow me, I pray, a warm sheltered place where I can rest peacefully and feel secure.

If I am wounded in battle or suffering from disease, please tend me gently and see that I am treated by loving and competent hands.

Please protect me from the humans who would hurt and torture me for their own amusement.  I am accustomed to your gentle touch and am not always suspicious, nor swift enough to avoid such malicious acts.

In my later years, when my senses fail me and my infirmities become too great to bear, allow me the comfort and dignity that I desire for my closing days and help me gently in my pain and passing.

Hear this prayer, my dear friend, my fate depends on you.

Amen.

More Cat Prayers

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