The Christmas Tree – DAY 1               The Christmas Tree – DAY 2

WTF???               “I’m Just A Baby”

The Christmas Tree – DAY 3           The Christmas Tree – DAY 4

TO BE CONTINUED…

It was with a heavy heart that I pulled the Christmas decorations from the storage closet this year.

To many people this will sound insane, but animal lovers will understand. For seven years Riley SweetPea was with me for Christmas. There were two years it was just the two of us. He loved the tree and he opened his own gifts on Christmas morning. This is the absolute truth. A cat that loved Christmas!

We lost Riley in July of this year. He died too young and is missed every day. Joey and I still tear up when we talk about him. One night at the beginning of December I opened the closet door to get the decorations out. I pictured him last year, jumping on the containers, waiting for the excitement to begin. I closed the door and cried for an hour.

I feel for people who have lost loved ones, and will miss them terribly at Christmas. To me, Riley was family and this has been a tough month. A few nights ago I put my feelings aside and started to decorate.

Well, it seems that Binky is a huge fan of the holiday too. She was into everything, lying under the tree, climbing in the boxes. Some of you may think that all cats are the same. Let me assure you, they are all unique. Rory Beanie loves Christmas music and loves to lie in a pile of bubble-wrap while I put things together. She has no interest in interacting or getting into things. She never did. Even as a kitten she watched as Riley got into things. The other night she watched Binky wreck the place.

I am relieved that Binky is breaking glass balls and into everything. Christmas is a time for celebrating and being happy. Many people are sad this time of year – due to expectations not met. The cold wet weather has me riddled with pain and house bound for days at a time. I am the “Cat Lady,” these little furries keep me company all day. They are much better company when they are interactive.

Riley will never be replaced. He was with me through the years following my car wreck. He never left my side when I was sick. He wore seasonal outfits and loved to have his picture taken. That being said: if ever there was a Riley clone it is Binky. The minute I opened the closet door, she was in there. Her days are spent napping with me, climbing the Christmas tree, breaking glass balls, napping, climbing the Christmas tree, breaking glass balls, trying to rip down the stockings, and napping. There are also breaks for pooping and eating. Her life is full. Beanie and I watch her, we both growl at her daily, and we both love her.

So the tree is up, after three days there are no ornaments left on the bottom third of it. Yet, it feels like Christmas because a small creature is very excited. That’s really all I need to make the season bright!

PART TWO:
Since it is Christmas, Hanukkah, the Holiday Season: the Ladies over at Visual Chronicles are having a gift giveaway! For your chance to WIN and AUTOGRAPHED copy of MEETING IN THE LADIES ROOM, or a piece of ART from Linda Woods, simply let the ladies know what you had for lunch (they love food) by December 20th: CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Tonight as I attempted to pack for my trip I met with a few obstacles. Well, two… to be exact. My furry girls are not pleased to see me go. Rory-Beanie knows what the suitcase means. She’s been moping since it appeared from the closet. Binky Arden Peanut, is new to the world. She liked this new toy – until I kept removing her from it. I think Beanie told her I was leaving, because Binky is very aloof tonight; well, since her tantrum earlier.

Here is the photographic evidence of what went on:

Rory-Beanie blocking access – at first, pretending to be “just” hanging out.

Rory-Beanie standing her ground – one ear in fighting position:

After Beanie gave up Binky Arden Peanut decided to get in on the act. Her first approach was a cuddly “take me with you” face.

When I said “NO” She pitched a fit!

When bad behavior got her nowhere, Binky faked a smile:

I love them dearly, my spoiled babies. I wish I could bring them with me. I will miss them like crazy. But luckily, their older, human, brother, Joey will be home to take care of them. If you’ve ever tried to make a bed with cats in the house or pack a suitcase, you know what I’ve been dealing with!

Riley SweetPea was a furry boy who came from the streets of Toronto. His big awkward feet didn’t seem to fit his long skinny frame. The left side of his face was paralyzed, his left eye didn’t completely close, and one fang was always outside his mouth. In short: he was perfect.

When we met he was charming the entire neighborhood, where my friends Gail and Lori lived. Late fall was upon us and there was no way this odd looking scruffy thing would survive on the street during winter. I was going through a difficult time in my life and decided we would probably be good for each other.

Though I thought he was full grown, Riley kept growing and growing. Clearly he was still a kitten when he moved in. He was a chatty boy who would talk to anyone who paid him attention. Though I almost never knew what he was saying, he always seemed to understand me. I have had pets my whole life. I have loved and cherished all of them. Yet Riley was the most unique cat I ever met. He oozed love and was almost always in the same room as me, when I was home. When I was sick he never left my side. He seemed to know and would give unsolicited hugs/kisses more so than usual.

He was funny and loved to show off. When he saw a camera he would pose. He also stood on the dresser, looked in the mirror, and it seemed he was admiring himself. These things were probably my fault as I praised him daily and told him he was the most handsome boy ever. Everyone who met him loved him. Different people remarked that he was more human than animal. I don’t think he knew he was an animal.

When Riley took sick two weeks ago I was sure he would be fine. He was a strong seven-year-old cat who rarely got sick. My friends and family reassured me daily he would be ok. We all believed it. He was getting stronger while in hospital, there were two days where he was wandering around chatting up the vet and technicians. They all fell for his gentle charm. All were pulling for him. Even the vet said she never met a cat like him.

When I got the call that he was having a reaction to the feeding tube, I was concerned but remained sure he would be ok. I had gone in and tube fed him – he was supposed to come home. Friday things worsened. Saturday I went to the vet, not knowing if we would have to put him to sleep. I held him for a long time and as sick as he was he purred loudly and gave me hugs. I was a bawling snotty mess and the dear soul was trying to comfort me.

We made the decision to give him till Monday before we proceeded in any direction. He was still better than when he went in to hospital and he was a fighter. Sadly, the little guy passed away in the early hours of Sunday, July 5th. Though I was relieved he wasn’t suffering, I was/am devastated that he wasn’t /isn’t coming home.

No soul lives forever on earth. I thought I would have more than seven years with Riley SweetPea. The house has been too quiet for the past two weeks. He made lots of noise and was forever into things. Lots of people have said, “He was lucky you saved his life.” Truth is: we saved each other. My furry boy got me through some very dark times.

Animals enrich our lives. They are gifts and should be treasured. Losing Riley has been very difficult for me. I remain grateful for the love and support of family and friends. Without your kindness and support I would have been so lost. My thanks also goes out to the online community who embraced all my furry babies and have mourned the losses of Little Dolly the kitten and our handsome Riley. All of your comments are cherished.

Pam
xo

As with sadness the world over, for iconic losses, and continued injustice in Iran, there was also unrest in my home this week.

Sunday began quietly enough but seemed to unravel quickly. Little Dolly, the smallest kitten became gravely ill. She was bouncing around all day but quickly deteriorated. I can’t find words to explain the heartbreak of watching this dear little creature suffer for more than two hours before life left her. I held her the entire time and she never took her eyes away from mine. She cried out with each cramp that raveged her little body. I was a snotty mess but continued to hug and reassure her. Her final hour was calmer and she meowed softly at me a few times before she was gone.

Animals are not humans; I know this. Some people say, “It was just a pet.” For me, a soul is a soul and a life is a life. I am not saying losing an animal is the same as losing a parent or a child. Still, it is losing a family member when you love them right. Dolly was only with me for 10 days, but she brought absolute joy to our house. She had her own personality and as devastating as it was to see her out of this world, I am glad that she only knew love while she was here.

Shortly after Dolly was gone I noticed that my seven-year old boy cat, Riley SweetPea was acting strange. He progressively got more and more ill as the night turned into morning. Though the two illnesses appear to be unrelated, the timing was odd. When the vet opened Monday I was there. I dropped Riley off and headed to a command performance at my GP’s office. We went over the entire report from Internal Medicine, and though all the cancer screens were negative it was decided that I needed a colonoscopy ASAP. I agreed to it and headed to the hospital for blood work. On my way home eight hours later I picked up Riley and some antibiotics for him. Having been awake for almost 2 days at this point I wanted sleep but Riley was getting sicker despite the medication. We were up all night again and well into Tuesday. I knew by afternoon that he would be dead within hours if I didn’t return to the vet.

I am blessed in my life with the most wonderful and supportive friends/family/chosen family. With the aid of a dear friend I was able to take Riley back to the vet before returning home to start the preparation for Wednesday’s colonoscopy. Without getting too graphic, I will say that the GOD-AWFUL 4 liters (1 gallon) of laxative I had to drink was enough to make me pray for death. That coupled with the laxative pills induced 12 hours of full body revolt. By Wednesday morning I had been awake almost 4 days and hadn’t eaten in 40 hours. My diet of clear liquids, the loss of Dolly, and Riley’s continuing stay at the hospital had welcomed “The Ugly Cry” on an off the whole time; which was probably a good thing: release or explode. Following the “procedure” I ate the best damn BIG MAC I ever had (I chased it with a Strawberry milkshake). Then returned home and crashed for five glorious hours of sleep.

Thursday was a better day. Though my dear little Riley was still at the vet, he was stable. I was very thankful for some down time and rest. Thursday evening the lovely 91 year-old-man down stairs was taken away in an ambulance. It was very troubling because he has been the victim of elder abuse for months (in the form of constant yelling and theft, by a family member who visits the home daily). Though I tried to get him to let me call the police he said he was fine and (PLEASE) not to call. He didn’t want things to get worse. If I called and he told them he was fine, it would be worse. I suspected that his “Caretaker” was instrumental in his illness and I told the EMS workers this with her standing there. I was sick with regret over the poor man all night. Things have escalated in the past 24 hours. There are many details I won’t get into. However, he is home safe and well, there are lawyers/authorities involved, and the locks have been changed. She will not step foot in this house again as long as I am here. I am not a hero; there are things I should have done a LOT sooner. I won’t make this mistake again.

We all face adversity and when it snowballs I want to hide in a corner. Yet I am blessed, there are people in my life that have let me down terribly, and there are those that have gone above and beyond. Not everybody has this balance; I am one of the lucky ones.

Aside from the people in my material realm there has been an outpouring of love and support for me and my furry babies, from Twitter and Facebook. I am a web junkie; there are fine people (and not so fine people) in the virtual realm. Social networks can bring likeminded folk together. Cat lovers from all over the world have been praying for Riley. In the moments of the days when I thought I couldn’t handle another thing, messages of kindness and support lifted me. Riley continues to be stable and appears to be getting better. I hope to have him home within a few days. He is beyond missed. My Fat Cat, Rory-Beanie, has been on a hunger strike since he left. I’ve had to bribe her to eat with Twinkies, chips, and sugary cat food for days. I am a bad parent.

We are ALL in this together. Some people will NEVER get that. Some people will take and tear down all their days on earth. Some will look at every action with a price tag attached, wondering “what’s in it for me?” And some people, however flawed and human, are kind and well meaning. I feel I am one of these people: Far from perfect, but wanting the best for others. I have met many people who are the same – and you know who you are! I thank each and every one of you for the kindness you’ve shown me this week. Daily, just as I was well into the ugly cry, an unexpected laugh or warm word would come my way… and those moments got me through. Thank you all so much.

Pamela xo