Bennette's Farewell

Bennette left for the Rainbow Bridge on May 4th.   She had been ill for awhile, but it was still sudden  and a shock for us.

She wanted to say goodbye herself.

I came to my family at the very end of September in 2008.  This is how they first saw me.  I had made a nest in one of Jonesie's gardens.  I knew I was charming them because they started calling me Miss Got Milk because of my milk mustache.

On October 1st, I took advantage of a rare opportunity.   Grete, the new woofie at the time, was spending the night at the vet recovering from the first of her elbow surgeries.   With the coast clear, being the opportunist I was, I made my move.   It was my target's mom's birthday and while they were having dinner I knocked at the door.  Like a proper visitor.  They opened the door and I simply walked in.  Like I owned the place.   The best birthday present my mom ever received.

This next photo is about a week later after I had firmly established myself as a member of the family.   They shortened my name...Miss Got Milk to  G-Moo, a nickname that stuck with me always.   I was formerly named  Bennette, after another loved stray Benjamin.  Mom was fairly certain we were litter mates.

I established myself as totally in control and in charge.   Mom and dad said they had never met a cat who was so totally self aware and comfortable in her own fur.   Ha!  That was me!  Don't let this picture below fool you.  I liked to throw mild punches, but I adored my best friend Ellie. We were very close and were often sleeping together.   I always wished that Ellie was my mom.  I adored her giving me baths.

I was always willing to curl up and help my mom watch The Tour de France.   

I had a very kissable face.  

I had  8 of the best years of my life with my family.  I never did reveal how I became homeless so that part of my story will always be a mystery.  What I do know is that I chose my new family well.  We had the best of times together.  I was well loved.

Mancat Monday Memories

Hello dear furriends.   This is my last goodbye from The Bridge.

I had a nice long run here with my family and I made such good friends around the world.   All of your messages of comfort have been very helpful to my family.

I started out life as a baby kitten, born to a feral momma.  I was the sole survivor of my litter.  My momma kitty, Beacon, passed away when I was only 4 months old.   The lovely humans who raised me from day 1 are friends of my mom and dad.   That's how I found my forever family.  My original name was Grady.  Mom and dad changed it to Madison.

My daddy cat wasn't feral, so I grew up being a cross between and laid back kitty and a feral one.   In my early years, I would act all normal, like the picture above...or I'd totally freak out and hide over nothing at all.   This earned me the nickname Fearless Freep.   I totally lost my feral streak later in life.

One of my secrets is that I was almost never called Madison.   I had a series of nicknames over the course of my life because no one name really captured me.

There was a time early on in my mancathood where I got to be VERY big.  Like 18 pounds of me.  My head looked little on my body.  This earned me the nickname Akebono, after a famous sumo wrestler.   For most of my adult life I was about 16 pounds.   

I was always the first at the food dish.  Even in my old age, I was always first to dive in to the Fancy Feast.

I loved my Cecilia!   We have shared a special relationship and I know she will miss me terribly.

I had such fun with my blogosphere furriends.   I have special memories of the time we all got together in the Wienermobile and traveled to Porkopolis.  You can see me with my furriends and also Ellie, Nigel, Ginger and Cecilia who joined me for the fun.

While we were traveling, I wandered away from the group and got a tattoo!

I loved being in my garden.   I loved sleeping in the bushes on warm sunny days and hanging out on the deck, sometimes forgetting to put my tongue back in my mouth.

As I got older, I became deaf and I could only go in the garden when supervised.   Mom and dad are comforted by my July post where I was able to be out in the garden.   It was only in the last couple of months that I was totally restricted inside.  I never missed a meal.  Even though I was very sick in the end, I didn't pass up chicken baby food.  

Thank you all for being my furriends.  I will see you all again at The Bridge!

Fly Free Sweet Madison

Madison left for the Rainbow Bridge this morning.   He was 19 1/2 years old.

He had a very long and wonderful life.   On Saturday morning he was unable to stand on his own.   He spent 2 days under a lot of care and evaluation at the vet.   He was in acute renal failure, plus he had a whole list of other medical issues.   It was his time.

He left this world peacefully and in the arms of his mom and dad.

I will post more memories in the next week when I am up to it.

Happy Birthday Grete!

Hi!  What did you say? 

It's my Birthday?   I'm 9 years old?  Awesome!

Does that mean I get unlimited walkies and string cheese and chicken and...ball time?

Yes?!

Birthdays are awesome.