That list made me remember the last entries in my journal for Kaffe  .  And yes, the days feel suddenly empty, but I filled them up by writing and writing about Kaffe (I was afraid I would forget little things, you see...) and going out to shops and yes, actually buying little things FOR Kaffe:  picture frames, candles, ribbons, special boxes to keep his things in... maybe these activities helped me, I don;t know...  But whenever I stopped, I would howl in pain and longing... prayers, prayers prayers... these helped me tremedously to see and know that the parting is just temporary.

We're here for you Ned, each one of us who know what you are going through right now. 

{{{Hugs}}}

Ned,
I hope it helps to know that we are with you and thinking about you.  I know there is a huge emptiness, especially because Thunder had many special needs in recent months.  I (and I know, many here) have felt a similar vacancy, and loss of purpose.   I would venture to hope that you might ready your place for a new kitty.  It might seem early or disrespectful to mention, but I just know Thunder would approve.  You are such a rare and loving caregiver.  And there are so many cats who need a loving home.  When you are ready, I hope you will share the experience of your next cat with us.
Blessings on you, and Angel Thunder.

I too am glad that you posted a response to Sandi, Ned.
And you certainly have been a comfort to me in all my woes.

Ned, Cato asked a question a bit ago and I am hoping you will answer that one please

"How did you come to name her Thunder"?

I didn't name her Thunder. I named her Pixel because she was so tiny! She fit in the palm of my hand. I worked as a graphic artist back then and we had this newfangled thing called desktop publishing where you did all your typesetting and design on a computer! How cutting edge we were! One day, a girl in the printing dept. came back from lunch with a tiny, cute little kitten her friend had given her. We all gathered around and oohed and aahed for a while then went back to work. About an hour later, the girl comes into the design dept. and says, "You're going to have to take this kitty. I have two big dogs and they'll eat it!" Well who can refuse an offer like that? So I take the kitten and put her in a paper grocery bag and put it under my desk between my legs. We were all trying to hide the kitty so the boss wouldn't find out we had an animal in the building. I can still remember looking down into the bag and seeing the little kitty look up at me with big eyes and meowing at me. She did this every time I checked on her.

I took her home and told my friends I had a new kitty. A few days later, they all came over to see her. By that time she was thoroughly bonded to me and would run to me whenever she was scared by something or was just wanting somewhere safe to rest. She sat there with me while my friends admired her and after a little while she loosened up a bit and started playing. Once she realized she was safe, even around these big new humans, she started tearing around like a little fuzzy tornado! She just did not stop running around. She would run at us as fast as she could and at the last second, jump up in the air with all four legs spread wide! It seemed like she would hang there in midair for a split second and then she was off running around the room! After about 5 minutes of this, she took one last run at my friend Mary, sprang into the air right in front of her, and Mary went "Aaah! Thundercat!" The little kitty was exhausted after all that running around and she ran back to me, plopped down in my lap and immediately went to sleep. I said "That's her real name - Thunder." And everyone agreed!

What a great way to have given Thunder her name. Appreciate your sharing stories about this special girl. I too was not ready right away. Took many months before I was so missing opening the front door and being greeted by a tail that wagged the whole body that I knew it was time to find a new baby to take care of and love. We all have our own way of knowing when its time.......

Thank you for sharing the beginning of the Thunder & Ned story!  I can just see that little daredevil flying at everyone with all paws extended.  A Thunder memory thread would be wonderful if you can get to the point of being able to record it without it being too painful.

Another idea in addition to cat sitting would be to put in a few volunteer hours a week with a cat rescue group so you can get an occasional kitty fix.  Or foster a litter of babies?  (warning, you might want to find a no-kill group if you decide to volunteer or you could end up with way too many cats!)

That was a heartwarming description of how Thunder came to live with you, Ned. I wonder if Thunder ran around and jumped in the room trying to get someone to call her right name. Once the name was called and agreed upon, she could go to sleep. She knew she could help with the name. Smart kitty.

What a great story, Ned. It's very clear to me that you two were supposed to be together for all these years. Thanks for sharing it - and I hope there were some smiles through the tears.

catmom5