A Tribute to Mickey, aka "Mouse Man"

In June of 1999, I went to the grocery store and there was a man standing outside collecting signatures for a political petition. I walked past him to my car, trying to ignore the voice that said I needed to go talk to him, but it wouldn't abate.

So I went back to talk to him, and learned that his cat had just had kittens three days earlier and he really wasn't equipped to care for them. I felt I needed to help and besides, who could resist kittens? Well…I couldn't. Yes, I know that "I have kittens at my house, would you like to see them?" sounds like something a predator would say to lure a potential victim. But I trusted my gut, and went to see the kittens.

There were two orange boys, a tortie girl and a solid black male. Over the next 8 weeks, I spent a lot of time with the kittens. I had no intention of taking one home, because my Binky cat was 19 and I felt that the energy of a kitten would be too much. I also didn't want her to feel as though I was replacing her.

I ended up bonding with one of the ginger boys anyway, and it was extremely hard to let him go when we found him a good home. We found homes for the other ginger and the tortie, and then the black one was all alone. I looked down at him one day and was just overcome with love and longing. Strangely, I hadn't really felt connected to him until that moment, but it was clear that my heart wanted this precious soul so very much, and I just couldn't say no.

I loved and cared for Mickey for 17 ½ years to the best of my ability. He was a sweet and gentle soul, but he was not a cuddler and not fond of being held or kissed. However, he was affectionate in his own way, on his terms. Of course, I always wanted more than he could give. It took almost his entire life for me to come to accept him for who he was and to see that what he offered was no less special than my other cats who loved cuddling.

And it took a diagnosis of kidney disease for me to fully understand the true depth of my feelings for him. I always knew I loved him dearly and completely, I just had no idea how much. But faced with the prospect of his death, there it was – I saw a love so deep, so pure and intense that I would do anything to help him stay with me just a little while longer.

This past year, dealing with all of the stress and struggles that come with kidney failure was so difficult for both Mickey and me. But something amazing and wonderful came from this. My bond with this beautiful boy was strengthened beyond anything I could have ever hoped for. Not only did I finally understand just how much I loved him, but he was able to show more affection to me as well. 

I would put my face near his and ask him if I could have a "Mickey lick" and he would give my nose a few quick licks. I can't begin to explain just how much these nose kisses meant to me this last year of our life together. I felt that these Mickey licks were his way of saying "thank you" to me for all that I did for him, and it's a memory I can hold dear in my heart.

RIP my beautiful boy. My "earth angel with fur" is now an angel in heaven. I shall always remember how much happiness and love you brought into my life.

(Special thanks to the lovely Ann at Zoolatry for the Rainbow Bridge badge and Mickey Montage).

Fur Kids – Forever in Our Hearts

The other day was one of those I dread. Finding out that another beloved furriend had gone to the bridge is never easy, but this time it was a cat I admire so much for his amazing spirit and his ability to teach us about love and acceptance.

Homer the Blind Wonder Cat was just one cat, as Gwen said, but he was one of the most special cats the world has ever had the privilege to know. His story, Homer’s Odyssey, touched the hearts of millions…and inspired countless people to give blind cats a chance.

Homer proved time and again that you don’t need eyes to be worthy of love. He showed us that a physical disability doesn’t define who we are, it’s just one part of what makes us unique. I love that, through Homer, so many people came to understand that every cat deserves a forever home, even one without eyes.

I love that Gwen and Homer’s incredible bond was captured so eloquently on paper for the world to read and understand. If we are lucky, we will all get to experience the kind of life-altering love these two shared.

I know I have that kind of bond with my Annabelle, and when I read Gwen’s incredibly touching tribute post to Homer, I saw so much of myself in what she wrote. This post foreshadows my own future, that fateful day I will have to bid the love of my life goodbye. It’s not something I want to think about…ever…but it’s reality. I know I will feel what she is feeling now, and I only hope I can be as strong.

I truly believe every soul that comes into this world has a purpose. And that includes cats. We’re all here for a reason, even if we never discover what that reason is. Homer was one of the lucky ones. He knew exactly what he’d come to do…and he did it so well, that his legacy will live forever. I know that’s a bit clichéd, but it is the truth.

I was privileged to “interview” Homer for my other blog a few years ago, and one of his answers to my questions has always stayed in my mind:

Me: If you could tell people something about blind cats that they might not already know, what would it be?
Homer: That a blind cat, in the end, is just a cat who is every bit as capable of loving you and living a wonderful life as any other cat. Too many people didn't want to adopt me as a kitten because I was “different.”  But just because someone's a little different doesn't mean they're too different to love.

I know some of you have read that interview, but if you haven’t and want to learn more about how wise and wonderful Homer was, you can read it here.

On Behalf of the Warden, I Apologize!

Annabelle here. I was supposed to have a warm and fuzzy post the other day, but the Warden hijacked my blog! (Yes, Warden, it IS my blog…didn’t you get the memo?).

Anyhoo, she was incensed over an article she read and just couldn’t hold her tongue. My brofurs and I told her to let it go, that giving the story legs would only make her feel worse, not better. The Warden rarely listens to us even though she knows we are wise beyond our cat years. Duh!

The thing about the Warden is that she just really *really* loves animals. Cats, dogs, bunnies, horses, hamsters…she loves them all. She even squees over those little white mice at the pet store and threatens to buy them all before they become dinner for some pet snake. BUT she knows that if she brought them here, they’d be OUR dinner instead of the snake’s, so what’s the point?

She loves all critters, ‘cept maybe insects. She hates those earwigs that invade her garden, but she says you have to draw the line somewhere, and that insects are unlovable. IDK if that’s true, but the Warden just can’t get behind insect adoration. She can appreciate the helpfulness of good bugs like beetles, but love ‘em? That’s too much of a leap, even for a self-proclaimed animal nut like her.

The Warden says she loves all animals more than she does most people. There are some exceptions, but for the most part animals have her heart in a way that most beans just can’t. She says she was hardwired that way…came right out of her Momma’s womb an animal lover, and her feelings just got stronger every day.

Via I LOVE TO LAUGH!

She told us a story once, about watching a Western movie as a young child. There's always fighting going on in those movies. The Warden said men were dropping like flies and she didn’t flinch. Then a horse went down and she couldn’t stop bawling. That was the last time she ever watched one of those movies, fur sure.

She can’t stand to see any animal suffer. It breaks her heart even when she doesn’t know the animal…it’s as though she can feel what they feel, because they’re connected somehow. And she doesn’t really feel that same sense of connection to most humans. Does that make sense to you?

So anyway, I want to apologize if the Warden’s last post made you sad. We will get back to our regularly scheduled, happy-go-lucky blogging now!! That’s a promise.

Love and kitty licks,
Annabelle