My beloved cat, Faith, died at the tender age of 11. Faith is my first purebred cat, a Ragdoll. My husband and are heart-broken, and our lives feel somewhat empty. Not because our home feels lonely without my beloved Faith, but because Faith was one of my best friends. He didn’t know he was a cat. (Typical of the Ragdoll breed.) Faith had a perfect combination of the very best behaviors and personalities of both cat and dog. Faith would walk on command with a leash, come when called, fetch, play hide and seek, and follow me everywhere I went. If I was putting my makeup on, Faith would jump up on my lap. If I was brushing my teeth or taking a bath, he would be on the counter of the sink or the tub. Somehow he never feel in the water. I never had to take him out for exercise, he would run around and entertain himself as long as I was in the room. When Richard and I first adopted Faith, we had a home in California with 2 floors. Faith would race up and down the stairs that connected the 2 floors, sliding into me and enjoying himself because usually startled me. When Faith wanted to go outdoors he would stand by his leash, stare at it, and meow his demands to go outdoors.
Faith was unhealthy for a year and a half before he died. When he first got sick, Faith lost weight and because he didn’t have his usual appetite. (He weighed 18 pounds and could eat ALOT). When he continued in this behavior I took him to the vet. The Dr. ran all kinds of blood tests, kept him the hospital, and got tired of me calling every half hour to check up on his health. They couldn’t find an exact diagnosis to treat, so they gave him a vitamin shot, something to settle his stomach, and some antibiotics. Faith began to improve and began to demand food a lot because he was skinny and hungry. I began to study the nutritional needs of a cat and realized the dry food I was giving him was crap. I changed his food and he flourished. Suddenly, Faith got real sick. I babied my friend and watched for any signs he might be in distress. He still followed me around, cuddled in my lap, purred all the time, and ate like a champ. But this only lasted about a month. I made an appointment with the vet for the next day after Faith stopped eating. I wanted to allow him to die in my arms as he took his last breath. That was not to be. When I woke up the next morning and ran to check on him, Faith had passed during that night.
I know that Faith was a part of my family. If you have a pet that you dearly love, you know. I didn’t want to share this story. I knew the pain I would endure as I finally accept that he is gone and now I have finally allowed myself to grieve. I am sharing this loss because I will finally tie this story to the brand (or theme) of my website. It sure took me long enough.
I have found peace in the knowledge that I will be with Faith in heaven and I rejoice knowing that I will be with him again. I can ‘feel’ him all the time and I know our pets go to heaven and live with our eternal families forever. Think about this: what kind of a Heavenly Father (or God) would give us these gifts only to take them away when you return to HIM. I believe God sent us to earth to experience joy and happiness. And He LOVES US SO MUCH that he allows us to be reunited with those we love in HIS Eternity.
BTW, I still have 6 abandoned kitties that found, and I share my home and my love with all these poor babies that were threw out like trash. (I am a cat foster-mom). I will only have one special relationship like I have with Faith.
Until then, dear Faith, enjoy the perfect spirit yo are now.
Mommy. AKA Jane Moe