Shadow was my sister's much loved black kitty. I called her "meep" for her unusual meow. Shadow was my sister's constant companion who liked to chew on her braid and play "kitty cave". Shadow kept my sister such good company and is very missed. We love you, Meeps.
love, aunt nancy
Due to financial issues, in 2001 I was renting out my son's old bedroom to people as long as they'd been referred by someone I knew. One day my current renter brought home two black kittens, a brother and sister, who had been born in April but hadn't found homes; the owner had threatened to take them to the pound so he'd brought them to my house (where I already had four cats of my own) knowing that I wouldn't let them be taken to the county pound. He came up with some pretty strange names, Ikey for the boy, which I renamed Mikie. I named the girl Shadow and they both liked to sleep on my bed with my other kitties. My other kitties were all older and died by 2004, when three of them were 20 yrs. old. By then, my renter had moved out, having gotten married to his girlfriend; they had moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets so Mikie and Shadow had stayed with me. Shadow liked to sleep on my chest when I was on the computer and, in the Winter, sleep under the blankets where it was warmer. I called it playing "Kitty Cave". In Feb 2007, I was sick with bronchitis, which I got every year and the doctor told me I had to quit smoking cigarettes as I was going to end up with lung cancer if I didn't. I also had a bad cough I woke up with every morning, the early signs of emphysema, according to my doctor. I used the patch on Feb 17, 2007, and have never touched a cigarette since. However, since I'd smoked in my house for 30 years, it reeked of stale tobacco smoke in the walls, the rugs, everywhere! My dear sister let me stay with her while my house was being refurbished: the rugs were torn out, the paneling was taken off, the walls were scrubbed and repainted and we found that the livingroom floor was mahogany! It cost a lot of money, but it was worth it to have a nice, clean home to live in. While I was staying at Nan's, Mikie died from unknown causes and was buried in her backyard in Corbett. Shadow came home with me, always staying inside so nothing could harm her. Nan came to live with me as I had indoor heat and using a wood stove at her house had taken it's tole on her. She came to stay with her two kitties, Lydia and Schlomo, before she had to have another back surgery, her 7th since she was in high school back in 1970. Her kitties enjoyed being in my nice, warm house, although Schlomo had to adjust to not going outside and he was really upset when Nancy was in the hospital. The only thing that would calm him down was when I'd put the phone up to him so he could hear her. I'd also take pictures of the kitties to show her when I went to see her at the hospital. Shadow liked to lay on my hair at night, which was in a braid; she'd lick my hair and purr. In the daytime, she liked to lay on my Smokey Bear blanket that had a toy bear on it; she'd lean up against the stuffed bear and soak up the sunshine from the huge window I'd had installed, facing South. She got treats frequently just because she was my kitty and I liked to spoil her sometimes. She also would come into my computer room and cry for me to come to bed, where she got lots of pets; I'd make up songs to sing to her while I petted her at night. In July of this year, she suddenly fell off of my bed onto her back, which alarmed me greatly. She cried and acted as if she was in a lot of pain so I took her to our vet in Gresham. They said she had hurt her back and left hip, then gave her pain meds and thyroid meds also, finding that she had a problem with her thyroid and a heart murmur. I had a heck of a time giving her the pills, but did the best I could, making sure I'd give her treats after I "pilled" her twice each day; Nancy helped me out frequently, was a better nurse than I was. But Shadow wasn't getting any better, and, when we ran out of her pain medications she was in much worse pain. I took her back in and they renewed her rx. Nancy took a cat carrier and placed it next to my bed so Shadow could use it to climb upon to my bed to rest; she couldn't jump up onto it any longer. Then, one night, she started yowling like an animal in horrible pain. I'd given her the pain medication but it didn't seem to help at all; she was pacing in circles and crying like I'd never heard her cry before. I did something a human should never do, I gave her a little piece of aspirin. I didn't know what else to do... I took her to the vet's office the 1st thing in the morning and they quickly gave her a pain shot then gave me stronger medication to give her more frequently. My Vet told me, however, that it was just a matter of time before my Shadow cat wasn't able to deal with the pain any longer and I needed to think about her quality of life. I took her home and put her back onto my bed, then petted her from the waist up only. We had a little talk and I told her about my migraine headaches and how I got so tired of hurting, my concerns about quality of life for both her and myself, and how I didn't want to be a mean Mom, keeping her alive out of selfishness because I didn't want her to leave me. She purred and looked at me like she knew what I was saying. I kept on giving her the medications for pain, but, as time went on, they didn't work as well, and she stopped even trying to get to her cat box or to clean herself. I had been letting her lay on my bathrobe and a fuzzy blanket, washing one while she was lying on the other. Then came the day when she was in too much pain again, yowling in pain, hissing and not the same little Shadow I knew and loved. She was a kitty in pain and it was time for her to join her brother. Even though my dear sister's kitty had had to be put to sleep just seven months before, she gathered up her strength and took Shadow and I to the Vet's the next morning. I had given her extra pain medication before we'd left; it didn't matter any longer and it made the trip easier on her. I held my sweet girl and petted her, telling her I loved her and Nancy petted her, too, telling Shadow she loved her, too. It was very peaceful and she was gone quickly, my poor little meepy. I know it was such a relief for her, at last, my sweet kitty. She had been in pain for five months. Now she was with Mikie and Schlomo in Heaven. Our neighbor helped bury her next to Schlomo in the backyard before the next storm came in. I know she is at the Rainbow Bridge, running and playing, a kitten again. I know I will see her again, too, some day. I find myself staying up very late at night because my room is so empty now, but I'm just not ready for another kitty yet. Not yet. I miss my Shadow.
Dec 27th, 2014
Kathie L. Webb Blair
love, aunt nancy
Due to financial issues, in 2001 I was renting out my son's old bedroom to people as long as they'd been referred by someone I knew. One day my current renter brought home two black kittens, a brother and sister, who had been born in April but hadn't found homes; the owner had threatened to take them to the pound so he'd brought them to my house (where I already had four cats of my own) knowing that I wouldn't let them be taken to the county pound. He came up with some pretty strange names, Ikey for the boy, which I renamed Mikie. I named the girl Shadow and they both liked to sleep on my bed with my other kitties. My other kitties were all older and died by 2004, when three of them were 20 yrs. old. By then, my renter had moved out, having gotten married to his girlfriend; they had moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets so Mikie and Shadow had stayed with me. Shadow liked to sleep on my chest when I was on the computer and, in the Winter, sleep under the blankets where it was warmer. I called it playing "Kitty Cave". In Feb 2007, I was sick with bronchitis, which I got every year and the doctor told me I had to quit smoking cigarettes as I was going to end up with lung cancer if I didn't. I also had a bad cough I woke up with every morning, the early signs of emphysema, according to my doctor. I used the patch on Feb 17, 2007, and have never touched a cigarette since. However, since I'd smoked in my house for 30 years, it reeked of stale tobacco smoke in the walls, the rugs, everywhere! My dear sister let me stay with her while my house was being refurbished: the rugs were torn out, the paneling was taken off, the walls were scrubbed and repainted and we found that the livingroom floor was mahogany! It cost a lot of money, but it was worth it to have a nice, clean home to live in. While I was staying at Nan's, Mikie died from unknown causes and was buried in her backyard in Corbett. Shadow came home with me, always staying inside so nothing could harm her. Nan came to live with me as I had indoor heat and using a wood stove at her house had taken it's tole on her. She came to stay with her two kitties, Lydia and Schlomo, before she had to have another back surgery, her 7th since she was in high school back in 1970. Her kitties enjoyed being in my nice, warm house, although Schlomo had to adjust to not going outside and he was really upset when Nancy was in the hospital. The only thing that would calm him down was when I'd put the phone up to him so he could hear her. I'd also take pictures of the kitties to show her when I went to see her at the hospital. Shadow liked to lay on my hair at night, which was in a braid; she'd lick my hair and purr. In the daytime, she liked to lay on my Smokey Bear blanket that had a toy bear on it; she'd lean up against the stuffed bear and soak up the sunshine from the huge window I'd had installed, facing South. She got treats frequently just because she was my kitty and I liked to spoil her sometimes. She also would come into my computer room and cry for me to come to bed, where she got lots of pets; I'd make up songs to sing to her while I petted her at night. In July of this year, she suddenly fell off of my bed onto her back, which alarmed me greatly. She cried and acted as if she was in a lot of pain so I took her to our vet in Gresham. They said she had hurt her back and left hip, then gave her pain meds and thyroid meds also, finding that she had a problem with her thyroid and a heart murmur. I had a heck of a time giving her the pills, but did the best I could, making sure I'd give her treats after I "pilled" her twice each day; Nancy helped me out frequently, was a better nurse than I was. But Shadow wasn't getting any better, and, when we ran out of her pain medications she was in much worse pain. I took her back in and they renewed her rx. Nancy took a cat carrier and placed it next to my bed so Shadow could use it to climb upon to my bed to rest; she couldn't jump up onto it any longer. Then, one night, she started yowling like an animal in horrible pain. I'd given her the pain medication but it didn't seem to help at all; she was pacing in circles and crying like I'd never heard her cry before. I did something a human should never do, I gave her a little piece of aspirin. I didn't know what else to do... I took her to the vet's office the 1st thing in the morning and they quickly gave her a pain shot then gave me stronger medication to give her more frequently. My Vet told me, however, that it was just a matter of time before my Shadow cat wasn't able to deal with the pain any longer and I needed to think about her quality of life. I took her home and put her back onto my bed, then petted her from the waist up only. We had a little talk and I told her about my migraine headaches and how I got so tired of hurting, my concerns about quality of life for both her and myself, and how I didn't want to be a mean Mom, keeping her alive out of selfishness because I didn't want her to leave me. She purred and looked at me like she knew what I was saying. I kept on giving her the medications for pain, but, as time went on, they didn't work as well, and she stopped even trying to get to her cat box or to clean herself. I had been letting her lay on my bathrobe and a fuzzy blanket, washing one while she was lying on the other. Then came the day when she was in too much pain again, yowling in pain, hissing and not the same little Shadow I knew and loved. She was a kitty in pain and it was time for her to join her brother. Even though my dear sister's kitty had had to be put to sleep just seven months before, she gathered up her strength and took Shadow and I to the Vet's the next morning. I had given her extra pain medication before we'd left; it didn't matter any longer and it made the trip easier on her. I held my sweet girl and petted her, telling her I loved her and Nancy petted her, too, telling Shadow she loved her, too. It was very peaceful and she was gone quickly, my poor little meepy. I know it was such a relief for her, at last, my sweet kitty. She had been in pain for five months. Now she was with Mikie and Schlomo in Heaven. Our neighbor helped bury her next to Schlomo in the backyard before the next storm came in. I know she is at the Rainbow Bridge, running and playing, a kitten again. I know I will see her again, too, some day. I find myself staying up very late at night because my room is so empty now, but I'm just not ready for another kitty yet. Not yet. I miss my Shadow.
Dec 27th, 2014
Kathie L. Webb Blair
Shadow was my sister's much loved black kitty. I called her "meep" for her unusual meow. Shadow was my sister's constant companion who liked to chew on her braid and play "kitty cave". Shadow kept my sister such good company and is very missed. We love you, Meeps.
love, aunt nancy
Due to financial issues, in 2001 I was renting out my son's old bedroom to people as long as they'd been referred by someone I knew. One day my current renter brought home two black kittens, a brother and sister, who had been born in April but hadn't found homes; the owner had threatened to take them to the pound so he'd brought them to my house (where I already had four cats of my own) knowing that I wouldn't let them be taken to the county pound. He came up with some pretty strange names, Ikey for the boy, which I renamed Mikie. I named the girl Shadow and they both liked to sleep on my bed with my other kitties. My other kitties were all older and died by 2004, when three of them were 20 yrs. old. By then, my renter had moved out, having gotten married to his girlfriend; they had moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets so Mikie and Shadow had stayed with me. Shadow liked to sleep on my chest when I was on the computer and, in the Winter, sleep under the blankets where it was warmer. I called it playing "Kitty Cave". In Feb 2007, I was sick with bronchitis, which I got every year and the doctor told me I had to quit smoking cigarettes as I was going to end up with lung cancer if I didn't. I also had a bad cough I woke up with every morning, the early signs of emphysema, according to my doctor. I used the patch on Feb 17, 2007, and have never touched a cigarette since. However, since I'd smoked in my house for 30 years, it reeked of stale tobacco smoke in the walls, the rugs, everywhere! My dear sister let me stay with her while my house was being refurbished: the rugs were torn out, the paneling was taken off, the walls were scrubbed and repainted and we found that the livingroom floor was mahogany! It cost a lot of money, but it was worth it to have a nice, clean home to live in. While I was staying at Nan's, Mikie died from unknown causes and was buried in her backyard in Corbett. Shadow came home with me, always staying inside so nothing could harm her. Nan came to live with me as I had indoor heat and using a wood stove at her house had taken it's tole on her. She came to stay with her two kitties, Lydia and Schlomo, before she had to have another back surgery, her 7th since she was in high school back in 1970. Her kitties enjoyed being in my nice, warm house, although Schlomo had to adjust to not going outside and he was really upset when Nancy was in the hospital. The only thing that would calm him down was when I'd put the phone up to him so he could hear her. I'd also take pictures of the kitties to show her when I went to see her at the hospital. Shadow liked to lay on my hair at night, which was in a braid; she'd lick my hair and purr. In the daytime, she liked to lay on my Smokey Bear blanket that had a toy bear on it; she'd lean up against the stuffed bear and soak up the sunshine from the huge window I'd had installed, facing South. She got treats frequently just because she was my kitty and I liked to spoil her sometimes. She also would come into my computer room and cry for me to come to bed, where she got lots of pets; I'd make up songs to sing to her while I petted her at night. In July of this year, she suddenly fell off of my bed onto her back, which alarmed me greatly. She cried and acted as if she was in a lot of pain so I took her to our vet in Gresham. They said she had hurt her back and left hip, then gave her pain meds and thyroid meds also, finding that she had a problem with her thyroid and a heart murmur. I had a heck of a time giving her the pills, but did the best I could, making sure I'd give her treats after I "pilled" her twice each day; Nancy helped me out frequently, was a better nurse than I was. But Shadow wasn't getting any better, and, when we ran out of her pain medications she was in much worse pain. I took her back in and they renewed her rx. Nancy took a cat carrier and placed it next to my bed so Shadow could use it to climb upon to my bed to rest; she couldn't jump up onto it any longer. Then, one night, she started yowling like an animal in horrible pain. I'd given her the pain medication but it didn't seem to help at all; she was pacing in circles and crying like I'd never heard her cry before. I did something a human should never do, I gave her a little piece of aspirin. I didn't know what else to do... I took her to the vet's office the 1st thing in the morning and they quickly gave her a pain shot then gave me stronger medication to give her more frequently. My Vet told me, however, that it was just a matter of time before my Shadow cat wasn't able to deal with the pain any longer and I needed to think about her quality of life. I took her home and put her back onto my bed, then petted her from the waist up only. We had a little talk and I told her about my migraine headaches and how I got so tired of hurting, my concerns about quality of life for both her and myself, and how I didn't want to be a mean Mom, keeping her alive out of selfishness because I didn't want her to leave me. She purred and looked at me like she knew what I was saying. I kept on giving her the medications for pain, but, as time went on, they didn't work as well, and she stopped even trying to get to her cat box or to clean herself. I had been letting her lay on my bathrobe and a fuzzy blanket, washing one while she was lying on the other. Then came the day when she was in too much pain again, yowling in pain, hissing and not the same little Shadow I knew and loved. She was a kitty in pain and it was time for her to join her brother. Even though my dear sister's kitty had had to be put to sleep just seven months before, she gathered up her strength and took Shadow and I to the Vet's the next morning. I had given her extra pain medication before we'd left; it didn't matter any longer and it made the trip easier on her. I held my sweet girl and petted her, telling her I loved her and Nancy petted her, too, telling Shadow she loved her, too. It was very peaceful and she was gone quickly, my poor little meepy. I know it was such a relief for her, at last, my sweet kitty. She had been in pain for five months. Now she was with Mikie and Schlomo in Heaven. Our neighbor helped bury her next to Schlomo in the backyard before the next storm came in. I know she is at the Rainbow Bridge, running and playing, a kitten again. I know I will see her again, too, some day. I find myself staying up very late at night because my room is so empty now, but I'm just not ready for another kitty yet. Not yet. I miss my Shadow.
Dec 27th, 2014
Kathie L. Webb Blair
love, aunt nancy
Due to financial issues, in 2001 I was renting out my son's old bedroom to people as long as they'd been referred by someone I knew. One day my current renter brought home two black kittens, a brother and sister, who had been born in April but hadn't found homes; the owner had threatened to take them to the pound so he'd brought them to my house (where I already had four cats of my own) knowing that I wouldn't let them be taken to the county pound. He came up with some pretty strange names, Ikey for the boy, which I renamed Mikie. I named the girl Shadow and they both liked to sleep on my bed with my other kitties. My other kitties were all older and died by 2004, when three of them were 20 yrs. old. By then, my renter had moved out, having gotten married to his girlfriend; they had moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets so Mikie and Shadow had stayed with me. Shadow liked to sleep on my chest when I was on the computer and, in the Winter, sleep under the blankets where it was warmer. I called it playing "Kitty Cave". In Feb 2007, I was sick with bronchitis, which I got every year and the doctor told me I had to quit smoking cigarettes as I was going to end up with lung cancer if I didn't. I also had a bad cough I woke up with every morning, the early signs of emphysema, according to my doctor. I used the patch on Feb 17, 2007, and have never touched a cigarette since. However, since I'd smoked in my house for 30 years, it reeked of stale tobacco smoke in the walls, the rugs, everywhere! My dear sister let me stay with her while my house was being refurbished: the rugs were torn out, the paneling was taken off, the walls were scrubbed and repainted and we found that the livingroom floor was mahogany! It cost a lot of money, but it was worth it to have a nice, clean home to live in. While I was staying at Nan's, Mikie died from unknown causes and was buried in her backyard in Corbett. Shadow came home with me, always staying inside so nothing could harm her. Nan came to live with me as I had indoor heat and using a wood stove at her house had taken it's tole on her. She came to stay with her two kitties, Lydia and Schlomo, before she had to have another back surgery, her 7th since she was in high school back in 1970. Her kitties enjoyed being in my nice, warm house, although Schlomo had to adjust to not going outside and he was really upset when Nancy was in the hospital. The only thing that would calm him down was when I'd put the phone up to him so he could hear her. I'd also take pictures of the kitties to show her when I went to see her at the hospital. Shadow liked to lay on my hair at night, which was in a braid; she'd lick my hair and purr. In the daytime, she liked to lay on my Smokey Bear blanket that had a toy bear on it; she'd lean up against the stuffed bear and soak up the sunshine from the huge window I'd had installed, facing South. She got treats frequently just because she was my kitty and I liked to spoil her sometimes. She also would come into my computer room and cry for me to come to bed, where she got lots of pets; I'd make up songs to sing to her while I petted her at night. In July of this year, she suddenly fell off of my bed onto her back, which alarmed me greatly. She cried and acted as if she was in a lot of pain so I took her to our vet in Gresham. They said she had hurt her back and left hip, then gave her pain meds and thyroid meds also, finding that she had a problem with her thyroid and a heart murmur. I had a heck of a time giving her the pills, but did the best I could, making sure I'd give her treats after I "pilled" her twice each day; Nancy helped me out frequently, was a better nurse than I was. But Shadow wasn't getting any better, and, when we ran out of her pain medications she was in much worse pain. I took her back in and they renewed her rx. Nancy took a cat carrier and placed it next to my bed so Shadow could use it to climb upon to my bed to rest; she couldn't jump up onto it any longer. Then, one night, she started yowling like an animal in horrible pain. I'd given her the pain medication but it didn't seem to help at all; she was pacing in circles and crying like I'd never heard her cry before. I did something a human should never do, I gave her a little piece of aspirin. I didn't know what else to do... I took her to the vet's office the 1st thing in the morning and they quickly gave her a pain shot then gave me stronger medication to give her more frequently. My Vet told me, however, that it was just a matter of time before my Shadow cat wasn't able to deal with the pain any longer and I needed to think about her quality of life. I took her home and put her back onto my bed, then petted her from the waist up only. We had a little talk and I told her about my migraine headaches and how I got so tired of hurting, my concerns about quality of life for both her and myself, and how I didn't want to be a mean Mom, keeping her alive out of selfishness because I didn't want her to leave me. She purred and looked at me like she knew what I was saying. I kept on giving her the medications for pain, but, as time went on, they didn't work as well, and she stopped even trying to get to her cat box or to clean herself. I had been letting her lay on my bathrobe and a fuzzy blanket, washing one while she was lying on the other. Then came the day when she was in too much pain again, yowling in pain, hissing and not the same little Shadow I knew and loved. She was a kitty in pain and it was time for her to join her brother. Even though my dear sister's kitty had had to be put to sleep just seven months before, she gathered up her strength and took Shadow and I to the Vet's the next morning. I had given her extra pain medication before we'd left; it didn't matter any longer and it made the trip easier on her. I held my sweet girl and petted her, telling her I loved her and Nancy petted her, too, telling Shadow she loved her, too. It was very peaceful and she was gone quickly, my poor little meepy. I know it was such a relief for her, at last, my sweet kitty. She had been in pain for five months. Now she was with Mikie and Schlomo in Heaven. Our neighbor helped bury her next to Schlomo in the backyard before the next storm came in. I know she is at the Rainbow Bridge, running and playing, a kitten again. I know I will see her again, too, some day. I find myself staying up very late at night because my room is so empty now, but I'm just not ready for another kitty yet. Not yet. I miss my Shadow.
Dec 27th, 2014
Kathie L. Webb Blair
