There once was a cat called Zoe by Diane Bramson
Zoe as a kitten
There once was a cat called Zoe
Who lived in Colindale
Her eyes were huge and glowy
Bright green, not at all pale
Her fur was tortie and white
A many coloured coat
Of hues both dark and light
To grooming she would devote
Many hours of her time
Cleaning, washing, tidy and smart
Until her fur was so sublime
She looked like a work of art
I knew her as a kitten
And as an old lady too
She looked so cute just sittin’
Up high admiring the view
She was an acrobat and athlete
Who loved to jump real high
She always landed on her feet
Such fun she would supply
She loved to eat fish and chicken
In fact she liked most food
Anything finger lickin’
Dried, fried or even stewed
She could be temperamental
She could hiss just like a snake
But Zoe was also very gentle
And her kisses were not fake
She enjoyed living in the flat
It was her territory
For nearly 19 years this cat
Kept me company
But now she’s gone to heaven above
And is looking down on me
I’ll always remember her with love
My little Zoe B.
Written as a tribute to Zoe Bramson ~
Born 10 March 1992, Died 5 January 2011
Di and Zoe Christmas Day 2010
MY DOG MAX
Dear Readers
My dog Max, a golden Labrador, died three months ago. I still miss him very much. I cannot bear to be without him. I was going to purchase another dog but I cannot bear the thought of losing another dog.
Max used to love his walks outside with me. He used to love playing around in the garden in the snow, and running backwards and forwards with his toy chicken. He loved his massages and putting his nose in the shopping bags after I had returned home from the shops, just to see if there was anything in there for him. And he was so loving towards people. He also got lots of love from me.
Well this is my tribute to Max, my beautiful dog. I’ll always miss him.
God bless all animal lovers.
Tony Gillham
7-12-2010
Pussycat Heaven
I’d like to go to pussycat heaven when I die,
To pussycat heaven where pussycat angels fly,
Where there’s milk by the gallon
At the twitch of a talon…
And the trees all grow fish!, what a tasty yummy dish!
I will learn to purrrr and mioaw……
furry purrry pussycats will teach me how,
We’ll discuss the puss philosophy,
Whilst dining on the best French brie,
And every night to our hearts delight
we’ll howl and yowl at the moon so bright,
Then pussycat angels on pussycat harps
Will accompany us as we sing to the stars.
And, when the sun creeps out of bed
still yawning and half asleep…
We’ll pounce all over his pillowy clouds
‘Cos we like to play ‘hide and seek’,
So, when you see the clouds above
Skitter fast across the blue,
You’ll know we pussycats are having such fun,
Playing ‘catch tail and peek-a-boo’
But, because we’re pussycat ANGELS…
We’ll tidy up the clouds,
We’ll hang them artistically in the sky
feeling very smug and proud!
So, when all is ready for the sun to shine,
We’ll twitch our whiskers (which are quite sublime),
And very soon we will all agree… it’s definitely time for lunch…and …tea!
So off we’ll trot with tails held high
In our shiny fur coats and our bright happy eyes,
Then what a feast, ‘oh glory me,
with cakes and fish and Cornish cream teas…!!
“Aaaaah”, so when our furry tummies are full
with all our favourite foods,
We’ll wash our faces, clean our paws
then have a nice long snooze…zzzzzzz!
And, so I guess you can easily see….
Why, I’d like to go to pussycat heaven when I die,
To pussycat heaven…where pussycat angels fly…!
Copyright (reprinted here with permission)
Paulette A. Ng - 1999
BABY BAISHEY
Shadow darker than shadow,
You are here there and everywhere,
Shining bright, blacker than the blackest night,
All claws and teeth
Little fierce one!
Yet, you rest a gentle paw upon my cheek
Keeping perfect time with my heartbeat,
In movement, now still.
Always, the perfection of unconditional love,
I hold you safe in my heart,
and grieve for you mybabyiest little girl.
Paulette Ng
Your letters ……“
It’s 11 or 12 years since I lost my last Poodle, the only one left after 38 years of Poodles. I will be 91 years this March. I could not expect to own a dog now, but it’s hard. I love the new style of DF and the stories of the puppy “Trollie” dumped in a supermarket trolley. What a kind man to save and keep her and Nowzad Dogs and Pen Farthing – all these people and those who have lost a family pet are also helped by yourself printing these stories. (DF41) You do a wonderful act of kindness to all that write in about their pets and those who read and know there are still people who understand animals are not just there to be thrown out when it suits the owner.
Gladys Radwell
I wept as I read the piece about Dear Trollie (DF 41) and my heart went out to the gentleman who owned her, Trevor. I hope Trevor will find a new companion one day which will bring him comfort and joy once again as Ty-Son has brought me. Christmas was sad without Tace but Ty-son more than helped fill the sadness. It was like Tace was saying: ‘It’s Ty-son’s turn now to enjoy the 7 Christmases I had with you, but I will still watch.’ I nursed both hers and Shelly’s casket on Christmas morn for a few moments. I felt I had to. Shelly left us 9 years tomorrow 28th. But I will never forget that day I lost by baby, she was 13 years plus, but I still love and miss her.
(I wrote to Kath and told her that Trevor now has a new puppy, Jack, and she responded as follows):
I have thought about this gentleman a lot and know the pain he’s in with the loss of Dear Trollie. I’m so pleased he has a new puppy Jack. I’m sure Jack will give him comfort and will know the pain he’s in with Trollie’s loss as I’m sure Ty-son knows I miss my Tace so so much. I still cry as I write this for her … Tace helped me more than words could ever express. I love Ty-son to bits also. Please pass on my best wishes to Trevor; he’s not alone and I hope he’s feeling better God Bless him.
Kath Greenslade
Thank you so much for the beautiful e-card – Sammie is the image of my cat – isn’t she gorgeous.
Thank you also for the regular newsletters you send, I think you do a marvellous job in celebrating the lives of such wonderful friends.
With all best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, keep up your brilliant work. Kind regards
Janet Wheatley, Executive Assistant – Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research
Thank you so much for your lovely greeting card. Also for all the work you put into your newsletters. They are a tremendous source of comfort to all who have lost a dear friend.
Love, CK, Anne & birdies (12 of them)
WOODY ~ my Cameo Persian
30.04.1992 to 13.12.2010
I had to say goodbye to Woody, my last pet, on Dec 13th 2010. He stopped eating. He had kidney failure for 4 years and arthritis developed recently. He lost a lot of weight, to mostly bone and had injections to keep him going.
Woody and my 2 other Persian cats were the first registered PAT* cats. I took Woody to special needs classes. He has always been so ‘laid back’ and affectionate, and has never ‘lashed out’. He had a very loud ‘motor’ purr. I have his ashes in a Bronze cat, which gives me comfort, and have had a service for him using Linda Bodicoat’s book ‘Return to the Fold’, which I highly recommend.
Lois Wood
*PAT – Pets as Therapy – is a unique national charity which provides temperament-assessed/vaccinated P.A.T. Dogs and P.A.T. Cats with registered volunteers to hospitals, hospices, residential care homes, day centres, special needs schools and many other establishments, providing comfort, companionship and therapy. There are approximately 4,500 P.A.T. Dogs and 108 P.A.T. Cats bringing benefit to more than 130,000 people of all ages every single week throughout the UK. www.petsastherapy.org/
SILENT NIGHT
I lay awake restrained from weep
I shared with five – no room to sleep
It gave my eyes the time to stare
My fortune – it was lying there
Amidst the duvet round my feet
For space to rest we all compete
To share with creatures through the night
Has its rewards – though room is tight
They seem to want to sleep with me
I’m honoured to a great degree
I see five tails and twenty paws
And it makes me think of those ‘Human Laws’
“They shouldn’t be on a human’s bed
Their place is out in a kennel instead”
Not long ago they were hungry and cowered
But when they awake there’s more love to be showered
With speech like ours what tales would they tell?
‘Human Kindness’ a term they’d surely dispel
Whatever else happens I know that I –
Will love them and keep them safe till I die
The light has come and I’ve spent the dark
Reflecting on beings too tired to bark
Gerry Robinson (1998)
In memory of our beloved Jamie
07.07.1994 – 15.01.2011
Condolences
~ Caroline ~
Momo (pts to prevent further suffering)
“she was a unique little character
and we had only such a short time together”
Please accept our deepest sympathy in your loss
It is the profound desire of many people to be buried with their beloved companion animals – and now this wish can become reality:
The Orchard Pet Cemetery is a green, natural or eco burial site set in gentle Lincolnshire countryside, at Stainton by Langworth, near Lincoln, LN3 5BN.
The cemetery is part of the 4 acre Orchard Burial Ground. It is uniquely licensed for the burial of pets and people, giving pet lovers the opportunity to have their pets buried with or alongside them. The site contains over 200 woodland and orchard trees, and a meadow. In time more trees will be planted, many as memorials to loved ones. It is a beautiful resting place, and also for visiting and reflection.
The Orchard also offers home burial (for those unwilling or unable to dig a plot themselves), the burial of cremated ashes and a funeral service – which children can attend. Transport from home or vets to the cemetery can be arranged. Coffins, shrouds, memorial trees and headstones are available.
There is a 50% discount for burial of working dogs (Guide Dogs and Police Dogs).
There is bereavement counselling for those who want it, either with Orchard’s own staff or by referral to other agencies.
Orchard also offer another remarkable service: an Education Pack for schools, and an experienced teacher who will work with children to explore death, loss and grieving. The death of a family pet can be a devastating experience for a child – and this excellent resource will surely bring comfort to children in their time of sorrow as well as making both classmates and teachers aware of how painful this loss can be. It will also help shape attitudes for the future, so that maybe the next generation will treat this special bereavement with compassion and understanding – bringing the day closer when people will no longer have to suffer the anguish caused by callous and unthinking remarks like “It was only a dog…”
Contact details:
Paul Disley, 31 Hawthorn Road, Cherry Willingham, Lincoln. LN3 4JU
Tel: 01522 754 154
Email: enquiries@theorchardpetcemetery.co.uk
Grateful thanks to Lynn Burman for telling me about the Orchard Pet Cemetery – ed.
An appeal for Poems…
… about Cats
Please could you put an appeal in the newsletter for people to write a poem on the theme of cats: a specific cat – with us now or not – cats in general, a particular aspect of cats behaviour or personality, how multiple cats live together, why we love cats so much etc etc. Do give my email address for people to send their poem to me direct.
Diane Bramson (see her poem tribute to Zoe on p.1 of this newsletter) is compiling an anthology of poetry in memory of her beloved Zoe, which she hopes to sell to raise funds for Cats Protection. If you have a poem for Diane, please email it to her: diane@major7th.com
or send it to me by post at the Departed Friend address at the top of this newsletter, and I will forward it to Diane. ed.
STRANGE BUT TRUE ~ a message of hope?
I planted snowdrops near Eric’s grave when he died. They have flowered every year. There was no sign of them this year and I was concerned in case they had died. As his third anniversary approached, I thought: “Wouldn’t it be lovely if they showed themselves on the day” ~ but this seemed very unlikely as, whenever I checked, there was no sign. I looked the day before and saw only bare earth. That evening, I was listening to music and thinking of Eric, trying to let him know we didn’t abandon him; we simply hadn’t realised that, when we left him at the vets for X-rays under anaesthetic, it was the last time we would see him alive. (See DF30 for Eric’s tribute). I got a warm comforting feeling that seemed to be Eric telling me that he does indeed realise we didn’t abandon him.
Then the miracle happened. When I checked the garden next morning, this is what I saw: One lone snowdrop just to the left of his plaque ~ complete with leaves and flower!
Picture taken 13.02.2011
Filed under: No. 42 Mar '11
