Our Callie

On Monday, our little girl, Callie, left our family and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge to join Rowdy and Gloria.  It was an emotional day, but I knew it was coming.  She had stopped eating on Thursday, and stopped drinking water on Sunday.  Whenever I would pick her up, she was so limp and almost unresponsive.  On Monday morning, she had started to bleed a little from her mouth.  I tried putting water in my hand and giving it to her, but she wouldn't have any of it.  She just wanted to lay on a soft warm fuzzy blanket.  On Sunday, she couldn't even get up to go to her litter box.  I would have to change the towels under her to keep her dry.  On Saturday, I gave her a warm bath, (with a damp cloth), to help her feel better and smell better.  We went to the vet early Monday, and he said that it was definitely time.  By the time the needle was removed from her little arm, she was gone.  A dear friend, (Mike), upon hearing of her passing wrote, "She is now dancing with her ancestors".  How poetic of him to remember her this way.

I brought Callie home when she was just 4 weeks old, in 2001.  Yes, she was 18 years old.  She immediately bonded with my Golden Retriever, (Gloria).  In fact, she thought Gloria was her mom.  She would curl up next to Gloria and sleep, and Gloria would give her baths.  Each week, I would give Callie a bath, (using a warm damp cloth), and clip her nails.  She never resisted.  And as she grew older, it was just a part of her life.  When Rowdy joined our family, they were sisters immediately.  She never came when anyone called "Kitty, Kitty".  That wasn't her name.  She came when I called, "Callie, Callie".  She knew her name.  And when I would laugh, she thought that was my purr, and would come running to me, and jump in my lap.  Dave thought that was the most endearing thing about her.  She loved Dave.  Every night when he came home from work, she demanded that he give her a daily treat and pet her.  She would tell him about her day.  I would be in the kitchen and I could hear her meowing to him and talking.  Then later when we would be watching TV, she would have to sit between us.  In fact, she demanded to sit between us.  And she knew when it was time for bed.  And she would jump on the bed and snuggle between us, next to Dave.  She loved his body heat.  But if I was sad, she could read my body language, and she always would jump on my lap and snuggle, wanting to comfort me.  It was something all my pets did.  When Gloria and Rowdy crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, she searched the house for them.  She was lonely for them.  Now she is with them again.    That little kitten who was the princess of our home and who ruled our lives and had us all trained to her liking is now gone.  And our hearts have a very big hole.  Rest In Peace little one.  I know you will greet me someday when stand at the Rainbow Bridge with my arms outstretched to embrace all of you.