Sunday, February 22, 2009

In Memoriam - Beloved Cats of the Past

Almost from the beginning of Cat in the Buff I was thinking there should be a section to acknowledge cats who are no longer with us. My reasons were selfish, of course. I wanted to acknowledge B.J. Honeycat and Baby Boy, two of my favorite cats. I didn't do it because it's kind of a downer, and I wasn't sure how visitors would respond.

Then, Talpianna sent me an email with a picture of Lilith, which included a poem she wrote. I expect more than some of us have had cat friends who are gone now. If you are like Talpianna (and me), you don't want those felines to be forgotten.


My intention was to make B.J. Honeycat the first. But I don't think it is any slam on his memory if I instead make Lilith the first cat to be honored. BJ was always a gentleman. I'm sure he would have no problem in letting a lady go first.


Lilith
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Lilith’s Song
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She walks in Her garden at break of day;

Small paws follow and will not stay—

“Lady Bastet, my Goddess and Queen,

Let me go back where I have been!
.

“A voice is speaking a broken prayer;

A heart is breaking, for I’m not there;

Someone who loves me is all alone;

Lady Bastet, I want to go home!”
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She basks, slit-eyed, in the morning sun,

But a kitten’s plea is not yet done:

“Lady Bastet, please let me go;

She’s crying still—she loves me so!
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“Your gardens are rich in beauty and grace,

With cream to lap and mice to chase,

But still I long for the love I lack;

Lady Bastet, let me go back!”
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She rests in the shade at the height of noon;

A small voice whispers, “I must go soon!

feel her sorrow and grief like a knife—

Let me be with her in my next life!
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“Goddess, our time was not so long

As a bird in Your garden’s morning song,

But time enough for love to grow—

Goddess, dear Goddess, please let me go!”
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The stars in Her garden are candles lit.

She gently caresses the grieving kit.

“Brighter than stars doth a true heart burn:

Lilith, I grant you your wish—Return!”
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The stars look down in their vast array

As a small cat trots through the Milky Way,

Her pale fur gleams with reflected light

As she picks her way through the cosmic night.
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Down to a planet of green and blue—

The only home that she ever knew—

To leap into arms that have ached for her,

To cuddle, be hugged and kissed, and purr.
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8/21/03
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I do not know what God's plan is for animals in eternity. I'm not sure he's ever told us. But sometimes I wonder about those we call pets. When I used to sometimes look in BJ or Baby Boy's eyes I would find myself wondering: Are you an angel in feline form placed in my care in order for me to prove my worth? If so, then they will be with us in heaven.
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I don't know. I only know that it is very easy to fall in love with a cat.
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3 comments:

Lisa said...

Thanks Bevie and Firestar, I like the idea of honoring our kitties that are gone.

I wrote an anguished poem about my cat Leibchen when he died while I was traveling.

My motto "My heart belongs to my kitties" I love my little angels both present and past.

Bevie said...

Our memories remain
And so there is pain.
Yet that is the way
We want it to stay.

In memory they live.
In memory they give.
Love always endures.
In Love we hear purrs.

Lisa said...

I added an In Memoriam link on my blog too, including BJ and Lilith!
Great idea!
Sometimes I feel a bit at a loss as it seems that when our cats die, that's it, they're forgotten. It's nice to see that many others remember their little darlings!

Music to Make the Cats go Wild

Just a love song.

Musical Cats



Our Theme Song

Kitten of the Month - August

Kitten of the Month - August
Tara
Tara - Nick name 'ity-bit' because she's so tiny - just over 6 pounds. She's the most skittish of all my babies and even when being petted has the 'pet me, no don't pet me' look

Kitten of the Month - July

Kitten of the Month - July
Amelia
Amelia - Nickname 'Bratelia' since she gets into every draw, cabinet that she can put her paws in.
.

Kitten of the Month - June

Kitten of the Month - June
Sethra

“She’s got tuna. I know she’s got tuna.”

“Shut up, Sethra. Stay on mission.”

“What’s the mission? I thought the mission was to get tuna.”

“No, you stupid fluffbrain—it’s to escape and become outdoor cats, walking by ourselves, on our wild lone, waving our tails.”

“Oh, yeah? And isn’t it you, my dear stripy sister Aliera, who keeps pushing the FEED button on the printer and waiting for tuna to come out?”

“That was when I was much younger. Anyway, she’s at the computer—yes, eating tuna casserole—so we can go into the bedroom and see if we can knock the window screen out.”
“You do it, Aliera. I’d rather mess with her stuff.”

“Will you GET OVER that fixation on her wristwatch?”

“I like the feel of the Velcro on my paws. Hey! That reminds me. We’ve been declawed. How are we going to survive as outdoor cats?”

“New plan coming up….”

“What’s the big deal about being outside cats? Even StalkerCat, who used to hang around and chat us up, is a house cat now and loving it. We’ve got it made—food, petting, toys, valet service for the litter box, and we get to sleep on her bed twenty hours a day. And we can stick our noses up to the window and smell anything interesting going on outside. Why ruin a perfect situation?”

“Sethra, have you no sense of adventure? No curiosity? No cattitude? We were meant to live wild and free, to stalk and slay our prey, to be mistresses of the night!”

“Look, we’re cats. We were meant to rule the world, but that doesn’t mean we have to WORK at it. You can if you want, but I don’t need to. After all, I’M beautiful!

“Did I mention she’s got tuna?”

Kitten of the Month: May

Kitten of the Month: May
Caitlin
Kitten Close-Up.

Kitten of the Month: April

Kitten of the Month: April
Mikey
At 8, you'd think Mikey would understand that he's a carnivore. But, no, he's rather fond of the shrubbery! At 20+ pounds, the veggie-enhanced diet is likely mitigated by a love for long naps on a warm comforter, wet cat food, begging at the table, and a nice lap to drape himself upon in the evening. And he drools when he's happy, which may or may not mean there's a Siamese ancestor lurking in the old dna.

What? Green teeth attract mice!

Kitten of the Month: March

Kitten of the Month: March
Geoff
Who needs a wickerwork basket when you can hop on a cushion and bask?

Kitten of the Month: February

Kitten of the Month: February
Rufus
Rufus is clearly a cat to be reckoned with.
.

Kitten of the Month: January

Kitten of the Month: January
Firestar
Firestar is a tough cat. He has to be, living in Minnesota. He takes care of his family: wife, husband and their son. This was recently proven by his daring capture of yet another mouse in the house. Foolish rodents. They never learn. When not engaged in derring do, Firestar naps, looks out the window and sleeps. Firestar was born in April of 2006.
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