Meridian Bengals announcement

I have really loved all of your Bengal pictures!  The most unique, intriguing and addicting cat I have ever had was a baby Bengal, who only lived to be 11 1/2 months old, and passed away this August.  He was the result of a brother-sister accidental mating; his sister is fine, but he apparently was born with either no really functional adrenal gland or else it failed very early.  Everything he ate went straight through his poor little system, more or less liquefied.  Our vet, and a consulting vet, could not find what was wrong, and may well have treated his problem to make it worse, but who knows?  After 8 months of trying everything my breaking heart could possibly try, I reluctantly, and with immeasurable grief, signed my rights to him over to the Oregon Friends of Cats people in Beaverton.  There, they made sure he was clinic-ed finally properly diagnosed, and had a day or two of a treatment that most likely would have worked.  Sadly, ten days after I let him go, he suffered a heart attack at the clinic and quite literally fell off his little perch, dead.   During the months of his care, everyone who ever came into contact with Raja fell permanently and totally in love with him.  He charmed vets, groomers (not that he needed grooming - he was always impeccably groomed!), neighbors, and even  my brother, who generally dislikes cats. 

The vets in Beaverton said they didn't know how I had managed to keep him alive for so long.  My answer was that I had loved him and willed him to live.  He was truly amazing, for his voice, his jumping, his talking through ANY situation, his loving personality, his glittering, beautiful coat of leopard spots and gold, and his phenomenal purr.  The wonderful folks in Beaverton had him cremated and sent me his ashes, which I will never forget and will always place them in my prayers.  His photo is on my keyring; he was the most beautiful cat I have ever seen, even though he never got bigger than a 3-month-old kitten.  I currently have 2 cats, a 3/4 Siamese - 1/4 Maine Coon cat and a red tabby kitten, and an elderly chihuahua who answers directly to the senior cat in the family.  When I sadly say goodbye to any of these beloved animals, he will be replaced by a Bengal, because I am forever changed by the 8 months that we all spent with little Raja, and no cat will ever be more deeply loved.