A New Chapter Has Begun

Following the sad loss of my beautiful cat, Lucy last Saturday (on Crossing the Bridge) I was telling one of my neighbours - or rather, crying on her shoulder.

She is a nice enough lady but not particularly clued up on cats - or any other animal. Gets them and often loses interest. I have already had two of her cats. One disappeared and I still have the other.

She's not good at getting them neutered or spayed either. Think you can guess what's coming next.

She told me her cat had had kittens (oh, what a surprise ) and would I like one? Initially, I said "No" - until I saw them.

Mum is a black cat but she obviously has good taste because the kittens look part Siamese/Balinese. I did see a Siamese cat which I thought was quite unusual a few streets away about a month ago so whether he's escaped I don't know. I have checked lost and found registers and can't find anyone who's lost a Siamese/Balinese cat in our area.

One of the kittens has all the Siamese points - black legs, black tail, black mask and you can tell his eyes are going to be blue. The rest of his body, where a Siamese's is a creamy/beige colour, instead is blue, flecked with cream hairs.

I've had cats for the past 35 years and I've never seen a kitten like it. He's just coming up for 5 weeks old so too young to leave Mum yet.

I held this beautiful little kitten, and even though my heart was breaking after losing my wonderful Lucy, this tiny kitten looked into my face and I melted so he will be coming to us in a few weeks time. I had the feeling Lucy would approve.

At least this little kitten (a boy) will be coming to a good home. He can never replace Lucy - she was special, a one-off but he will bring his own character and love with him and will be dearly loved in return.

Because he is so unusual, he will be an indoor cat only but I am going to train him on a harness and lead so he can come out when we walk the dogs. He is used to dogs as the neighbours have a dog too.

Some might think it's too soon after Lucy but I'm sure it's what she would have wanted me to do. In fact, if she had still been alive, she would have mothered him like she did to her best friend, Snowy when he was a kitten.

Will post pics as soon as I can.

Sweetie it is completely a personal choice, and anyone who thinks it s too soon needs to mind their own business. It sounds like you and this baby are completely meant to be.

In the meantime I would certainly be doing everything in my power to convince your neighbour to fix her cat! Some people just weren't meant to be pet owners, and she sounds like one of them.

Good luck with you new baby and I can't wait to see pics of him!

Congratulations on your new family member. I know the baby will help you in your loss of Lucy too. The little kitten is blessed to be coming home with you.

It's never too soon if it's not too soon for you. When I sent Ootay to the Bridge, the very next day I had an almost uncontrollable urge to run to the shelter and get a kitten.

Adopting another does not imply the one gone was not loved. Rather is shows how much love you have to give. And it's very likely that Lucy guided you to that little boy kitten.

Can't wait to meet him!

I think Lucy would be happy for you, and loving another cat does not diminish the love you will always have for Lucy. When is too soon is entirely a personal feeling, and if you feel ready then it's not too soon for you. I don't think anyone will think otherwise.

I think this little fellow will help you more than you can imagine, and I know you will be a good send to him. Besides, when you looked in his little eyes you really didn't have a choice, did you? Congrats on the new addition and he already has a kitty guardian angel looking over him.

My condolences on the loss of your beloved Lucy.

No, I don't think it is too soon. When the right time is... is not up to us. God knows when our hearts are ready to shelter and accept another. Trust that timing.

Siamese and Siamese blends are very special and not for everyone (but so worth it!)... I'd say you've been chosen . I hope your new little guy will help heal your heart after Lucy. I think you are right that she'd mother him if she had the chance.

I'd love to see a photo. He sounds gorgeous!

I've said it many times, perhaps to the point of being trite, but every cat we lose leaves a hole in our heart the exact size and shape of the cat. No other cat can ever perfectly fill that hole, so there will always be a twinge of grief for the lost cat, but clearly this little one is special and needs a place in your heart and home.

There is a huge gap in our hearts and lives but I cherish the years - and the last 5 were on borrowed time, we had with Lucy. I can't put into words just how special she was but she will always remain very loved and very, very special

I know what you mean about being chosen. When old Toby disappeared, not long after a little kitten was sitting beside my car. He was a sweet little thing, tabby and white. I noticed he had a piece missing from one ear and initially thought he had been attacked by another cat.

For the next few days, this little kitten - he was only about 9 weeks old, kept coming into my garden and just sitting watching.

Then, that weekend when my husband had a day off, he went into the kitchen to make some coffee. I heard him chuckle and he came into the living-room and said "Hey. Look what I've got" - and there, in his arms was the little kitten who had invited himself in.

It was almost as if he lived here.

We got in touch with all the lost and found registers and the Cats Protection League said they would take him or if I was willing, could I foster him? We fostered him. No-one claimed him and a month later we officially adopted him.

By this time, we had realised his ear had been cut, probably with a pair of scissors. Our vet thought so too. It is a perfect half-moon cut out of the pointed part of his ear, as if someone folded his ear over and sliced across the top. Poor kitten. That must have been agonising

Anyway, we had named him Chico (Cheeky Chico) and he is now a very large, handsome, ultra friendly purr box.

We discovered a few months after adopting him that he had belonged to a woman further down the street who was a drug addict. She had said to one of our neighbours that she had lost her cat and he was easily recognisible because she had cut his ear with scissors so she could identify him

I reported her to the RSPCA. I don't know if it went any further, but I did see their van parked outside her house for a considerable length of time.

Shortly after she left our street, never to be seen again.

Chico is a lovely cat and I've always felt in my heart that Toby who was very old, probably about 18 in his special way left this earth to make way for Chico and that Chico did indeed choose us

Whenever I adopt a free kitten, I offer to pay for the mother to be spayed as "payment". That might work in this situation, too.

Have fun with your new baby. And post pics! He's sounds gorgeous.

Poor Chico, what a terrible thing for someone to do. I'm so glad he found you.
I am sorry you lost Lucy. Don't be worried about it being too soon to get a kitten, it's a continuation of your love for Lucy to give another cat a loving home not a replacement for her.
The new kitten sounds very special, sounds as if it was maent to be.

Originally Posted by chinacat

Poor Chico, what a terrible thing for someone to do. I'm so glad he found you.
I am sorry you lost Lucy. Don't be worried about it being too soon to get a kitten, it's a continuation of your love for Lucy to give another cat a loving home not a replacement for her.
The new kitten sounds very special, sounds as if it was maent to be.

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Chico is a lovely cat. I'll post a pic of him later.

As for the kitten, it is a continuation of my love for Lucy. It is the legacy she left me - to care and love another kitten in her honour

I also have the feeling that I will be given another Special Needs cat sometime in the future.

Congratulations on loving another baby.....it's a testament to your Lucy that you can open your heart again.

When my Banshee first passed, I didn't want another cat. DH and I had even agreed that we would remain at five. But as time went on, my arms felt so empty and I was so sad. And I missed my girl so much. I would dream about her, that she was in the house and that I couldn't find her. And then I would wake up crying.

When the receptionist at the vet told me that there were kittens, I didn't want to look at them. I just didn't. But then....well, there they were. And there was Mollipop. And the rest is history. Molli became our sixth RugCat.

DH wasn't happy about it either. He thought that I was being disloyal to Banshee, that I simply couldn't be happy with another little girl. But you know what? Mollipop was meant to become a RugCat. My GF and I believe that both her rainbow kitty and my rainbow Banshee had a paw in finding Mollipop for me. (And, BTW, Molli wound DH around those little paws of hers; he adores that little girl!)

The Paw works in strange ways sometimes. And I'd like to think that Lucy knew you were hurting and needed a new baby to care for.

Originally Posted by Winchester

Congratulations on loving another baby.....it's a testament to your Lucy that you can open your heart again.

When my Banshee first passed, I didn't want another cat. DH and I had even agreed that we would remain at five. But as time went on, my arms felt so empty and I was so sad. And I missed my girl so much. I would dream about her, that she was in the house and that I couldn't find her. And then I would wake up crying.

When the receptionist at the vet told me that there were kittens, I didn't want to look at them. I just didn't. But then....well, there they were. And there was Mollipop. And the rest is history. Molli became our sixth RugCat.

DH wasn't happy about it either. He thought that I was being disloyal to Banshee, that I simply couldn't be happy with another little girl. But you know what? Mollipop was meant to become a RugCat. My GF and I believe that both her rainbow kitty and my rainbow Banshee had a paw in finding Mollipop for me. (And, BTW, Molli wound DH around those little paws of hers; he adores that little girl!)

The Paw works in strange ways sometimes. And I'd like to think that Lucy knew you were hurting and needed a new baby to care for.

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I think last week was the hardest. Little things that meant so much. Buying cat food at the supermarket last Sunday. As we walked up the aisle, we saw Lucy's favourite food. We used to refer to the food (Whiskas or Felix pouches) as "Lucy Food". I nearly broke down in the supermarket as I realised I would never by buying "Lucy Food" for her again

Then, the simple act of drying my hair with the hairdryer. Lucy would come up to me and pat my face with her paw. I would then gently swish the hairdryer over her and she would jump up and give me a kiss then settle down with her paws on my lap, purring louder than the hairdryer.

Little things like that but slowly I'm coming to terms with her loss, blessing every day I had her, treasuring every memory, both good and bad I had with her.

I am so grateful for the 14 years I had her. I was indeed, very blessed.

This board is so supportive and encouraging!

I know you'll miss Lucy and she'll always hold a special place in your heart, but I'm so glad you're adopting another kitty to love forever.

Nope, it's not too soon to get get another cat, of course he won't replace Lucy but he'll help heal the hole in your heart, Heck, after my cat Kitt went to THE RAINBOW BRIDGE I had two cats three days later! Not because I didn't still love or miss Kitt, but because I couldn't stand being in a catless house. Your new kitten sounds like a real cutie pie.

Originally Posted by CATTYBIRD

Nope, it's not too soon to get get another cat, of course he won't replace Lucy but he'll help heal the hole in your heart, Heck, after my cat Kitt went to THE RAINBOW BRIDGE I had two cats three days later! Not because I didn't still love or miss Kitt, but because I couldn't stand being in a catless house. Your new kitten sounds like a real cutie pie.

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He is a real cutie pie and will be dearly loved and cherished - just as Lucy was and would want for him