For My Sweet Love Kitty

Before I even come close to posting about my vacation, I have to pull myself together and pay tribute to the most wonderful, loving pet in the whole world. We got Bear Cat over 13 years ago and although I am horribly allergic to dogs and cats I formed a special bond with him. He really loved me best when he was a kitten and slept in my bed the most. I even gave him my treasured lucky rabbit fur to lay on when my parents finally made him sleep in the garage. Over the years I hugged my kitty, cried on his shoulder over lost love, laughed at his OCD claws and kissed his sweet face more time than I can remember. I just loved him to pieces. So of course I went home last week all excited and eager to see my Bear Cat. He was getting up there in years and when I was last home in March I was really worried about him. You see my mom would feed Bear regularly and my dad would give him a few affectionate pats once in a while BUT the poor thing was arthritic and needed my kind of lovin'. I was all concerned and had nightmares that he was dying and I wasn't able to get to him and another one about him starving to death. My imagination does get the better of me so I was really looking forward to being reunited with Bear on this trip. I totally must have jinxed myself...I got HOME home late Friday night and went to a concert. On Saturday morning I started asking my fam about the whereabouts of my kitty. I wasn't too worried that nobody had seen him since Friday. But then Saturday became Sunday and Sunday became Monday and he was still not home. I felt it then...my cat was NOWHERE...GONE...LOST! I was beside myself. I actually broke down on Monday night and cried some tears before my mom told me to get a grip or she would drive me to the bus station and drop me off.
I should explain that for most of my teen and adult years I have been very sensitive. I am a lover of animals and a hater of suffering. My insides are so sympathetic that I sometimes even ache for roadkill. (Can you imagine getting smooshed at 100 km/hour?) I guess my point is that I am a total empathetic softy... and even more so with cats.
After my meltdown I said a prayer and hoped for the safety of my Bear. I dreamed that some people rescued him from a frozen lake that he was half stuck in but that was crazy cause it was a hot summer night. Then I dreamed that our other kitty Dazy who lives with my cousins next door and was Bear's best friend had found him and carried him home to me. No such luck in the end. Even poor Dazy didn't eat for three days and was moping around without his cohort. We were both a mess. I left Saturday without seeing any Bear and I think it is now safe to say he is living in a golden kitty condo in the sky. I never ever thought I would get so sad about my cat but now I understand why people get really upset when their pets die.
Just a couple months ago there was a guy who got up in fast and testimony meeting and said that he and his wife had just lost the love of their lives. I felt so bad cause I thought they were talking about a parent or a child. The man then held up an 8x10 of his dog and I had to plug my nose to keep from snorting out loud and giggling. I didn't even joke about it in Sunday School cause a lot of our friends have dogs but deep inside I was laughing my guts out. Now not so much. And although I will most likely pass on the picture testimony of my cat I kinda feel a little bad for the guy and his doggie. I am absolutely torn up inside over my cat and the unknown is killing me. Did he get hit? Did a dog eat him? Did he get hurt and curl up in a drain pipe to die? I am secretly hoping that he just laid down for a nap under the sycamore tree and fell into a deep forever sleep. Without further delay I hope you will all join me in giving our current pets hugs and kisses in memory of my kitty Bear. I will miss you dear friend!