Good bye my lovely Cleo...

[studio224]

This is about my lovely Cleo...

I have already posted about her but I wanted to tell a little more of her...

I have been owned by a lot of cats in my life, 2 of them have been my friends. One of them is Carapatte

(alas shot by hunters pretending he was killing all the rabbits) and Cleo...

Cleo passed away almost 6 weeks ago.. She felt sick one saturday, the next thursday she was gone. Taken away by cancer, without any warning...

But let's talk about happy memories!

I found her 13 years ago, she was about 4 weeks I guess. I was about to take my tea when I heard a miaw somewhere in the neiborhood... I can't stand the sound of a kitten lost. I found this tiny black and white kitten and fell in love. Of course! And I took her home... My husband and I soon discovered that she was a female...

She was a love! Playing, purring, very well educated... She used to go up our curtains with her claws... (old curtains, we didn't mind...) She used to go up on our jeans also! With her claws like needles... Oh yes and she did that to guests also! Even guests with skirts...

When she was 4 months, she got ringworm and... we got rid of it with a lot of efforts... At one point, she lost all her fur so i knitted some coats for her... but i didn't think much about color and I made them red... Well with that she looked like a monkey! And since she was cold, she used to sleep in the fireplace with the ashes still warm... We discovered that one day when arriving at home, a grey cat was awaiting us! She was covered withs ashes...

Eventually she got cured and... never got sick again.

Of course, we had her spayed a little older.

Cleo was part of every moment of our life, a cat very social. She used to resist even to kid's birthday... She loved to see the mailman and everybody that set foot in our house was welcome. If she really liked you, she jumped on your knees and started purring and kneading.

She played soccer ball with paper ball in the stairs. We threw at her, and bing she threw it at us again... Sh jumped on our beds and hid behind the covers... in a cat fashion letting her tail out!

Mornings and night, Cleo helped me wake up the kids and put them to bed, making her rounds in each bedroom.

When we watched TV, she pushed us with her legs if we had dared to seat in Her spot...

She asked my husband to be petted: miawing at him and then in his arms, purring and drooling... Her tummy fur was sooo soft, I loved to bury my head in her watching her paws of course...

She loved to sleep on the kithen table occupying as uch space as possible and checking the sink frequently for possible leftovers!

Cleo always greeted us when we arrived home...

The difficult thing about losing her is the emptiness she left, it's all these moments that she shared with us suddenly she is not here anymore and i can't understand it, I can't bear it. I have started dreaming about her (at least I see her in my dreams). These dreams end always in the same fashion: after being petted, and having purred, she leaves. The first times I dreamt I called after her. Now I watch her go (I know I am dreaming somehow) just hoping I will dream of her again. It's like she says: let me go... But I can't do that! The pain of loosing her is sometimes unbearable but I try to look normal because I don't want to scare my kids. Both have accepted that Cleo is gone. To my husband and I, it's more difficult.

Fortunately, I have 3 other cats but they are not as "special" as she was...

Anne-Claire

 

[studio224]

Here is her photo

 

[hissy]

What a wonderful tribute to your fur-angel Cleo. I loved reading how you saw the world through her eyes and how she was a "well-educated" cat. The soccer ball of paper on the stairs brought tears to my eyes, as my Tag used to do the same thing. He has been gone from us 2 years now. You never forget them Ann-Claire, and the emptiness fills up as soon as you meet another special "Cleo" to occupy your heart. And, there is another Cleo just around the next corner, and when you are ready, you will see her there waiting and smiling at you.

Do you know of the Rainbow Bridge? Cleo has passed over it, and she is romping in the tall grasses catching mice and climbing up God's curtains now. One of our members has a beautiful explanation along these lines dealing with thunder. Kittyfoot believes that the sound of thunder is the stampeding of loved kitties to greet the newest arrival to the Bridge. Here is the Rainbow Bridge poem:

Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to some-
one here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows
and hills for all our special friends so they can run and
play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine
and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who have been ill and old are restored to health
and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong
again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times
gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small
thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be
left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when
one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are
intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he begins to run
from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him
faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend
finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to
be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your
hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more
into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your
life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...

-- Anon. --



Peace to you and may Cleo continue to visit you in your dreams-

 

[studio224]

Thank you Hissy...

Anne-Claire

 

[threeleggedkat]

Anne-Claire; Your shared memories of Cleo made me feel as though I had known her, and, in a way; I think I did; for in your story I glimpsd pieces of the personalities of "special ones" who are no longer with me. Thank you for sharing Cleo with us. . . .

 

[donna]

Anne-Claire,

That story was beautiful. And she was very special. You can see it in her eyes. I will say a prayer for you and for her. Cats are wonderful creatures, aren't they? They tug at your heart strings like no one can.

Hugs,

Donna

 

[studio224]

Donna and Threeleggedkat, thank you for your kind words. Yes Cleo was "special", she looked at us as if she understood every word... She really looked at us, eyes wide open, very intense...exactly like in the photo.

Anne-Claire

 

[Jcatbird]

The love you shared was amazing. Your story made me feel your hurt. I know that pain too well. I have lost too many. Each one took a part of me but also, they left with me a part of them. I lost my only child and dreamed of her. Some days I felt I could not breathe. At first the dreams left me hurting. Then one night I dreamed that my daughter fussed at me for being frozen in place. She told me that I was supposed to keep loving and that I could not do that if I didn’t stop crying. She told me I should be remembering the joy I felt every time she smiled at me. She had been a quadriplegic all her life and it had been predicted that she would never even be able to smile. She never could speak, walk or see. In my dream she was standing, talking and healthy. She was adamant that I set her free. Oddly, when I awoke from that dream I felt as though a weight was lifted from me. I did keep loving. I think they visit us in our dreams to help us heal and give us the strength to keep loving. The part they leave behind with us will always be present so we don’t completely lose them.They continue to keep us company forever, in our hearts and minds. I had planted a garden with my daughter and it now blooms with flowers like nothing I have ever seen. Maybe she has a hand in that. I like to think that, in a way , she is still beside me. I think Cleo will always be your escort through life as well. My heart is with you. Just keep loving.

 

[di and bob]

Even after all these years, I'm sure you still think of your beautiful Cleo and know she is near. She was your soulmate after all.....May the good Lord bless and keep her until you meet again!

 

[les26]

Thank you for sharing those wonderful memories with us, hold on to them and treasure them, she sounded like a real character! She is just fine now, and you will see her again someday down the line.

God Bless......

 

[les26]

The love you shared was amazing. Your story made me feel your hurt. I know that pain too well. I have lost too many. Each one took a part of me but also, they left with me a part of them. I lost my only child and dreamed of her. Some days I felt I could not breathe. At first the dreams left me hurting. Then one night I dreamed that my daughter fussed at me for being frozen in place. She told me that I was supposed to keep loving and that I could not do that if I didn’t stop crying. She told me I should be remembering the joy I felt every time she smiled at me. She had been a quadriplegic all her life and it had been predicted that she would never even be able to smile. She never could speak, walk or see. In my dream she was standing, talking and healthy. She was adamant that I set her free. Oddly, when I awoke from that dream I felt as though a weight was lifted from me. I did keep loving. I think they visit us in our dreams to help us heal and give us the strength to keep loving. The part they leave behind with us will always be present so we don’t completely lose them.They continue to keep us company forever, in our hearts and minds. I had planted a garden with my daughter and it now blooms with flowers like nothing I have ever seen. Maybe she has a hand in that. I like to think that, in a way , she is still beside me. I think Cleo will always be your escort through life as well. My heart is with you. Just keep loving.

This is a truly wonderful story, and I believe it is so true, your daughter was telling and showing you that she is just fine now, no problems, just fine like all our kitties who have passed. We also planted plants in honor of Simon and Sebastian and the one in honor of Simon is just blooming like crazy, and that tells me that he is very happy and knows that I have been remembering him on his 4th anniversary of his passing, but he is showing me he is happy and life for him is beautiful.

 

[Jcatbird]

If I can dream something for you and Cleo, as well as the aforementioned Simon and Sebastion , it will be that my daughter will watch over them for you until you see them again and help you as she did me. It is the greatest and most sincere thing I have to offer you other than sending my own love and admiration for very special people. If you see a little girl with long blonde hair and big blue eyes in your dreams, you will know she came to give comfort. I hope it works.

 

[les26]

If I can dream something for you and Cleo, as well as the aforementioned Simon and Sebastion , it will be that my daughter will watch over them for you until you see them again and help you as she did me. It is the greatest and most sincere thing I have to offer you other than sending my own love and admiration for very special people. If you see a little girl with long blonde hair and big blue eyes in your dreams, you will know she came to give comfort. I hope it works.

I'm sure she is watching over all of them for us all and they are caring for her too.....

 

[solomonar]

Everything we see and every thing we do is part of our life. But our actions and feeling are always about others. Either humans or cats, dogs, friends, birds - all are part of our life and our life is part of theirs.

There is no science to depict what this web of feelings means to us, to each of us, the Humans.

At a time, one wire of the web goes away and we cry for the loss.

But remember the web has many wires, a lot of wires. Some may call this Love, some may find other good words.

When a Creature feels Love, that is often perceived for one other particular Creature. But when we grew old, we understand that Love is not restricted to one particular being, is something that last for ever and all beings mirror the same universal Love - whatever one may call it.

Cats teach us about Love, I think. And we end up from tears to happiness, for our heart know better than our brain.

Happy hunting Cleo and waiting for you back on this Earth, to purr again to another Human!