Romeo, 17 Years Later I Am Still Thinking Of You!

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Antonio65

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Romeo, my sweet Romeo, you came in my life silently and you left me silently.
You stayed with me only 11 months, but you filled my heart like you lived 11 years, I have so many things to remember you with in such a short life.

You, Lola, your mother, we'll meet somewhere someday. Until then don't forget me, just forgive me.
 

di and bob

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My heart cries for your pain. I'm thinking of you and praying you find the strength to forgive yourself. You did nothing wrong but to give your heart and love to those who needed you so very much. You are such a good person to give so much....
 

zed xyzed

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Romeo was Lola's brother. I found them both in a cardboard box under a bush on May 30, 2000.
He was a white and ginger tiny kitten, when I found him, with his eyes still closed. They were 10-15 days old. Along with his sister Lola, he was bottle fed and weaned at my home.

As he grew up he developed a strong personality, he was smart and determined. He was Lola's guide. Without him she was lost in the true meaning of the word. She wouldn't have found the way back home without him, even if she was just 10 meters away.
Romeo was solitary and quiet, he loved being alone, on his own. Lola was a bit more lively and rascal when she was a kitten, and would play hard with him despite she knew that Romeo was stronger than her, and inevitably the game would end up with her running away from him and looking for shelter in my arms.
Nevertheless they were inseparable, they would eat together, sleep together, play together, they would just stay together. Always!

On an afternoon, when he was just 4 months old, Romeo looked strange, didn't want to eat, play or stay with us. I took him to the vet who found nothing wrong, he thought he was just bored, and sent us home with a pack of treats. During the next three days the situation wasn't changing and I took him in two more times without receiving a diagnosis, until I thought to look for a second opinion. The new vet found Romeo had a tracheitis. This new vet became my regular vet from that moment on.

I used to go to work by bike. Romeo was very smart and he quickly learned my schedule, so he was waiting for me every afternoon at the same time. He was always there, on the sidewalk, at the beginning of the driveway. He was just sitting there, every single day. And when I was close to him he would stand up, he would raise his tail and that was his way to say welcome back. He would walk by my right foot, down to the garage where I would park my bike. And then he would follow me, always by my right foot, inside home. Faithful everyday.
He was a silent cat, I think I rarely heard his meow.

In two occasions he got stuck inside the neighbor's garage, behind the locked door, and the fact that he was rather silent wouldn't help me during my search, because he would hardly reply at my calls.

He and his sister Lola were living mostly outdoors at that time, they would also sleep outside, where they had two small cat-houses. Every night, before going to bed I would greet them both good night, and would ask them to behave and not to roam too much. Romeo loved to explore the neighborhood, and as soon as he set up to take a walk, Lola would follow him.

It was midnight, Sunday, April 22, 2001, when I greeted them both goodnight. Romeo looked back at me as he was going to tell me something, he had a sad look in his eyes...
I went to bed. About 45 minutes later, at 12:50 am (it was already Monday April 23, like today), the phone rang. I jumped out of the bed and took the call at the second ring. A woman at the other end of the phone was asking me if I was the owner of a cat named Romeo.
Romeo, like Lola, had a collar with a tag with his name and number.
She said she had found Romeo on the road. I said "What a funny cat, tell me where you are, I'm coming and taking him back home right away". She replied that there was no need to hurry, because he had been run over. I got dressed in a few seconds and ran to the spot where she told me she was. Romeo was there, lying on the road, covered in blood. From what I saw it had just happened... I passed out. The woman was with a friend of hers. They were driving home when they found him. They both helped me to stand up, then picked my Romeo and we all ran to the closest vet practice. She had the number of this vet, the same where I had taken Romeo in when he was sick at 4 months of age. She woke him up and asked him to run to the practice. When we got there, 3 minutes later, the practice was already open for us. It was 1 am. The vet tried his best for about half an hour, but all was vain. Romeo was dead at the scene of the accident... The vet was sorry, and offered to keep my cat in his freezer till the following day, when I would have been able to dig a grave in my lawn.
The woman and her friend drove me home and came in and stayed with me and my wife for an hour to try to help us cope with the tragedy.

On the following morning I dug a hole in the lawn and in the afternoon I went to the vet to retrieve my poor Romeo. The vet told me not to let Lola attend the burial, because she could have been shocked. But Lola understood that something was wrong when she saw me coming back home with a box, and she hid in the other room!

Romeo had left me, at the age of 11 months, in total despair, and her sister was now on her own. I cried relentlessly for a week, and it took me a month to get out of the dark when I had fallen into. Lola needed much more time to get used to the fact that she was alone and she had to get smart if she wanted to face the life.

The most shocking thing is that on the Saturday before his death I had gone to a cattery to book a room for Romeo and Lola, because I and my wife were going to have a holiday a few weeks later, I wanted to be sure I had that room with a view on the surrounding mountains, I booked it very early. When I came back home on that day I found Romeo lying on the grass, sunbathing. He turned to me, looked me in the eyes and I told him that I had booked a wonderful room for them both. Then, as I was sensing something weird, I asked him "Romeo, will you still be with me tomorrow?", he looked away... What a crazy question, I thought!

It was only when he died that I remembered my question to him 36 hours earlier, his silent reply and his last greeting to me, a few minutes before he died, with that sad, yet full of meaning, look in his eyes.
Romeo had announced that he was going to leave me, I didn't grasp the message.
He greeted me good-bye in silence, as he had always did in his short life.
I thanked God that Lola didn't realize of him leaving that night, or I would have lost both.

RIP Romeo, you are still in my heart. Lola is with you now, please guide her through the green meadows at the Bridge, like you used to do when you were both here.


View attachment 228413
Romeo aged 4 weeks, his first steps. June 2000.

View attachment 228414
Romeo sleeping in half of his carrier, aged 9 months. February 2001.

View attachment 228415
Romeo in the front lawn, aged 9 months. February 2001.

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Lola and Romeo, aged 4 weeks. June 2000.

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Romeo and Lola in a large flower pot, June 2000.

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This is how they used to sleep. August 2000, at the age of 3 months.
Such a sad story, poor little guy. It is a testament to the impact he made on your life that you remember him and pay your respect to him all these years later. He knows he was loved and mattered, and at the end, that is the most important thing.
 

doomsdave

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Antonio65 Antonio65 so sorry to hear.

I've lost so many cats, and I love them all, and miss them all.

I just lost one a few days ago. Heartbroken, but will go on.

Hope you find another cat or cats to love; there's so many that need it.
 

Krienze

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I absolutely understand your grief here.

Actually, in 2000, we also found a kitten. There was a cat in our neighborhood who gave birth to kittens and we'd always go to pet and see them because the cat knew us and would let us. We were kids, but she trusted us for whatever reason. I noticed she wasn't feeding one of them and I was only 11 or 12 at the time, so it didn't really SINK in that he might have been sick. I just brought him home and begged my mom to keep him. We named him K.C (Short for King Cat) even though he was a runt and super small. He was...a very strong personality. He would come when you called him, stand with his paws on the cabinet door and watch my mom do dishes, eat out of his own little bowl at the table with us (because he was so small and my mom was a sucker for him.) sleep with you, bite your nose to wake you up, and greet you by the door!

We had him less than a year, I want to say he was maybe 8 months when we came home one day and found him dragging his legs behind him to get to the door to see us. We had a big dog at the time and so we had gates separating the living room from the rest of the house and the gate had been knocked over, so our first thought was that he hurt himself jumping over and knocked it down. When we took him to the vet, we really believed that he'd be coming home.

As it turned out, he had Leukemia. We didn't know. Admittedly back then, we didn't know much about cats. We just knew this kitten was starving (we had to bottle feed him, too.) and wasn't being fed by his momma. The vet was amazed, he said if this cat had been a human there is no way he'd have been able to get out of bed. He said K.C should have died months ago and yet his will to live was THAT strong.

20 years and I still miss that cat, and I only had him for such a short time. My mother and I still cry thinking about him every now and then and every time I see a fluffy little black cat, my heart just breaks in two.

Sharing this with you because I honestly believe these cats that come into our lives for short periods but leave a lasting impact are little cat guardians, and they stay with you forever. There is something magic about them, I think. To leave you with such a profound memory and sense of loss for them is just... indescribable, I think. It's a connection I truly believe we were meant to have for some reason, even if it wasn't a connection meant to last long.

I'm so sorry you lost both Romeo and Lola. Your pictures are absolutely beautiful and that last one had me crying! I love them sleeping together! It's precious.
 
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Antonio65

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Happy birthday, my dear Romeo. You stayed with me for too short a time, but I never forgot you.
Your quiet and discreet presence is unforgettable, your ability and kindness in taking care of your sister Lola is still touching my heart. Now you are together forever, please, teach each other what you have learned while you were here, and never part again.
I love you, Romeo, happy birthday!

Romeo.jpg
 

Loving Mickey

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Happy Birthday dear Romeo!
Oh , such a handsome sweet looking kitty. I have a fondness for orange and white kitties. My Mittens (RIP) was an orange and white kitty. Romeo even has that same sweet looking face that my Mittens had. Such sweet and special kitties.
I am sure that Romeo and Lola are together again and both are watching over you with love!
 
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Antonio65

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Happy Birthday dear Romeo!
Oh , such a handsome sweet looking kitty. I have a fondness for orange and white kitties. My Mittens (RIP) was an orange and white kitty. Romeo even has that same sweet looking face that my Mittens had. Such sweet and special kitties.
I am sure that Romeo and Lola are together again and both are watching over you with love!
Thank you, Gloria.
Romeo was discreet but friendly, I am sure he and Mittens are playing along, waiting for us.
 
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Antonio65

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My dear Romeo, it's 20 years today since you left me to go to Rainbow Bridge, it's 20 years that you are in my thoughts. I will never forget your last gaze at me that night, when you were outside and looked at me straight in the eyes, and I felt that it was an unusual look, and in a hindsight I understood it was your way to say "goodbye".
And I will never forget your faithful love for me.
I always wonder how my life could have been if you would stay with me for much much longer.
My dear Romeo, stay close to your sweet sister Lola, play together, and wait for me.
 
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Antonio65

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Happy 21st birthday my dear Romeo. You left me way too soon, who knows how my life would have been with you next me and your sister Lola.
You would have been a wonderful guide in her life. Please stay close to Lola now, she will still love your protection and guide where you both are.
One day we will be together again, that will be an amazing day.
Happy birthday Romeo!
 

di and bob

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Happy birthday dear Romeo... You know your daddy still misses and loves you so much, you are a lucky cat indeed to have shared his life's journey for a while, RIP dear one....
 

di and bob

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They are eternally together, safe and at peace because they have your love. For them, it will be but the blink of an eye before your glorious reunion, fo us it seems an eternity. But we have things to do on this earth, and one of them is to remember them with love, and to continue on our own journey, hopefully passing on and sharing the great love they left us to perpetuate their legacy......RIP precious ones........
 

Mia6

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Happy Birthday darling boy,, stay close to Lola and please keep an eye on my Vincie Girl💖💞💗 :rbheart: :hugs:
 
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Antonio65

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They are eternally together, safe and at peace because they have your love. For them, it will be but the blink of an eye before your glorious reunion, fo us it seems an eternity. But we have things to do on this earth, and one of them is to remember them with love, and to continue on our own journey, hopefully passing on and sharing the great love they left us to perpetuate their legacy......RIP precious ones........
What beautiful words, di and bob di and bob , thank you so much ❤
 
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