I heard a song and thought of you my friend-

"We met it seems, such a short time ago.
You looked at me, needing me so.
Yet from your sadness, our happiness grew.
Then I found out, I need you, too.
I remember how we used to play.
I recall those rainy days, the fires glowed, that kept us warm.
And now I find, we're both alone.
Goodbye may seem forever, farewell is like the end.
But in my heart's a memory, and there you'll always be."

From Disney's The Fox and The Hound, 1981

PJ is now watching this movie a lot-he likes the fox and says the hunter is bad and mean and picked on the bear-a budding animal lover for sure. He also tells me that Riley is still sad cause "he miss him twin". Aww, we all do. For Mother's Day my dad made me a marker for your grave-it is a stone that he sanded and polished and painted your name and a paw print on it. It was a flat river stone that I found on a fishing trip years ago. It looks very nice-your little spot is ringed with river stones and a Halloween yard stake (small and tasteful as you would like) that has a black cat jumping over the moon and says Black Cat Crossing. I put the marker right in front of it. It's a good spot-the little birds in the tree over you are getting bigger and now are actually coming out on the branch-I can almost hear your teeth click while you watch them and wish a big gust of wind would push one in reach-you are a stinker. I miss you my friend.

Mom

I have wings-look out birds!

Thank you Autumn for my wings (flap, flap) they are great. Now that I am a kitty with wings I think it will make bird chasing much more fun. I used to sit at the window and watch the birds so carefully that my bottom lip would shake and I would chirp at them. Think of what I can do now...

Thomas Angel
(no birdies will be harmed in the course of my prowling-they may be annoyed and midly aggrivated however)

Thomas has gone away

After much debate, I had Thomas PTS today. He passed at 5:45 at our vets office, he was 18 years old. The staff cried along with me-I was able to hold his head in my hand and be with him when he passed. He has been such a wonderful dear loyal little man, I will miss him so very much. He has seen me gradutate college, work crappy jobs, date crappy guys (who he was never shy about snubbing), move, work fun jobs, date the right guy, and eventually get married and start a family. He was such a fixture in my life I have trouble thinking he is now gone. But I chose to think of the fun we have had-trips to McD's in the car to get ice cream (a 20 pound black cat gets you some looks in the drive through), college times, single girl and cat piled up to watch a movie (he was a great snuggler), him sleeping under my son's crib. He was my first cat and more like a tiny soulmate-he was part of me. I hope that now, buried under a tree in the backyard where the birds and squirrels play, he is at peace-no pain or unease. I hope that now he is able to rest and maybe in cat heaven there is a large black cat taking toys from others, snubbing the angels that don't suit his taste, chasing birds, and maybe once in a while looking down to see how his family is. As I wrote on his blanket that I buried him in "Thomas 1990-2008 Much Loved-Much Missed". That says as much as one can about the loss of such a small creature who took up susch a big part of my heart. Hugs and Kisses Bad Kitty-mom misses her first boy.

Over the river and through the woods to our new house we- go...

Well, we are moved in to the new house. So far so good. Riley is mostly hiding in some little nooks and cranies he has found. Mom thought at first he got out some how and was worried-then she found him, saw all was well, so then she got mad at him for making her worry. I like our new cat digs on the lower level as I call it. Got the comfy couch back and no dog at all to deal with. I have ventured upstairs once and the dog barked at me and I went back to my space to recover. Mom says in a few more days I will likely feel up to exploring evrything-but for now I am very happy to chill and do my own thing with no dog to bother my naps. Tomorrow is turkey day so I better rest up so I can be ready to eat turkey-yum!
Purrs-
Thomas

---We have some huge trees at this place and the wildlife is much more fun than before! I have squirrels, birds of all kinds, and rabbits in the yard. Much more fun than the old view of a giant cow field (they smelled bad and made a big racket).

A move????

Mom and dad have bought a house. Well happy kitty do da to that. If they think telling me means I will move ANY of my things think again. I am old, and I deserve to be moved. They better pack my toys, dishes, beds, and litter box and get me set up. I will not lift a paw to do extra work.

However-the family seems excited. Mom says it is a nice big house and Riley and I will get a station in the basement. It has heat, windows, and will be the "man cave" so dad will have a sofa and rug and a tv down there. We can have a ton of space and no dog or boy to bother us. Then when everyone is at work and at night (when the boy and dog sleep) we can have run of the house. Sounds good to me. Mom said it is closer to our vet in case of an emergency-why did she have to go there. Is it cause I am older? It was not a selling point for me. At any rate-I should have a new home for the holidays this year.

Purrs-
Thomas

Vet trip

Well I was forced to the vet today for an annual check up. Hated it. But my asked mom if she is sure of my age since I don't look at all like I am about to turn 17! She said she is positive since she got my vet info when she adopted me and I was 4 at that time, in Sept she has had me for 13 years. He said I was fit as a fiddle!! My teeth are good, eyes are fine, very mobile and fast (I gave a good smack to the vet teck-score one for me). Mom said I had been stiff over the winter and she worried about me. Dr Clark said that if I was doing better after a change in diet and seemed good now that this winter if I didn't feel up to par that I should start a glucosime supplement since it works wonders in older kitties. He said I shuld have another 2-3 years ahead of me based on the visit today. But I didn't get any shots-he said at my age he doesn't like to mess with the immune system too much and after a lifetime of shots the chance I would have a problem from not getting them is so slim that he just doesn't see the need in a cat who never goes outside. I was very happy for that-maybe getting older has some plus sides.

Meows! This old cat is going to nap on mom's pillow on the bed-too much activity for one day!

Thomas

Riley got his own page!

Finally mom got around to getting Riley his own page! Now this is all about me-hehehe! The new pics are actually a bit old-me and mom with the baby when he was about 6 months old. Small enough not to chase me. Don't I look so comfy with him and mom? The new ID pic is me in college-someone sent mom roses for her birthday and I do love flowers. Gotta run-it's night and I am ready for puppy to go to bed so I can prowl the house in peace!
Tom

Ahh, 2007!

We had a good Christmas-I felt pretty good for the whole thing. Got some good treats in the stocking too! Everyone was home (not working or at school) and sooo in my way! I like to sleep and lounge-totally off kilter now. But it was nice. Glad they all got back to the normal stuff this week-now I can nap all day!
Thomas~^^~

Meowy Holidays

Tom is in the Santa hat! How funny. Mom added lots of pics today. Tom is in the ones with our little human boy (mom likes the one of them in the dark looking out the window-Tom could see out the bottom, PJ is just being a copy cat). I am the one going under the bed. In the picture of us on the bed I am on the left and Tom is on the right-mom said we kind of merge into one kitty. Tom is feeling better and we are all looking forward to a very Merry Christmas!

Riley~^..^~

That dang dog

She gets all the lime light. Thomas and I are hanging out together more. Tom is now 16 1/2 and he doesn't see and hear as good. Mom gets sad sometimes cause she wants him to be happy and healthy and not get old. The vet says he is getting old and losing weight and $250 worth of test didnt' find anything wrong-just old age. So he and I rest a lot and look out the window. Tom liked seeing mom train the dog to use the electronic fence-mom said that wasn't nice to say. Mom hung up our stocking by hers like always. She says some cats don't get stocking for Christmas. I don't think that is true. She said she is glad for one more Christmas with me and Tom. I did our Santa letter, ehm.

Dear Santa Paws-

Me and Tom have been real good this year. We love on our baby boy and sit up with mom late at night if he is sick or hungry. We like to sit on the tub side and watch mom give him a bath-make sure he isn't too chilly. And we even help get him in his jammies at night. We love him.

Now that dog is different. Can you take her with you? She can get a forever home with some other cat's family. I guess baby boy likes her so better not. But how about making her play nice with us-Tom is old!

Tom and I would like canned cat food as our special treat this year! And maybe some play mice and a cat nip crinkler (we can share that cause is more cash money). We will leave some kibble and you can use our litter pan if you need a potty stop on Christmas Eve. Thank you for bringing goodies to all the good pets-I will keep on the look out for a black kitty with snow white paws for I know it will be you Santa Paws!

Much love, purrs to you-

Riley the Cat~^^~