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Tonkster Tails

ON THIS DAY

I lost Elvis and Tonka. I hate this date.

Tonka, the most wonderful cat in my world.

I think I could have taught him anything. He jumped up in my arms when he was given the "signal", he rode in the basket under the stroller when I took Patrick for walks, he would perch on my shoulder, come when he was called. He never said
a word to any critter that made an appearance at our place, not even to other cats and kittens that had gotten thrown from a car into our driveway.
He brought them all to the door. At one time I was feeding 18 adult cats and 2 litters of kittens! {That was a lot of homes that had to be found}.
He never needed a litter box, he went to the door and asked to be let out. and he loved to snuggle :o) and to press his forehead against you and to put his paws on my cheeks and bring his nose in really close, so we were both breathing each others breath.

He suffered a blood clot in his spine right in front of me, he became paralyzed from his shoulders to the tip of his tail.
He wasn't eating, he was having trouble peeing. 3 days later after consulting with the vet and on the internet I had him put to sleep.
He hung around here for the longest time aftewards. His sounds or maybe me missing him.

Elvis and him were best buddies. They both used to stand in the bay window together, sleep together, hunt together.

~ I was kind of dozing off {& on & off &} on the couch one night just after I had bought the house. Elvis was stretched out beside me, his head in my lap. Tonka was curled up at Elvis's butt. I remember seeing something darting from behind the couch towards the chair, but by the time that my brain registered that "It's a mouse!" Tonka and Elvis had it. I'm not kidding. The mouse never stood a chance. Tonka carried it out of the house. I don't know if Tonka bit it or if Elvis had stomped it, and since Tonka was being such a gentleman, offering to deal with the 'remains', I wasn't going to stand in his way ;o)


Then one year later I was saying a final good bye to Elvis.

I will never know what triggered his illness. I would never have gotten through this if it hadn't been for his wonderful pals and their peeps here on dogster. Without you and the wonderful kindness that you all showed us. People you don't know..... such love for a dog you never met.
What would I have done without you? The day that I took him to the good vet, when she came out to get us to go in for his appointment, when she said to me this visit has been paid for..... the look on her face..... the tears that were pouring down mine... your dogster friends are paying for this visit.... I thought I was going to collapse. How can I explain what that did for me/us? I had been getting by on very little sleep.
I WAS SO SCARED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIE ALONE.
not being held. not getting kissed. He was so sick :o(
Then that last day. Such a shock. That last seizure. The pain. The fear.... My sweet babyboy. He was my best buddy.
I didn't want to let you all down.

I really thought he was going to make it and then.... there we were at the vets.... then he started to exhibit signs of having another seizure. then she had administered the injection. {OMD, this wasn't what was supposed to happen :o( }
Elvis was in my lap, being held and kissed by his dad and I. My hand was cupped around his heart. I felt it stop. At that exact moment the vet said move your hand I have to check. I snapped at her and told her to wait, my hand worked just fine.

"I love you babyboy, go be with Tonka"

~ I had just picked up Elvis at the airport and it had taken almost an hour to get home. I put Elvis down on the floor in the kitchen and somehow the first thing he did in his new home was..... put his big puppy paw on one of 3 year old Patrick's toy cars and send it racing across the floor. Elvis then chased the car and pushed it
again. Patrick laughed and giggled and they became instant friends. 2 years later Patrick gets pneumonia and Elvis stayed beside him day and night for 15 days watching over him.

Always in my thoughts
Always an ache in my heart.....
Loved no less than if you were here.....

Forever,
Mom

Elvis ~ April 16, 2008
Tonka ~ April 16, 2007

LOVIN'

Dear Diary,
My momma misses me so much.
This is the first Christmas that she won't look at the tree and wonder...
"Is that Tonka, up...?~ "Get down from there!", "Dad, get some rope and tie the tree to the wall better",
or open a box to find me laying in it,
or pick up a pair of undies or sweater or nighty from under the tree and have to shake all my hair off of them, or hear me purr in her ear, or have me tuck my head under her chin or feel my HUGE PAWS holding on to her face as I stare into her eyes~ purring as loud as I can, or have me jump in her arms or ride on her shoulder, or sink her fingers into my thick deep coat of fur or be able to bury her face into it and smell "crisp cold air tinged with the smell of sweet hay".
To every kitty and doggie mommy and daddy out there who is painfully missing their baby this year~ YOU are in my momma's thoughts and prayers.
Please try to have a Merry Christmas~
Sending lots of love to you all~
Tonka

knocking on wood?

OH MY HEAVENS!!!!!

WHAT CAN IT MEAN????

DOES ANYONE KNOW......????

OH MY....

"1" then "2" BLACK CATS CROSSED MY MOMMA'S PATH!!!!!!

YIKES!!!!!