Thoughts from the Bridge

New Year's blessings from the Rainbow Bridge to all my friends.
It would have been my eleventh birthday today. Mummy says she would like me to share another memory, so I'm going to talk about my friend Digby.
Digby was a huge Abyssinian that used to live in the block of flats where I first went to live with Mummy. He was very outgoing and friendly. He would visit our flat and we would romp and play. One day we were playing hide and seek, and Digby hid behind the door and leapt out at me. I got such a fright my fur puffed up and then went down again a second later when I realised it was him. Mummy still remembers it, she'd never seen a fat tail come and go so quickly!

How I Got My Name

When Mummy was registering her details at the RSPCA to pick me up, she asked if they knew what my name was. Yes, she was told, her name is Tar. Mummy stared at them. "Tar?" she said. "You mean like in, road tar? The stuff you drive cars on?"
That's right, they affirmed.
"Well, that's just an awful name for a cat", Mummy thought to herself, but in case I was used to it, she decided to change it to something similar, and she thought Tara was much prettier.

(BTW we apologise to any actual Tars on Catster, and we know there is at least one. The funny thing is, Mummy often used to call me "Tar" for short!)

How I came to my furever home, Part II

Mummy couldn't take me home from the RSPCA straight away, I had to be spayed first. (When I was surrendered by my former owners, I already had a litter of kittens. They were surrendered too.) She went to pick me up a couple of days after she first saw me, and the staff at the RSPCA said "Are you sure you want this one? She's very timid. She may never go outside, is that a problem?" Mummy said no to the last question; not if she is happier that way. They opened the carrier for a last peek, and said what beautiful fur I had, and then I was in the car riding to my new home. Naturally I was terrified, and when I was released I bolted straight behind the washing machine and stayed there for about 2 hours. Every so often I looked up to see this strange human face peering at me, so I made myself really, really small. But after a while I got hungry and uncomfortable. Then I heard a kind voice speaking to me, and I smelled cat crunchies! Cautiously I came out towards the human that was offering me the kibble. I sensed that she was going to take care of me, so I rubbed my scent on her and ate some kibble. Hooray, I had a home and a human of my own!

How I came to my furever home

Mummy thought she would share some of her memories of me from time to time, and where better to start than with how she came to pick me from all the other kitties at the RSPCA?
She hadn't had a kitty for a long time, and was worried about getting a cat when she was out at work so much and not having enough time to spend with it. One of her work colleagues pointed out that any kitty would much rather be living in a comfy home than be euthanased before its time because there was no human to care for it. Mummy kept finding little Post-It notes on her desk reading "Meow, meow, please save me!" and getting phone calls from a little voice saying "Meow, I don't want to die!" Gruesome, but it did the trick.
She decided it would be better to adopt an older cat rather than a kitten, and thought that since maybe the cat would be outside during the day for kitty company (there were 2 other cats in the block of flats where she was living then), she would try to find one that had dark nose leather so that it wouldn't burn in the hot Aussie sun.
The staff at the RSPCA were delighted to help out in her search for an older cat, and a lady showed Mummy nearly every single adult cat they had. Strangely, they all had pink noses. And then the lady said, "There's one more you haven't seen and this one has a black nose!" and she gently tipped up a cardboard box revealing me, cringing and looking all scaredy. It was meant to be. Mummy said, "Fine, I'll have that one!" Just like that!

Life without Tara

I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I will not see Tara's beloved little face again in this lifetime. My four remaining cats were very subdued the day I returned home with the empty cat carrier...they knew it was all wrong. Orkney sat on my lap and purred quietly for me. Zephyr sat with me for hours that first evening. Bunty, missing her best friend, refused to sleep on the bed, which is almost unheard of. Only Arrow seemed unmoved, although she too was quiet. And yet when I fed them in the morning, Arrow raced into Tara's "boudoir", looked at Tara's empty corner, then looked up at me and uttered several short sharp distressed meows.
I have read, appreciated and hope to respond to every message and rosette, and feel humbled that the timid little smoky black cat I rescued from the RSPCA nine years ago could inspire such love. I am so lucky to have had her presence brightening my life. And I am grateful that I still have four little furry buddies to love me and be loved.

- Tara's Mum, Belinda

Gone but never forgotten

This morning Mummy made the decision to let me go to the Rainbow Bridge. The masses in my abdomen had increased in size, I could not shake off the URTI even with the antibiotics, I had stopped eating and I had not drunk much in the last 24 hours. She believed it would be the kindest thing to let me go free of my ailing body. I have been a good cat and much loved for the nine years I have been with Mummy; she is devastated to say goodbye but glad that I am not suffering any more. She stroked me and talked to me as the vet helped me make the final journey. Thank you to all my friends for their support.

A Pet Peeve

I wasn't well last night, and Mummy booked an appointment at the v-e-t for first thing this morning. My nose is all stuffed up so I spent the night quietly resting with my paw on Mummy's arm while she stroked my head.
When we got to the surgery there were already patients there, one a kitty being loosely held in a towel on his human brother's lap. The kitty got a fright and made a dash for freedom, running head-first into the closed glass door and nearly knocking himself senseless.
Then a man came in with a red kelpie. While he was at the counter the dog ran over to my carrier and started yapping and looking in at me. As if I wasn't stressed enough! Mummy told the owner rather sharply to keep a hold of his dog, but of course he couldn't because he came in without a lead for it. Probably thought it was too sissy.
The cat could have been contained in a sturdy cardboard box, and the dog controlled by a piece of twine attached to its collar. Surely commonsense would tell you that if you are going to a place with other animals, you should restrain yours. But I guess that presupposes all humans have common sense.
Anyway, I have more yucky pills to take for the URTI I have developed. I'm still eating though, which is a good thing.

Belated Update

Well, last week it was a toss-up as to which was sicker, me or Mummy's computer, and speaking of toss-ups I did so every morning at 5 am about six inches away from Mummy's head, not to mention all over the carpet. I didn't feel much like eating either. I went back to the v-e-t who said I had an infection and also the mass in my abdomen had grown again, so I am on antibiotics, and increased cortisone. I am doing much better than last week, although I am by no means looking robust. After more than a week with no computer access at all, Mummy is touched to see I have many more get well wishes and rosettes, and I will thank efurryone pursonally for these ASAP. I'm sorry I have not been able to do so earlier.

The News is Not Bad

My morning started out pretty badly, excepting the Purina raid on the cupboard (see Orkney's diary for details of this daring robbery). Mummy put me in the Portajail, which she then placed on a chair while she fetched her shoes from the front door. I was
scrabbling around in the Portajail and I rocked it right off the chair. Mummy was horrified to see the cage hit the ground with me inside it. She tried soothing me but I can't be soothed when I know I'm going on a car ride to the v-e-t! Luckily I was not hurt, just a bit stunned and upset.
The v-e-t was pleased to find that the medication has resulted in a marked reduction in the size of the mass in my abdomen. I have not lost any weight and my appetite is still keen. So it looks as though I will have to continue on this medication unless there is any change in my condition, at which time I will be re-assessed.
I am so grateful to everyfur who has sent me their kind wishes, purrayers and rosettes and will thank mew all purrsonally.
One odd thing though - I have also undergone a radical purrsonality change! From being a total coward with other cats and people, I am now marching around demanding attention! Mummy is not sure why this would be so...but she loves me however I am!

The Vet Says

The vet says that I have intestinal lymphoma, which is not a good thing. Mummy is giving me pills twice a day and they are making me feel a lot better and bringing back my appetite, which had all but disappeared entirely. I've always been a healthy cat and this is the first time Mummy has ever had to pill me, but I am taking it like a champ, suprisingly so as I have always been very timid and a stress-head. Normally I would sulk for 24 hours just because I got that flea stuff put on me, but I have not been sulky at all about my pills.
I have to go back and see the vet on Friday, and we will see if the pills are helping the lymphoma as well as boosting my appetite. In the meantime I am staying comfy on Mummy's bed.