After a brief, but valiant effort against cancer, our beloved Smokey sighed one last time and crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Monday evening, January 5, 2015. We had lost one of our cats in August 2002, and, after a year or so, we were ready to open our hearts and home to another family member. We saw a notice that the ASPCA was holding an adoption event on Valentine’s Day, 2004. So, we went down, filled out all the paperwork, and waited while they reviewed our application and references. We must have passed their test because soon we were invited into the area where the adoptable cats were housed. We went down one side of the room and stopped to meet a few of the cats, around the back and then started up the last aisle. Up to then, we didn’t really meet anyone who tugged at our hearts. Until we got to the last crates. On the lower tier, at eye level with Jody in his wheelchair, this young gray cat rushed up to the front of the crate and thrust her two arms out and began calling out to us. So, we asked if we could hold her to see how she would get along with us. The attendant took her out of the crate and placed her in Jody’s arms. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her head on his chest and purred like an outboard motor. What can I tell you? We were sold. The label on her crate said her name was Deanna. So, we told them would like to adopt her. While they were filling out the paperwork, Jody turned to me and “Deanna is a terrible name for her. She is Smokey!” And so, Smokey came to live with us – our special little Valentine. We brought her home and she popped out of the carrier and basically said “here I am!” and pranced all over the apartment. The other two cats became immediate friends with her. I always thought she walked like a ballerina on tippy-toes and she had what we called the Smokey-wiggle to her backside whenever she walked – just like an ingénue. We have a long hallway in the apartment and Smokey thought it was great fun, late at night when all the lights were off, to chase a toy up and down the hallway. She would get up a head of steam and run and run and at the end of the hallway she wouldn’t put the brakes on soon enough and she would bounce off the wall! And then she would do it all over again. Sadly, she has left us. But we will always have such fun and loving memories of our little princess. She is sadly missed by her feline brothers Fred, Sebastian and Terin, and her canine sister, Daisy. Thanks so much to all who prayed for her over the past few weeks.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 15:16:21 +0000