Give Thanks...That We Knew And Loved SamDean

 My son thought our four-year old rag doll cat was sleeping. When he checked a little while later and the cat had not moved, he realized something was wrong. He had passed. No warning, as far as we could tell...just there last night when we went to sleep, gone today.

We're blessed to have known him.

Not long ago, we were home to two dogs and two cats. Now, we're down to one...my son's dog. Losing a pet leaves a void, a pain in your soul that takes time to heal, if it ever can. We rescued SamDean as a weeks-old kitten. We had no idea what type of cat he was, but we took a chance. He surprised us all the way he kept growing and growing until he tipped the scales around twenty pounds. 

He had the loudest purr, and the most brilliant eyes on a cat I've ever seen.

Because our dog never grew to accept him like we did, we kept them separated, which wasn't ideal, but it allowed us to keep him under our roof.

After we discovered him this morning, I did some research. Our best guess is a heart condition took him from us. It can strike with little or no warning. 

There's no proof, of course, but I feel animals understand things. I'd like to think SamDean knew we loved him, knew we gave him a home and food and shelter, knew he lived in a safe space. I also feel that we'll be reunited in the future. The love between our pets and ourselves feels other-worldly, something beyond the temporal, bordering the eternal. Our family is blessed to have known and loved SamDean. We're thankful we could be part of his life.

R.I.P., SamDean Winchester. You'll be truly missed.

R.I.P. Teewinot...2007 - 2022

The news was not what we wanted to hear, but deep down, we all knew it was the news we were going to get. Today we said good-bye to an incredible cat...more than a family pet.

In 2007 my family decided to visit my cousin Brent and his wife Sheila. They live on the family farm in Driggs, Idaho, God's Country (If God likes amazing summers and hellish winters...). While we were there our kids played in the pure air and open spaces a farm affords. They also had a blast chasing around a litter of kittens that ran around the farm with them.

Pure joy.

We had a few years earlier moved into a house and we needed a cat. We asked if they wouldn't mind parting with one, to which they agreed. We chose the only male kitten and we called him Teewinot because he was a climber and Teewinot Mountain can be found a few miles from my cousin's house.

Man...what a great cat.

I know many are not cat people and others downright hate cats. I can understand that, but I'll bet they'd like this one. We was cool, not uppity. And he owned the cul-de-sac where we used to live. He'd lay down in the middle of the street and give anyone passing by a nonchalant glance. He got in fights--we think he won many, but lost many, too. He was also a tremendous hunter, bringing victims of his skills home...everything from mice to squirrels and even bats and bunnies.

As he got older he even took on the neighbor dogs. He was fearless. Except for marring up the siding under our bedroom window and destroying countless window screens, Teewinot had few faults. And he even accompanied me on many a mountain hike. I blogged about one such adventure: HERE.

Last week, everything changed. He barely moved, wouldn't eat or drink...so unlike his normal curious self. Yesterday we took him to an E.R. vet and they diagnosed kidney failure...we could spend thousands of dollars for treatment, but the result would be the same...he would not survive. We made the agonizing decision to end his pain. We brought him home, sedated and lethargic, and put him in the back yard. He sat in the sun with my youngest, the two of them spending their last afternoon together.

Pets are amazing, not just for the companionship, but in what they teach us. They teach us patience, discipline, responsibility, and they continue to teach in death. We learn the value of life, the selflessness of some of God's amazing creatures.

I'll be spending the next few days searching my photos for classic pictures of our beloved cat. We're planning on compiling a book. Yes, he's gone and we remain, but hopefully, the memories will linger still.

R.I.P. Teewinot...a great cat.