Rainbow Bridge

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I would like you to meet some of my friends who are now living at Rainbow Bridge. They are all very special and I am sure that one day we will meet again.  

Please click on the Play button to play the music (sorry, not currently available). I heard this song and thought of all friends now passed to the bridge who waited patiently "at the edge of heaven" until their happy release. Patandcarol say it especially reminds them of their last visit to the vet with Cleo.

Sylva was the 4th of my family to cross the bridge in 10 months. Patandcarol rescued Sylva and her 6 kittens when they were living rough under a mobile home. Sylva had obviously been used to better things as you can see she had some breeding in her! Sylva did quite well at shows with a Best in Show at the Northern Counties Show in September 2004 and was the second of my family to achieve her Master Cat non-pedigree title in October 2005. She attended the Supreme cat Show for the very first time in November 2006, at the age of 12, and won best Pedigree Lookalike Shorthair! At the Cameo show in January 2007 she had her first, and last, red card day. Sylva also went to her first TICA show in February and was made up to Double Grand Master. She was beautiful inside and out.

Rocky (22.08.91-26.02.07)

Rocky was 16 1/2 when he passed to the bridge .  He broke one of his back legs when he was young and it would not mend properly so it had to be removed and he spent most of his life with only 3 legs as the vet had to take the bad one away. He didn't seem to mind, though, and he could run, jump and climb just as well as the rest of us. Sadly he was diagnosed with a nasal tumour in late 2006 which the vets could not do anything about but we all looked after him and cared for him until the time came when, for his own sake it was time to cross the Bridge. We hope, that having lost 3 dear friends in as many months, we will all stay together for a lot longer yet and will not have to say goodbye to anyone else for a long time!

Copper was the second “show cat” in the family and came from the same rescue as Tanya had come from, when she was 7 months old. She retired from showing a few years ago as she was a very bad traveller.  She was such a beautiful cat. Copper  would have been 13 in May 2007 but sadly just after Christmas 2006  she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma,  the same cancer as Tanya, although at the back of her throat, with secondaries in her lymph nodes and, it would now appear, probably throughout her body. She put up a strong but brief fight and was helped across the Bridge on 11th January 2007 when breathing became too difficult for her. She was a sweet cat who will be sadly missed by us all, and her loss came far too soon upon the heels of Bonnie's.

Bonnie (9.3.97 -  28.1.06)

We never, ever thought we would be writing about Bonnie so soon. She was only 91/2 and seemed in good health when a sudden and severe infection plunged her into acute renal failure and despite fighting valiantly for 5 weeks we tragically lost her on 28th November 2006, a devastating blow. Bonnie was the sweetest cat imaginable and she purred the minute you even looked at her. She had a wonderful show career, winning a total of 13 Best in Show awards. Bonnie was the first of my friends to achieve the Master Cat title which she did in June 2005. We will never truly get over her loss, she was a wonderful cat and far, far too young to die.

Anthony (22.5.86 - 9.1.06)

Anthony has now gone to join his twin sister, Cleo, at the Bridge.  He was 19  years and 8 months old and had been fighting declining kidneys, overactive thyroid, pancreatitis and arthritis for a year.  Anthony was very laid back and friendly and  thanks to the wonderful holistic vet at Balanced Being in Wetherby and Pat's Reiki he survived almost 12 months after the conventional vets wrote him off!  He was finally released from all pain and suffering after a stroke on 9th January 2006. He is the oldest cat Patandcarol have ever had - yet! You can see some pictures of the twins' 17th birthday meal here and Anthony's 18th birthday here.

Tanya was diagnosed with a nasty mouth cancer in January 2004 and bravely fought it for three months until it finally defeated her and she was eased out of her suffering on her 17th birthday on 28th April 2004.   Tanya was the official mascot of the South Ribble Pet Cat Club to which we all belong and an honour which I have now taken over. Tanya was Patandcarol’s first “show cat” and set us all a standard to follow. She taught me all I know about this showing lark and we are all lost without her, she began so much that changed all our lives forever. She was a very, very special cat indeed.

Cleo  was Anthony's twin sister. Cleo was  very quiet and a little shy but when she got going she could purr for England! Cleo and her brother came from the CPL and were the first cats that Patandcarol got when they moved here. Cleo, sadly, suffered from a spinal problem called spondolosis which caused her a lot of pain. She was also very old, 17, and eventually the pain and the old age just got the better of her and she died at home on 18th June 2003. Rest in peace gentle lady.

Fudge became a “Bridge” dweller on 26/1/01 at the age, we think, of 14. He was suffering from massive pelvic cancer. He was a huge cat but a gentle giant, and a real gentleman. Fudge won the Cat Match Competition at the same West Riding Show where I got Best in Show. You can also see Fudge again on Fredi Firebeetle’s Heavyweight Page.

Another dog! One I knew myself briefly. She was huge but so very gentle and she too loved her cats. Kim had looks and a wonderful temperament and was beautiful inside and out. Sadly Kim died in 1998 aged 11, her back legs finally became useless and her kidneys began to fail.

Yes, you are right, Ben was not a cat! He was a dog, a loveable rogue of a mongrel who adored “his” cats! He would often get between two of them if they were fighting and would separate them. Ben died in 1996 of stomach cancer at the age of 14.

I very nearly met Ringo and many of my present “family” knew him. He loved to sit on visitors’ knees and dribble while he purred. He just loved people and everyone loved him. There was many an empty knee after Ringo died in 1998 of kidney failure at the age of 16.  

I never met Whiskey but I have seen pictures of him . He was stunning but very unpredictable. He lived with former neighbours for a while after we moved but when they had a baby he came back to us. Whiskey died of cancer and pneumonia in 1994 when he was 15.       

She originally belonged to Pat and although I never met her either I have also heard a lot about her. She is very like Siouxie to look at. Boo was epileptic for a while after being spayed and I think she had problems after that too. She was killed by a car in 1991 at the age of 12.

He was the very first cat that Carol ever owned and although I never actually met him I have heard a lot about him. At the age of 11 he survived a serious attack by two dogs and he also fought kidney disease. He died in 1990 of pneumonia at the age of 16.

I was very proud to be awarded this from the Reflections of Bo website. I won the award for my original page in 2000 but was awarded it again for my redesigned page in July 2001. It is a very special award from a very special site.