Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It has real meaning as a time to reflect on what we are greatful for.
For 14 years I shared my life with this little man who I always felt loved me dearly even though he was not super affectionate to others. He loved dogs and he loved me and that was all that ever mattered. I think he liked my husband but he liked women more than men in general.
It’s over a year now that he has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge to be with Bailey our former Border Collie. He also lived with Joy and now Joy has Sabie, who looks alot like Safari when he was a baby, but wth a different personality.
My friend and I talk about how we have more empathy for animals than humans and I do not think I find anything harder than losing a fur child. You want them to be with you forever. No matter how many years you spend together it is never enough. I feel that way about all the fur babies that I have shared life with but some a little more than others and this guy was one of those special ones.
For the winter I am in the home where he is buried. Flowers surround him and birds sing over his special place in the yard. Sabie, his youthful look alike, sits in the mulch there looking for salamanders just like Safari used to do.
I am grateful to have shared all those years with Safari, my little man who worked next to me everyday in three different states and loved me with his whole heart and I did the same.
Bailey taught me how to make you see a rainbow after that big rainstorm you had. I knew you would be surprised to see that yesterday, right after Joy’s birthday! That was my present to her I hope she saw it too; knowing you I am sure you made her go outside to look. The light seemed strange and it was probably hard for you to see but I knew you would see it!
So did you think of a name for my cafe? Tarzan, Cheetah and Freedom and I are all going to do this together and we did come up with a few names to run by you so see what you think: :Love Cat Cafe, Kit Kat Cafe, Le Chat Cafe, Meowy’s and Four Cool Cats Cafe. Do you like any of those ideas? Let me know. We want to make it very simple and provide food for all the many kinds of neighbors we have with or without fur and with two hands or four paws. You know how I love to eat, but Tarzie thinks he should be the chef, which would be fine with me. I am the brains behind the business and Cheetah and Freedom will run operations. All the food is free here in Hyfryd, did you know that? The dogs especially LOVE that. You can eat as much or as little you want and always feel purrrfect!
So you also saw the text that Jeannie sent you about that little kitten, who by the way, looks like YOU KNOW WHO! Yep, she sent you my twin! Remember when I was that small? haha. I am curious to see if the little one likes a dog though! I hope so! Well, you need to write me back. I miss you so much already. I heard you talking in the car about how much you miss me and that makes me feel good. It’s weird not having me sit on the keyboard while you type, isn’t it?! You are the best mommy and always will be and someday we will see each other again. Like Bailey always says, I live in your heart and in all the millions of pictures you have of all of us who live here in Hyfryd…We are never alone.
Bailey told me that she sent a letter telling you I crossed over the Bridge to Hyfryd with ease. I know letting me go was very hard but I appreciated you stopping the pain I was in. I almost made it to my 14th Birthday! Multiply that by 7 for each year for a cat and I was very old, but I never looked old, now did I? That is because you took such great care of me.
Mommy, we were so lucky to have had each other for so many years, so many days and even more moments. I know I was not the most affectionate cat to Papa, but I did love him, you have to tell him that for me okay? I think I miss your minimum of 100 kisses a day. Tarzan, Cheetah told me you kissed them constantly too. You are a big kisser.Does Joy miss herding me around? Gee, I feel sorry for the next kitty that comes along! Haha! You had better get another boy like me who can handle her like I could. She is a sweetheart that Joy, I do really miss her, but not as much as I miss you. You need to find another boy like me who will greet you on the toilet seat as you come out of the shower, so you can brush him like you did me with your personal hairbrush that I liked! You did everything for me that a cat could ever want. I lived quite the great life with you, then Bailey and Papa and then Joy too.
I also wanted to tell you that I really was grateful that even though you always had many kitties at once, you gave me my preference of being an only cat after Tarzan passed over the bridge.I was just a baby then! I know you wanted to get more kitties, but you respected the fact that I was fine as Prince of the house. You did that for me and I know how hard that was for you, so thank you.
You are the best mommy ever. I plan on writing you letters like Bailey does, okay? Since I always loved food so much I thought I could start a cafe! What do you think? I need a cool name, so you have to help me. Tarzie, Cheetah and Freedom want in on this idea too, so we are all very excited – as you can see I have only been here one week and one day and I am already feeling fine and wanting to get back to my old self! That is the good thing about crossing over the bridge here to Hyfryd. Not only is it gorgeous here, everyone feels perfectly youthful and productive. Oh and I wanted to tell you that my “den” as Bailey likes to call it, is right next to Tarzan, Cheetah and Freedom and of course, Bailey, made it very nice and comfortable for me with the best bed and food and everything the way I like it. It was really great to see our Bailey. She was so happy to see me.
At least you can know that I am okay and I can see and hear you and be in your heart always. I will help you find the right kitty just like Bailey led you to Joy. I know it’s been 36 years since you have not had a kitty, so we need to fix that as soon as you get back North. I know you need some time to grieve for me, but that will give me time to help you. Of course he will never be as handsome as me, but I will try to assist you in any way I can! I love you so much. Think of a name for the cafe for me and write me back! LOVE YOU!!!!
I can feel your kisses in my fur and always will. As I will always, always, always be your Sweet Safari Boy!
Fourteen years is a long time. Sometimes marriages or relationships cannot make it that long, but this little Sweet Safari Boy and I fell in love as soon as my neighbor Alaina handed him to me. Today with much sadness my little love went peacefully over the Rainbow Bridge to join Bailey, Tarzan, Cheetah, and Freedom in Hyfryd, where all my babies live in a magical place with fresh food, grass, air, clean water and peace. There is no pain there, no cancer – only goodness, just like the kind they bestow on the parts of the world we inhabit.
Safari was never an affectionate cat to my husband, only to me. He would let him feed him off the kitchen table because he knew he was the soft touch however. Safari at one time weighed 18 pounds. He was always a big cat and he loved to eat. When he would not eat anymore and his respiration was failing, we knew it was time. I, however, never want it to be time even though I had accepted the inevitable.
For 11 years he was an only cat and a spoiled one at that. He has always lived in two places and at one time three places at a time! He loved the sunshine here in Florida more than anything, which is good because he never dealt with winter. Bailey,a senior Border Collie we adopted when he was 11, was his first companion because he always liked dogs more than cats. I never had one cat at a time but I made the sacrifice for him because he was that special. Bailey only lived for 3-1/2 years, but six months later, Joy would enter our lives because Bailey gave me the sign.
After burying Safari in a special spot in the yard, the house seems quiet. Joy watched everything I did and seemed to understand what was going on since his illness had been taking a turn for the worse. Border Collies are very smart you see. She now has us as her only playmates. I told Safari this morning to send me a sign and I know he will. Soon we will head North for the summer and the search will begin and Joy will part of that journey as we have to make sure the two get along famously. I think our young Joy will love a frisky little kitten to romp around with when the time comes. Another part of our life will begin in as much the new kitty’s life will begin as well.
Us pet parents have it the hardest I think. We do this over and over despite how hard it is because we want to give a furry child a great life of love and happiness. I cried so hard today because I will miss his little characteristics and adorable idiosyncrasies but most of all his cuddliness and deep purr. I know Bailey was probably very excited to be reunited with Safari after four years and I am sure she will be telling me everything on her blog, http://www.baileysjournal.com.
I will see Safari again someday and it will be just like yesterday in the place where reunions have no span of time and no know no boundaries.
Sweet Safari Boy 