| This is my beloved kitty cat Honeydew who was like my own child. She meant the world to my wife and I and I miss her dearly. (Pets bring us Unconditional Love...something we should ALL cherish!) |
| Honeydew would go on to be the most spoiled cat to ever have lived and I wouldn’t have changed one bit of it! |
| Memories of my beloved Kitties, Honeydew: (Spring of 1990 – August 22nd, 2006) 8.26.06-It’s really hard to believe that Honeydew is no longer with us. I mean tangibly. She is certainly with me in spirit and in my heart, not to mention the million memories stirring around in my head. She has been an integral part of Charlene and my life since Charlene and I first met back in 1990. I just loved Honeydew sooo much. She was truly daddies little girl. Now there is this void, an emptiness in the house. I miss talking to her all of the time. Just having her around me all of the time. I keep having instances that make me think she’s still here like opening the door slowly or thinking I’ve got to be lead down stairs by her to change her food before I would get to read my sports page in the morning or putting milk in her bowl which we’ve left out. I am really dazed by the whole thing! Honeydew was such a vibrant cat for the first 15 years of her life. Anyone who saw her would think she was half her age. She had the energy of a kitten. It was only in the past year and a half that she started to slow down a little bit, although she still had those kitten moments. In Feb. 05’ we had her mouth looked at and cleared up of an infection. Other than that and a slight chewing her fur problem the year prior, she was fine. Three weeks ago, having returned from Boston, we noticed she was starting to be a little lethargic and we were starting to worry. But it was in the last week of her life that things just changed dramatically. She lost so much weight (probably kidney related) and Charlene and I did everything in our loving power to care for this most gentle of creatures… holding her up to eat baby food on a spoon and drink her water. It was a terrible, sad last couple of days…ones that tugged our hearts out. Through it all, she had this will to LIVE that was unbelievable. An amazing WILL to stay and be with us and fight. After the vet came on Monday August 21st we new what was inevitable. We had spent all day Sat & Sun caring for her, talking to her, kissing her. I even stayed home Mon to be with her (the same day the vet came in the morning). Tue I stayed with Kitties till 9:30 and had to go to work to get a few things done. I came home 4 hours later not knowing what to expect. I asked God that morning to let it be his WILL. When I got home Honeydew had some how managed to end up near the bottom of the stairs with the tiny bit of energy she had left. Was she trying to consciously go upstairs to her beddy pie and sucky blanket? God did I cry. Really it was a non stop cry fest for those few days watching her go through what she was dealing with, thinking of all of those memories and what it would be like with out her. I spoke with Jeff that afternoon and at 6:30 p.m. CJ and I took Honeydew to the vet in Newton so I could have her suffer no more and rest in peace. Charlene cried and hugged and kissed her good bye. This was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I held, hugged, kissed her goodbye in the car, at the vet and thereafter. CJ cried with me. She was such a rock to lean on during this saddest of hours. From the comforting of my wife Charlene, the kind words from my parents, the hug CJ gave me, the tears I saw in Chucks eyes when I told him - to the caring emails I got from Jeff, Derek, Chuck, Rob and Mayra – that all helped…I thank God from the bottom of my heart for having had such a beautiful and lovable kitty cat who was really my child. I miss more than anything just picking her up, hugging her, kissing her and mushing my face into her like I always did…she was my little football… Honeydew’s Nick Names:1.The Chicky Kitty – Kitty Chicky 2.Kitties 3.Meow Meows 4.Dadddiiee’s Girl 5.Pumpkins 6.Pumpkin Pies 7.Pretty Kitties 8.Princess 9.My Cuddley Little Fur Balls 10.My Little Stinkies/Stinky Poos 11.My Little Cutiepies 12.Rascally Rabbit 13.Sucky Kitties 14.Babies 15.Meow Meow Kitties 16.Pretty Girls 17.Where’s Wild West Kitty At? and Psssp Psss, Sooo EEEE Kittty Eeeee, Kitty Balls, Stretttchyyy Kitty, Rub-Rub-Rub (marking her territory all over the house… including the rim of the hat on my head!, Scratch-Scratch-Scratch (all over the house, corners especially!), Yumm Yumms, there’s some new foods – some fresh MILK and fresh FOODS,on the bed, jump on the beds!, lit-tle piggie toes, Purr-Purr, time for beds, beddie pies-she’d know! *I want to remember holding her, hugging her, feeding her, playing with her, sharing moments with her and all of the love Charlene and I had for her!!! Homeydew was such a focal point of our lives!!! *She was such a pretty kitty; beautiful eyes, eyelashes…amazing expressions! *CJ always gave me peace of mind when we’d be away and she would watch kitty!!! *She always greeted us at the door…if we just got back from vacation, she would be sooo lovey dovey, she missed us so much…she wouldn’t leave my sight! *We would always give her cards on the holidays as well…filling them out and adding loving, often humorous messages. We also got her Christmas presents. On some occasions we’d get catnip or kitty toys to surprise her with. One of her best toys was her rabbits tail (we called her rat tail) which we got at the Indian Pow Wow. Where ever Char and I would go, we would always bring up our kitties in conversation! *CJ,Steve,Jackie,my mom and dad,Rob,Jeff…kitty got used to. Others she would often hide at first. She was a class A beggar (especially if anyone had people food ie.chicken sandwich,sub…) *Holiday time with wrapping paper and gifts everywhere, she loved to walk around right in the middle of everything! *Petting her head, under her chin (her purring!), her sides, her tail (tip of her tail), her piggie toes, Char and I petting her at the same time. Always picking her up hugging her and kissies to her. (Picking her up with her front legs dangling and that beautiful stretch of hers as I carried her up the stairs after I’d say “time for bed!” *I used to say all of time when I was leaving for work or the gym or whatever…“See you when I get home pumpkin pie. Be a good kitties. Have a good day. I love you. Be a good girl and I’ll see you when I get home.” *I miss her terribly now; there’s that emptiness…after having watched some of the home movies with her just recently, I’m reminded more of how much we love her! I just love thinking about her greeting me…at the front door, in my office, everywhere! I talked to her sooo much-I know she loved us!!! *Steven Hodes, the vet who came to us just sent this amazing hand written not on 8/28/06: “Dear Mr.Hollis-I was made aware you had Kitty put to rest last week. You clearly had given her a terrific life and she obviously enhanced yours. Thank you for having me visit last Monday (8/21/06). I know Kitty was on borrowed time, but you keep hoping they have significant time left. I’m sure in her own way, she thanked you many times for including her in your family. My best wishes to you Mr.Hollis!” -Sincerely, Steve (On Monday, her last full day with us, she mustered what strength she had left and leaned up rubbing her face and whiskers in my face for an extended period of time almost to tell me she loves me and to wish me good-bye.)…She was my Kitties!!! |
| This is my little boy, Little Bear -who I also miss so dearly! |
