Paws in Motion

This month it will be 6 years since my sister passed away. Some days it feels like only months, and at other times if feels like much longer. Often during my days there are little things that trigger memories for me of my sister. Things like turtles, bobble heads, red roses, interesting candles, and especially anything that has to do with cats. 

Cathleen, who was often called Cat by her friends was passionate about cats. She loved unique cat-themed art and had some interesting pics hanging on her walls, and she adored her own cats like they were her children or dearest friends. And I have to say, I have never seen animals act as much like people as her cats did with her, litter box not withstanding.  

When Cathleen died she had one blue tipped and one orange tipped Himalayan fur ball, Meika and Brazen respectively. Meika is pictured above. Most often she had their fur trimmed so they looked like lions with balls of fluff on the end of their tails, smooth bodies and large manes of fur. Each time the cats went to get a haircut they would come home completely humiliated and would refuse to go anywhere near a window for days afterward for fear of seeing their reflection! But the haircuts were simply another way that my sister showed her love for her cats since a long haired Himalayan is particularly prone to nasty hairballs. 

Some time before Cathleen died she had a different older cat, I can't remember its name anymore, who was ancient and missing most of its teeth. She babied it and talked to it like it was a human companion. And the cat responded in kind. When the day finally came for the cat to be put down (it was simply too sick and was suffering), Cathleen held it on her lap as my mom drove her to the vet's and talked to it about what it was seeing out the window. And the cat looked at everything that Cathleen pointed out as if it was taking in the scenery on the drive to Winkler (if I remember this story correctly).  There is really no way to express in words the amazing relationship that Cathleen had with her cats. 


Perhaps the most interesting story comes from after Cathleen died. Knowing the love that Cathleen had for Meika and Brazen, my parents could not just sell or give away the cats, so they took them into their home, despite having vowed never to have indoor pets. Knowing that the cats would feel very lonely and disoriented, I think they imagined that they could ease the cats' sense of loss by giving them a loving place to live surrounded by their familiar toys and scratching posts. However, in this new space I think the love my sister showed her cats started to spill over as Meika and Brazen began to comfort my parents. Whenever they saw my parents crying, or sensed that they were sad or upset, they would crawl up onto their laps, place their paws on their shoulders and gently stroke them with a paw until they seemed to feel better. 

At my sister's funeral those in attendance were invited to make donations to the Winnipeg Humane Society in honour of Cathleen. My niece Aimee decorated an amazing cat-themed picture frame which featured the picture from the beginning of this post for the donation table as a reminder for all of us of who Cathleen was and the love that she showed to her "babies." 

This year, in memory of my sister and her love of animals, my roommate Alicia and I (and possibly other family members) will be participating in the Winnipeg Humane Society's Paws in Motion Walk on June 24th. It seems like a wonderful way to remember Cathleen, and to pass on the love she had for animals to others, especially since I can't embrace animals in a tangible way due to allergies. :)


Please consider sponsoring either Alicia or myself as we walk in memory of Cathleen. Simply click here to visit our team page, Cat's Fam, and then click on our names on the right-hand side of the screen to donate. Thank you for helping us to remember Cathleen in this way!