New member - intro

[tokolosh]

I just registered two minutes ago . . .

Hi people. My name is Lily.

I joined the forum because we lost our little blue russian about 10 days ago to extremely aggressive CRF. We had her 11 years and she was the absolute cat of our hearts, essentially my son's only sibling, so this isn't my favourite year so far. I have been looking for another cat to adopt, negotiating all kinds of functional rapids (landlord consent, spring cleaning before bringing in someone new and possibly nervous of us), moping and engineering. It's sort of up in the air whether we'll even be allowed to get another one but I am *death-raying* that landlord inside my head to make him say yes. He said yes to the one we lost, he just doesn't bloody remember!

And meanwhile I just want to be around cat people and read stuff about cats. I miss all that stuff so badly. I'm glad I found this place.

[Scooter's Mom]

Hi Lily!

You've come to the right place to be around cat people.

I have 2 cats. I have Charlie, who is a tuxedo kitty and I have Jingle Belle, a calico. The sweet tabby in my signature is Scooter Bug, my kitty, who I lost a year and a half ago. I also have 2 doglets (Shih Tzu's), Jadie & Oreo.

I look forward to getting to know you.

[sana]

Welcome to Pettalk!

I don't have cats but, I really love them Sorry to hear that you lost your little Russian Blue and I really hope you get a sweet little kitty just like that one. I used to have some little kittens in my garden and their mother used to come by at times. But, then the mother took them away. She moves around in my neighborhood.

Nice meeting you!

[maid25cats]

WELCOME LILY

I have 5 cats. I just joined myself at the end of June.
I dont have a signature yet but you can go to my photo album and see my babies.
I had 2 go to the rainbow bridge.I think my Twilight was a Russian Blue or had some in her.
Its been a few years that shes gone and I still miss her like crazy

I'm very sorry for your and your sons lose and I hope your landlord agrees to let you have another 1 or 2
You should scroll down to the NEW ICHC THREAD its in the area you posted
13 down. That is should put a smile on your face, and keep you busy about an hour if you check out all the pages

Again welcome and we would love to see pictures of your baby.

[sasvermont]

Hi Lily,

Most of us have lost cats in our lives and know how you feel.

Ya need to get yourself another kitty to fill the gap in your heart.

There are lots of nice folks here to chat with....and from time to time it gets a little heated. We try to stay within the rules, but sometimes it is difficult.

I have three cats and one dog. I love them all so much and understand how attached you can get to the pets/friends.

Welcome to Pet Talk.

[Medusa]

Welcome to Pet Talk, Lily. My Fur Posse consists of 4 cats, although in the last several years, 4 others went to the Bridge, so I can relate to what you said. I've learned a lot here and have been comforted, too, as you will over time.

[GILL]

The CREW sends a BIG WELCOME to you Lily. We are so sorry for your loss.
The CREW stands at 24. Dad says that 3 are ours and all the rest are fosters. It seems that the town only alows 3 cats per house, but there is no limits on fosters. Some of us have been fosters for almost 8 years now. We just wish that dad would stop bring more home. He says we are at our limit, but we all know that if an "EMERGENCY" comes up he's the 1st there. That's most of us got here.

[catmandu]

Welcome Lily from the Found Cta Hotel with My Five Dear Cats and so many Angels. We are praying that you can have a Dear Little Cat, from a shelter who needs a Furr Ever Home.

[astrid]

Hi Lily, big welcome hugs all the way from Central America
My name is Astrid and I'm one of the (I guess) 2 hispanic members of PT.
I'm the humble servant to a kitty girl, Sophie

First of all I'm sorry for your loss, here on PT we all know how hard it is when one of our babies is gone but you're not alone! as Slick said, here you can open up your heart, you'll see how nice people are here

Good thoughts and prayers for you and our fingers and paws crossed, we hope you can have a little kitty of your own soon.

Welcome Lily!!!

[dehlers43]

So sorry for the loss of your beloved kitty.....
I'm Diane from the the central coast of California, ruled by Princess Chelsea Pearl and Franklin. I adopted Chels when she was pregnant and she promptly presented me with 4 kittens, one of which was Franklin.
I know you will find peace, comfort and friendship here on Pet Talk.....and maybe a new kitty! There are many wonderful people on this site that rescue and/or foster kitties...perhaps one of those kitties will be purrfect for you......

[katladyd]

Hello, Lily. I am very pleased to meet you. My name is Debbi and I am from Los Angeles. I share my home with my three furbabies: Mac, my orange tabby who is around 13; Ming, my big handsome Siamese boy who is 8; and Kimba, my all white rescue kitten who is getting close to a year old now. This is a great site and you will get a lot of good advice and a lot of support whenever you need it. There are good people here. Welcome!!

[happylabs]

Welcome to PT!

Sorry for your loss. You have definitely come to the right place. We are loving and caring pet owners here.

If and when you feel up to it, post some pics of your lost loved one.

Hoping your landlord says yes.

[kaycountrygal]

Hello Lily! Welcome! I am sorry your cat died. I know how hard it can be. I have a cat and two dogs, photos below. This is a good place to read, post, share, and learn. I hope it works out that you can get another cat or kitten. What state or country are you located? Kay in NC, USA

[tokolosh]

Thanks for all the welcome messages, everyone. I'm happy just looking at all the cat pictures in all the sig areas of the replies. I just LIKE cats, you know? They do something to my biorhythms

For those who asked, we don't have many pictures of Limpet in uploadable form. My kid took a gazillion of them, but mostly using an analogue camera. And then Limpet had one of her past-life-distress fits where she got scared we'd decamp and leave her behind, and she peed on them to remind us that she lived here too. . . just picture someone who was both unbelievably cute and mind-bendingly elegant, and then give her an adorable personality too. From everything I've read about Russians, she was an absolute classic case of all their good traits, plus the anxiousness about being left. We lucked out like bandits when we found her. The nice thing is, neither of us ever doubted for a second that she lucked out just as much when she found us. She was such a sweet-natured cat she probably would have been happy with anyone who had a good home, but with us I really do think she had about the perfect people among all the people who could have been hers.

For those who expressed their sympathy - thank you so much. I go up and down about it. Cried like a river off and on while she was sick and ached with missing her during her IV hospitalizations. Cried like a FLOOD when we put her down. But something about her being so perfect also seems to make it like the hurt is healing cleanly, if that makes sense. We had a month of warning, during which both of us just poured attention and loves onto her, simply in the process of trying to help her and make her comfortable. And she pretty much poured them back. I said we'd know it had stopped being something it was okay to keep fighting with when she stopped purring at us - sort of joking about how lovely she was through it all. But it ended up being the way it happened. As far as you can put a cat to sleep in a 'good' way, I guess we were lucky there too. But boy do I feel for other people who've lost their pets now. I have an intimation of how much it aches.

As far as where we are and who we are: I hope no-one minds, but I'm operating mostly with aliases. It's not like I have dark secrets or I don't trust anyone. It's just that I have a tendency to be real prolific and real outspoken when I get online, and somehow together with the fact that I have a rather 'distinctible' voice it all ends up making me feel kind of visible I work in the IT industry with my son heading in that direction as well, and in our town the 'geek' gene pool is surprisingly small and kind of incestuous. So the issue is more just that I like to be able to say what I want about stuff I wouldn't necessarily share with folks I work with, and NOT have to worry too much that the DBA from the next cubicle in my 'real' life actually knows a lot more about me than I would ever choose to tell him myself. They might work it out anyway but I like to preserve a fragment of deniability So ahem. @ kat: we live in Canada.

The other thing I wanted to say is, how happy I am to find so many replies from people who have rescue cats or are involved in rescue themselves. I feel kind of fiercely about it, considering that I don't participate in it myself. We adopted Limpet from the SPCA and if I do get another cat it will be a) another adoption, b) another adult and c) as far as feasible, the cat who needs us the most. So it's just nice to know I'm among people who are kind of on that wavelength themselves, for when I really start agonizing my way through the process of finding our next cat.

Again, thanks for the welcomes.

[Malibu's Mom]

Hi Lily,

I have 3 cats, a dog and 6 foster cats. All rescues. In this year alone I have lost my grandpa, my 13 year old cat, and my beloved budgie. In 2008 & 2010 I lost two cats far too early to heart disease. I know the feelings of grief all too well. The way your heart aches, the sickness you feel deep down in the pit of your stomach, the way it just rips you apart - it's absolutely horrible.

You have come to a good place to grieve. You will find a lot of supportive, generous and kind people here.

If I might make a little suggestion - there is a Cat Memorial forum here. If you wish, you could write a memorial for Limpet over there. I find it very cathartic to write about my animals once they have passed over the bridge, personally.

I am so very sorry about your loss. I hope you can find a new cat to love and adore, perhaps not in the same way you loved Limpet, but in a new, unique way.