Barney is an Angel Now.

[Scooter's Mom]

p.p.s. I'm not sure about all the time zones but Scooter's mom, my brother lives in Tucson and I talk with him a few days a week and he is one hour ahead of me right now. We fell back an hour a few months ago. You'll probably still be at work but it will be at 3:30 your time, 2:30 my time.

Thanks. Tucson and Phoenix are rather close (and getting closer every day with all the construction it seems, lol) so we're on the same time zone.

Cyber hugs to you... now come visit your brother so I can give you real ones.

[pomtzu]

Re: the lighthouse. I feel that there is a relation here in regard to "our" Barney.

Barnegat Lighthouse (affectionately known as "Old Barney"), located on Long Beach Island, NJ, was re-lit again about a week ago after being dark and out of commission for 80 years!

Coincidence??? - maybe...but for those of us that see the spiritual symbolism of the lighthouse, just maybe there is more to it. I'd like to think so.

[Medusa]

Re: the lighthouse. I feel that there is a relation here in regard to "our" Barney.

Barnegat Lighthouse (affectionately known as "Old Barney"), located on Long Beach Island, NJ, was re-lit again about a week ago after being dark and out of commission for 80 years!

Coincidence??? - maybe...but for those of us that see the spiritual symbolism of the lighthouse, just maybe there is more to it. I'd like to think so.

That is amazing!

[weluvcats]

From Pomtzu..."Barnegat Lighthouse (affectionately known as "Old Barney"), located on Long Beach Island, NJ, was re-lit again about a week ago after being dark and out of commission for 80 years!Coincidence??? - maybe...but for those of us that see the spiritual symbolism of the lighthouse, just maybe there is more to it. I'd like to think so."

I love this, and it is so very sweet...what a coincidence! Isn't it funny how little things like this occur?

Judy

[weluvcats]

I'm in North Dakota, and here we are in the central time zone, which is 2 hours ahead of you...And you're right...this is one of the neatest things ever...How this poor, precious homeless little kitty has gotten so many of us (from all over the place) thinking and rooting for and most importantly, praying for him, is just amazing. Thanks for allowing all of us here at PT to go on this journey with you and Barney. We will truly all be with you both on Friday.

Hugs and prayers!

Judy

[kb2yjx]

This is just so wonderful!!! All the prayers, candles(and lighthouses, too)that will be lit, and all the people thinking about Barney, Lara, and Scott on Friday. We are here for each other, and this is proof!!! Lara, you know all are prayers are with you and Scott now, too. Please give Barney a gentle hug from the Clan....

[momtomany]

I will lite a candle at the church for our Barn Barn. My prayers are with you and Scott and especially with you on Friday. I hope that somehow you will be able to feel all of us Pet Talkers there with you spiritually holding you and Barney on Friday.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks. Tucson and Phoenix are rather close (and getting closer every day with all the construction it seems, lol) so we're on the same time zone.

Cyber hugs to you... now come visit your brother so I can give you real ones.

I can't believe I haven't been back there since 1993. I lived there for 12 years but returned to Canada and have been here ever since. I miss the sound of doves and the amazing sunsets and the smell of orange blossoms in March but I sure don't miss the summer heat!

pomtzu wrote:

Re: the lighthouse. I feel that there is a relation here in regard to "our" Barney.

Barnegat Lighthouse (affectionately known as "Old Barney"), located on Long Beach Island, NJ, was re-lit again about a week ago after being dark and out of commission for 80 years!

Coincidence??? - maybe...but for those of us that see the spiritual symbolism of the lighthouse, just maybe there is more to it. I'd like to think so.

That is so neat. It reminds me of a book I've been reading called 'When God Winks at You' and it is about things just like that.

Slick wrote:

LES I've put this into my outlook calendar at work. Will light a virtual candle on that day to help light his way. As well, I'll be lighting candles every night this week at home in the evening. Pom: That's so beautiful and makes sense to me.

That is wonderful that you are lighting candles for Barney this week leading up to the day. Thank you for that.

Weluvcats wrote:

I'm in North Dakota, and here we are in the central time zone, which is 2 hours ahead of you...And you're right...this is one of the neatest things ever...How this poor, precious homeless little kitty has gotten so many of us (from all over the place) thinking and rooting for and most importantly, praying for him, is just amazing. Thanks for allowing all of us here at PT to go on this journey with you and Barney. We will truly all be with you both on Friday.
Hugs and prayers!

Thank YOU and EVERYBODY for being a part of it with me. It is a journey I would not have wanted to take alone.

kb2yjx wrote:

This is just so wonderful!!! All the prayers, candles(and lighthouses, too)that will be lit, and all the people thinking about Barney, Lara, and Scott on Friday. We are here for each other, and this is proof!!! Lara, you know all are prayers are with you and Scott now, too. Please give Barney a gentle hug from the Clan....

Thanks Sandra. It is wonderful. One candle has turned into many and it is remarkable.

momtomany wrote:

I will lite a candle at the church for our Barn Barn. My prayers are with you and Scott and especially with you on Friday. I hope that somehow you will be able to feel all of us Pet Talkers there with you spiritually holding you and Barney on Friday.

That is so kind of you Julie. I will be there with Barney right to the end and I will definitely be thinking about all you guys and your prayers right at that moment.

Short update:
Barney, or 'Little Man' as I've been calling him lately is as sweet as ever. He chirples whenever we open the door to check in on him. He is eating many meals each day and doesn't appear to be suffering, though I would not call this quality of life. I took another bath in 'his room' last night and when I do this, it really gives me a chance to see his decline because it's as if he forgets I'm in the room and doesn't focus on me like he does when I first enter with food and stuff. It's at these times when he sits there in that position between sitting and lying down and I see clearly that it's time.
He is such a fighter though, I've never seen a cat with so much up against him and the will to combat it. It is truly amazing.
I ran out of insulin today and asked the receptionist to ask the vet if I should come in and get some more. My concern was that maybe he would go into some kind of shock without it? I really wasn't sure. But Robin said he should be fine without it for the next few days. I'm so glad to hear that I don't have to poke him with needles in the morning anymore. He was so tolerant about it as he got used to our morning routine but I know it stung. But the second I pulled the needle out, he started eating again.
The power has gone out a few times in the last few days but thankfully it didn't last more than a couple of hours each time. I'm hoping it doesn't go out again because I don't want him to be cold for one single moment. I've been keeping the bathroom so warm, he's probably thinking it's summer! lol

[MBones]

Lara,

I just read your update about Barney and my monitor blurred up again. I have also planned on lighting candles until Friday, with special prayers offered up in Eastern time zone, to help his passing.

This little guy continues to amaze me. I cannot read this thread anymore with out getting all choked up over him, and he's not even my kitty. Prayers to you and Barney throughout the week as well. I cannot get over the impact that he has had on every one of us. Amidst all of the sadness and letting go, the unity, hope and love that he has brought us is a beautiful thing indeed.

You will not be alone on Friday.....we'll be with you in spirit.

Mary

[jennielynn1970]

I just realized you'll be putting Barney to sleep on my birthday. It makes me sad, but I know it's his day, and all the candles on my cake will definitely light the way for him, lol. It's silly to be thinking of myself, how it's sad it's on my day, but I can share that with him, and will so gladly. He's grown to be such a part of my heart, across the miles, that I don't know that I'll ever forget about him ever.

I'll be thinking of Barney on Friday at about 5:15, and will have my candles ready and waiting, and I won't be blowing them out.

Love you Barn Barn, I wish we could have met. I wish you would have been able to get better and we all could have met you on a summer day full of sunshine and butterflies and a picnic or something that maybe we crazy Barney lovers could have pulled together. Just because.

I wish you would have gotten healthy enough because I really wanted to come and get you this summer and add you to my crew. I really thought of that a lot, and Lara knows if you had been healthy enough, I would have found a way to get to you and, if the trip would have been safe enough, I would have brought you back to PA with me (if Lara would have relinquished you at that point, lol).

I'll miss you, sweet Barney Frog. I'll miss the videos and the grumpy faces you made at the camera. I know you've gotten more love than you've probably ever received in your lifetime, but know that we all just wanted to see a miracle happen, and wanted you to get better. You're our Barney. You're in all of our hearts now, and it hurts to think of letting go.

Major LES here....

[Medusa]

I just realized you'll be putting Barney to sleep on my birthday. It makes me sad, but I know it's his day, and all the candles on my cake will definitely light the way for him, lol. It's silly to be thinking of myself, how it's sad it's on my day, but I can share that with him, and will so gladly. He's grown to be such a part of my heart, across the miles, that I don't know that I'll ever forget about him ever.

I'll be thinking of Barney on Friday at about 5:15, and will have my candles ready and waiting, and I won't be blowing them out.

Love you Barn Barn, I wish we could have met. I wish you would have been able to get better and we all could have met you on a summer day full of sunshine and butterflies and a picnic or something that maybe we crazy Barney lovers could have pulled together. Just because.

I wish you would have gotten healthy enough because I really wanted to come and get you this summer and add you to my crew. I really thought of that a lot, and Lara knows if you had been healthy enough, I would have found a way to get to you and, if the trip would have been safe enough, I would have brought you back to PA with me (if Lara would have relinquished you at that point, lol).

I'll miss you, sweet Barney Frog. I'll miss the videos and the grumpy faces you made at the camera. I know you've gotten more love than you've probably ever received in your lifetime, but know that we all just wanted to see a miracle happen, and wanted you to get better. You're our Barney. You're in all of our hearts now, and it hurts to think of letting go.

Major LES here....

Well, try to look at it this way, Jennie: Jesus didn't command us to celebrate his birth, only to commemorate his death, emphasizing among other things, naturally, the importance of the transition from one life to the next. This will be a rebirth for our Barney. I think probably all of us at PT wanted to make him a member of our household; I know that I sure did. He'd make a wonderful member of our Fur Posse but he's right where he's meant to be, fulfilling his purpose. So many of us don't know our purpose in life and yet Barney lives his every day and he struggled against all odds to do it. All the days of cold, starvation, cruelty, illness and misery were erased w/one swoop of Lara's loving arms when she took him into her care and the outpour of love from the world over that he has caused transcends all belief, religion, race and color. He has united us all in love; that is his purpose and he's fulfilled it well and w/dignity. My hope is that I can learn from his example and fulfill my purpose in the same manner, that I can experience a similar symbolic rebirth, that we all can.

The instant that Barney takes his last breath there will be more kittens entering our world who, unfortunately, may experience the same conditions that Barney did but due to his brief sojourn into our lives, we all will have been changed and ever more alert to the suffering of cats and animals everywhere and will give them comfort in the way that Lara has done. I am humbled by this saga and although I would never want Barney or any animal to suffer, I feel privileged to have been a small part of it.

[shepgirl]

I think Medussa summed this up the best and I feel exactly the same way. Medussa you always seem to know the right answers.
I guess it's a part of pet ownership all of us have trouble dealing with but we have to do what's best for our friends.

[Randi]

Thank you for updating us, Lara. I'm glad to hear that Barney still wants to eat and talk to you when you visit him, and don't appear to be in pain.
I'm also glad that you have made the decision, because I agree he doesn't have a quality life, and it will get worse. None of us want him to go through more suffering.

Oh, I so wish he could have come to you a year or two ago, while he may have been in a condition to save, but at least he has had so much love and care in the past few months, and will have, until the end.

Barney is in my thoughts and I will light candles for him every day. And Lara, my thoughts are with you also. We're all thankful for all the help you have given him. Few others would have been so dedicated.

Big hugs and lots of kisses to Barney. Will you stroke him gently along his whiskers for me? Fister loves that, and I bet Barney will too.

[MoonandBean]

I'm just so grateful that Barney's last few months were spent loved, warm, fed and safe. You truly gave him a great gift. I'm sorry you have to go through this again. As always, you do what is best for the animal and I thank you for ALL you've done for him

[jennielynn1970]

Well, try to look at it this way, Jennie: Jesus didn't command us to celebrate his birth, only to commemorate his death, emphasizing among other things, naturally, the importance of the transition from one life to the next. This will be a rebirth for our Barney. I think probably all of us at PT wanted to make him a member of our household; I know that I sure did. He'd make a wonderful member of our Fur Posse but he's right where he's meant to be, fulfilling his purpose. So many of us don't know our purpose in life and yet Barney lives his every day and he struggled against all odds to do it. All the days of cold, starvation, cruelty, illness and misery were erased w/one swoop of Lara's loving arms when she took him into her care and the outpour of love from the world over that he has caused transcends all belief, religion, race and color. He has united us all in love; that is his purpose and he's fulfilled it well and w/dignity. My hope is that I can learn from his example and fulfill my purpose in the same manner, that I can experience a similar symbolic rebirth, that we all can.

The instant that Barney takes his last breath there will be more kittens entering our world who, unfortunately, may experience the same conditions that Barney did but due to his brief sojourn into our lives, we all will have been changed and ever more alert to the suffering of cats and animals everywhere and will give them comfort in the way that Lara has done. I am humbled by this saga and although I would never want Barney or any animal to suffer, I feel privileged to have been a small part of it.

I know... I was just feeling overly emotional, lol.

I'm happy to share the day with Barney, if for no other reason than he'll be up there and my wish will be for him to be out of pain and free and happy again.