Our Orangeman: Ralph Syracuse

[kb2yjx]

Ralph Syracuse shared his life with us for just short of 14 years. He was a true participant in our lives and shared the good and bad times. Ralph taught us to slowdown and take a look at EVERYTHING!!! Ralph showed us how to die with one's dignity and self-respect intact until the very end. Ralph was the Top Cat in our house and that position has not been filled by one of the other cats. He was the Boss and was challenged by NO ONE!! As St. Theresa once wrote: Perfection consists simply in doing God's will and being just what HE wants us to be....and that sums up Ralph. Ralph was a good cat and we miss him terribly. But I know my Orangeman is once again young, with his friends, Mickey Roo, Ashley, little Sylvia, Boo, and Spunky, there is no more suffering, there are LOTS of catnip mice, and cat DVD's to watch! Sleep softly, my dearest Orangeman...

[Catty1]

Hugs to you and Ralph...he was still doing his best to enjoy his outside walks on the night he left.

He was loved and had a good life.

HUGS and PRAYERS

Catty1

[jenluckenbach]

RIP Ralph. And {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} To your meowmie.

[jazzcat]

Rest in Peace sweet Ralph Syracuse.

[catmandu]

Ralph has been coming to lunch with us, at the Hospital Cateteria , and is such a Good Cat.
Hes still with you, as his presence still is in your heart and soul.
Just look carefully, and you will see an Orange shadow, taking care of Hope Simone, or his friends.
And you will see Your Angel Cats again, and you will have so much joy together.
One Fine Day.

[TopCat3]

Hugs to you and all the Clan. RIP sweet Ralphie.
Catmandu, you always make me cry with what you manage to find to say on these occasions.
TopCat & the Girls

[Sevaede]

R.I.P. darling Ralph. :( See how happy you've made your meowmie with all the memories and times? Maybe, when the hurt starts to fade, you can send her another furbaby? Tell Tier that his meowmie and dad still miss him very much!

*hugs* for the mourning meowmie. :( I can only hope that with time the pain starts to dull. *hugs*

[kb2yjx]

Thanks for all your kind words!!! As all cats are, Ralph was so special! His dad could use him now, he broke his ankle in two places and Ralph always like to spend quiet on dad's lap. But I think that Ralph is keeping that ankle stable by lying next to it!!!!

[Killearn Kitties]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your husband's broken ankle. I am sure that adorable Ralph is watching over him just as closely as if he were still there.
You will never be forgotten, sweet Ralph.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I'm so sorry.

RIP sweet Ralph. :(

[AbbyMom]

RIP Ralph. Play hard at the rainbow bridge.

[tsarlitto]

My prayers go out to your family for your loss of Ralph. 14 years is too short and I keep thinking the same for our cat Chelsey who we had to put down on Saturday. My wife told me, because I can never keep track of dates, 16 years 9 months was Chelsey. May they both rest in peace in heaven with no pain and just hangin out til we get there.

Tom

[Kirsten]

Ralph, you've impressed us all with your will to live, the will to overcome your illness - we will all remember you in YOUR famous Grainger box, were you felt comfortable and safe.

Now you're young and whole again at the Rainbow Bridge, and you will watch over your hooman family from there.

R.I.P. little Ralph, and ((((HUGS))) to your meowmie!

Kirsten

[Karen]

Awww, sweet orange fluffball, rest in peace.

[Kirsten]

Sandra asked me to post a picture of Ralph for her, one she took in April when they learned about his illness. It shows him with HIS Grainger box and a Syracuse cap:

http://www.catmom.de/pix/ralph.jpg

Kirsten

[CalliesMom]

I am so sorry for your loss.

[rg_girlca]

I am so sorry for your loss of your beloved Ralph. :(

May the fond memories of him, help heal your pain.

Rest in Peace beautiful orange boy.

((((((HUGS))))))) to you.

[catlady1945]

I am sorry for your loss.

[Barbara]

I am so sorry that Ralph's time didn't last longer. It did come as a shock to me. :(

[phesina]

I am so very, very sorry for the loss of your beloved Orangeman.

That is a wonderful picture of Ralph with his Syracuse cap! What a fine, beautiful cat.

My Mary Lou, Phoebe, Lucy, and Mitsie are showing him around and helping him get settled in by the Bridge.. as are all the other beloved friends there.

{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}} to you and yours, Raven's Mom, from Pat, and
PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS and headbumpies from Peony, Sydney, Priscilla, and Poppy

[kb2yjx]

We are sad at the passing of our good friends, but after the tears stop, we realize that keeping them with us would not be what a kind and loving guardian would do. We want our dear cats NOT to suffer, and although letting them go is very painful for us, it is the best thing we can do for them. And that final act of love on our part, our cats are ever so grateful. I know I miss Ralph so much. I miss his BROEEW, his face at the door when I came home, helping me make supper, drinking milk from my glass, stealing a tomato and running with it thru the house, swiping broccoli rabe as it cools, watching the Pope's general audience on the computer every Wednesday morning at 0430, and on and on.. but I have ALL those memories of Ralph, it doesn't ease the pain right now, but I can think of Ralph and smile thru my tears.... Sandra

[jenluckenbach]

I am right there with you, Sandra. MY orangeman is missed terribly too. But it would have been selfish to keep him here on earth while the tumor grew at a fantastic rate.

Ralph and Lucas, I am sure, have met up with Y.Lee and many others and are watching over us at this very moment. Can you feel them present in your life?

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm a bit late :o but I just wanted you to know how sorry I am to hear about Ralph's passing.:( RIP sweet Ralph.:(

[orangemm]

I am so sorry to hear about Ralph. Just remember he is in a better place now. I know you miss him terribly.

((((hugs))))

[Logan]

I apologize for not keeping up better and offering my condolences earlier. God Speed, Ralph. You were certainly a handsome orange boy. :(

Logan

[kb2yjx]

Dear Ralph,
Hi my Orangeman!!! It is just over a month that you have been gone! I miss seeing your face at the door when I come home from work, hearing the four o'clock BREOW that all is well, I guess i just miss YOU!!!
I was out on the bridge yesterday. The hemlock tree that you tried to eat is still there!!!
Since it is so hot, I know I would be seeing you stretched out on the table under the ceiling fan. Even with the ac on, you were always on the table.
As you know, Hope Simone sleeps in your Grainger box with the gray mouse that you got when you first came to us back in 1992. I think she still can sense your presence there.
I miss you Ralphie!!!
Love, Mom

[Cataholic]

Oh, Les. :(

[jenluckenbach]

Oh, Les. :(
me too. :(

[TopCat3]

So sad :(

[kb2yjx]

Ralphie!!! There is a new friend for you to play with at the Bridge!! Moose, a big gray fellow! Please be kind to him and show him the ropes. I miss you, my sweet Orangeman and I love you!!
PS: Can you please give little Hope Simone some pointers on mealtime manners? Love, Mom

[Jayna78]

I'm so sorry to hear that you too suffered such a great loss this summer - there's just something about those wonderful orange kitties. Maybe our Leo can give a "BREOW" back to Ralph at the RB, as that's the way he talked to us all the time. Memories are so wonderful, but it doesn't make us miss them any less...

[kb2yjx]

Ralphie Boy, great news!!! You will be on the PT 2007 calendar on the July page!!!! But, of course, you already knew that!!!! Miss you my sweet Orangeman...

[catmandu]

Thats GREAT News that we will able to see Ralph on this years Cat Calendar.
And the Great News came on the day of the Campbell Clowder and Angel Reunion Party.
That will really give those Cats something to celebrate.