Frankie, our truly special cat

by Jeannette
(Canada)

We got Frankie from a colleague at work when he was about 2 years old. He was a long haired orange cat with white banding around his nose and down his front. He was beautiful and everyone who met him thought so too. Through the years that we had him, he grew in our hearts.

He would run after rolled up paper balls and bring them back to us, he always greeted us when we came home, he hugged us, gave us kisses and followed us around the house like a dog. When we went for a walk, he would try to follow us down the street and often we would have to play a game with him and put him in the house, then run away fast so he wouldn't follow us.

Anytime you sat down he would be there, he would invite himself on your lap and curl himself into a small furry ball and fall asleep. He asked nothing from us, but gave so much. A free spirit, kind and giving, goofy and sweet.

Several days ago when we had called our other two cats into the house, Frankie never showed up. We waited up all night for him as he was a small cat and we were very worried for him. The next morning he still had not shown up and we headed off to work. When we arrived home that night he wasn't there to greet us, this was the first time in 6 years that we had him that he did not come to meet us as the car pulled up. My heart sank.

We walked around the neighborhood thinking he may have been hit by a car. We couldn't find him. After I went into the house to make dinner, thinking someone probably picked him up because he was so friendly, and went to anyone.

But then I was called outside by my friend. Frankie was lying wrapped in a blanket in her arms, tears streaming down her face. The neighbors kids, who were helping her look for him, found him in our other neighbors yard, not 5 feet from our back door.

She was devastated and cried, great steams of tears running down her face. I felt shocked, caught in a bubble like I was looking at things from a distance. I called the vets and we gathered him up, took him over to get cremated. By the time we returned, things were in focus for me, my heart ached and a great sadness came over me. Both of us cried and cried.

It has been 4 days now since he was found, I woke up today feeling depressed. We still don't know what happened, we think he was killed by a raccoon or other animal. What was so hard was that it happened right beside our house, I look over there everyday and think that he was lying there, perhaps unable to call to us for help.

It is so painfully sad. I am leaving a small rose everyday from our garden on the fence only 2 feet from where he died, and I know that both myself and my friend will take a long time in finding some peace. We have a memorial planned, we'll plant a bush that flowers orange and white, and get a small ornament, one that reflects his spirit of life. His goofiness, his joy of bounding after the small butterflies in our front yard, his gentle hugs and kisses.

We'll miss you Frank.