Accident Turns to Happy Ending

"Quit choking me, Rocky!" says Jolly
 

When a accident led to my having my cat Jolly put to sleep, I felt like a murderer. At the time, it seemed like our only option. But after Jolly no longer filled our halls and hearts with his ornery ways, I kicked myself for not deliberating more, for not fighting to save him.

 

All you pet lovers know the jagged ache that I still experience every time I think of Jolly, and the longing I feel to embrace his silly little black and white self once again.

 

Enter my artist—translate: kind and sensitive—son, who listened with patient compassion as I choked out my grief the day Jolly died. Then he said, simple and nourishing as a bowl of milk, “You need another baby kitty, Mom.”

I sighed, wiping huge tears from my face. “Do you really think so, son?”

“Of course—baby kitties solve everything.”

Although his philosophy on life may seem a bit simplistic, I did think and pray about his advice. And decided to go with it. Lord knows beating myself up over Jolly’s demise wasn’t helping my broken soul mend.

Pokey is all white except for a calico head and tail
 and a couple of "dots" on her back

On the way to adopt my new fur baby, I had my mind set on a male kitten, whom I’ve found more affectionate than females. But this little lady, with her unique coloring and spunky ways, stole my heart and kept it. With the help of our granddaughter, we named the baby Poka-dot, and call her Pokey for short.

Pokey spent her first night in our bed snuggled between us, purring herself to sleep. I’m not sure my husband was too wild with that arrangement, but I didn’t ask him.

I will always miss Jolly. I believe he’s waiting for me in heaven. And I’m certain he forgives me for my stupid decision. But until I can see and hold him again, Pokey turns a tragic accident into a happy ending.

Have you ever had to put a pet to sleep? How long did it take you to get over it?

10 Funny Quotes for Dog Lovers and Crazy Cat People

I resent it that some refer to me as a “crazy cat lady” because I own four felines, while those who own the same number of canines are called “dog lovers.” But I’ll set aside my resentment for a minute to share a fun list of 10 quotes regarding dog lovers and cat people.

1.      Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. –Jeff Valdez

2.      Dogs come when they’re called. Cats take a message and get back to you. –Mary Bly

3.      I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals. –Winston Churchill

4.      I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven’t got the guts to bite people themselves. –August Steindberg

5.      Never sit with a cat in your lap when your wife turns on the vaccuum cleaner. –John Small

6.      People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life. –Faith Resnick

7.      Dogs do not use computers. They can’t stick their heads out of Windows 98. –Unknown

8.      A cat isn’t fussy, so long as you bring her milk in the shallow, rose-patterened saucer and fish on the blue plate. From which she will take it and eat it off the floor. –Arthur Bridges

9.      I have a great dog. She’s half lab, half pit bull. A good combination. Sure, she might bite my leg off, but she’ll bring it back to me. –Jimi Celeste

10.  If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. –Phil Pastoret

Are you a dog lover, a crazy cat person, or both?