Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.* We had to help our beloved Zoe cross the bridge today.

Zoe Bathurst 17 September 2004 – 12 October 2020

Zoe was a 7 week old baby kitten residing at Hamblem Humane Society Animal Shelter (Morristown, Tennessee) in November of 2004. She was designated a Siamese Mix and had the most beautiful blue eyes. We walked in and fell in love.

She loved us but was never too sure of other people. A very few were honored to pet her. When we decided to begin raising Siberians, Zoe was highly indignant. This was her home and all those little kittens running around did not make her too happy. She eventually accepted but mostly ignored them. After we closed the cattery, Sophie and Maggie stayed with us and became her pals – well maybe, pals is too strong of a word!

But Zoe was very happy because she knew she was No. 1 and everyone in this household respected her designation, even Zeke our Australian Shepherd. She slept on our bed every night.

Saturday night we had just returned home from my birthday dinner. We got ready for bed and Zoe was already there waiting for us. Before we had a chance to go to sleep she had a seizure. It didn’t last long. Jim googled cat seizures and after reading, we felt comfortable in waiting to take her to our vet on Monday. Sunday afternoon she had a second seizure which was more intense. We took her to Blue Pearl which is the emergency veterinarian center in our area. Shortly after she was admitted she had another seizure. They did all kind of tests, gave her anti-seizure medications and tried to up her calcium levels which were very low. She spent the night and proceeded to go down hill. She was unable to move her back legs. We took turns holding her for a long time. Much discussion and praying followed. It was the general opinion she had a stroke. In the end, the veterinarian and we decided it was time for our Zoe to leave us.

Saying good-bye – October 12, 2020

And God asked the feline spirit
Are you ready to come home?
Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul
And, as a cat, you know I am most able
To decide anything for myself.

Are you coming then? asked God.
Soon, replied the whiskered angel
But I must come slowly
For my human friends are troubled
For you see, they need me, quite certainly.

But don’t they understand? Asked God
That you’ll never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed?
It just is….forever and ever and ever.

Eventually they will understand,
Replied the glorious cat
For I will whisper into their hearts
That I am always with them
I just am….forever and ever and ever.

Author Unknown

*https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/poem.htm