Dual Gotchaversary: Chuck and Angel 8/29/04

Sweet babies; littermates Angel and Chuck taught us a vast amount about being owned by cats.

Neither The Hubby nor I had ever been in thrall to felines prior to 8/29/2004.

Kitten Angel, so named for my father who'd very recently passed.

She was a beauty, with delightfully soft fur.

Brown Baby Chuck, hence the name Chocolate, Chucky for short.

What a cat, despite years of health issues.

Just gazing upon these photos brings back so many memories, and of course, we have small shrines to both of them.

We'll always have cats in our lives now, especially housepanthers.

Happy Gotchaversary at The Rainbow Bridge, you two!

💔💕💕💕💔

Bardo

Can Chucky really be gone a week already?  It just doesn't seem possible.

Chuck loved this beddy!

The Hubby and I have chosen to observe the Tibetan or Buddhist tradition of bardo, for Chuck.  In a nutshell, while a soul is in transition between the physical and spirit worlds after death, the family shows great love by leaving everything as that soul knew it in life.  Beds, bowls, favorite toys, pile of woolie socks...all remain and are not put away. 

We created a Chuck shrine, which consists of a framed photo, and we talk out loud to Chuck.  The presumption is that he will visit 'home' during the 49 days after his passing, to observe us and recall his life.  We honor him with our loving words and this allows him to remember everything, and will help him move on to his next life.  After the bardo period, we will rearrange things to suit living with Angel alone, such as removing a couple of litter pans, uncovering the chairs that are draped with blankets under which he loved to sleep, and dispose of his medicines.

I suggest that you search the interwebs under author David Michie, where you can read about bardo in his blog dated August 5, 2017.  Mr. Michie has written many books, but we cat people may know his "The Dalai Lama's Cat" series most of all.

Again, thank you for the kind thoughts and prayers. 

💗😿💗