Friday, August 8, 2014

Remembering Rocky


I love being a part of the cat blogging community. Changing the focus of my blog from exclusively books to a fusion of my two passions in life, cats and books, is one of the best decisions I ever made. As much as I enjoy writing about the mysteries that I love reading, I've gotten to the point that if I can't include Truffles or cats in general in some way, I tend to decline featuring the book.

There is a downside to immersing myself even further into the world of cats, and that's when the time comes to say goodbye, which seems to almost be a daily occurrence in the pet blogosphere. Anyone who takes a cat or dog into their heart and home lives with the knowledge that one day the inevitable is going to happen.

“We who choose to surround ourselves
with lives even more temporary than our
own, live within a fragile circle;
easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps,
we would still live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only
certain immortality, never fully
understanding the necessary plan.”
― Irving Townsend

On Sunday morning my friend Alana from the Cat in the Fridge blog lost her beloved Rocky. So much of Alana & Rocky's story mirrored my own with Tara that his passing has really had an effect on me. Rocky was given 4 months to live but he more than doubled it. Tara was given 3 months and lasted nearly a year. Alana & I both tried to move heaven and earth to keep our beloved babies with us while quietly saying goodbye to them a little each day.

Rocky and Tara both fought with everything they had in them. They both lived longer than they were expected to, though not nearly long enough, and when the time came they both drew their last breath with the Mommy who loved them so desperately lying right by their side. And they both left giant holes in the hearts of those who loved them that will never be repaired.

Alana works tirelessly on behalf of special needs animals both through her blog and her  CATastrophes web series. Just the day before she said goodbye to Rocky she finished fostering a pair of kittens that would have been euthanized had she not stepped in. People like her are making a difference in the lives of homeless animals every single day. Truffles and I wanted to find a special way to remember Rocky, so we decided to make a small donation to Tabby's Place in his memory. We could think of no better way to honor such a special little guy than to help other kitties.


If you aren't familiar with the fantastic CATastrophes videos, they can all be watched on their very own YouTube channel. My personal favorite is CHATastrophe, which stars the one and only Rocky:


Rest in peace, sweetheart. The big, beautiful tortie that met you at the Bridge was my Tara. Take care of each other and watch over us.

13 comments:

Layla Morgan Wilde ( Cat Wisdom 101) said...

That's so touching. Many of us have lost cats in the past few months, it's really taken its toll. Rocky will have quite the welcoming committee :-0

Anonymous said...

Weez sowwy dat Rocky had to go to heaven and weez sowwy fur da loss of yous Alana to. they will live on in yous hearts furever.

Luv ya'


Dezi

Fur Everywhere said...

It was very sweet of you to make a donation in Rocky's name. I'm sure Alana appreciates it. I have not had to say good-bye to any of my kitties yet, and I cannot imagine how hard it will be. Rocky was a special kitty and he will definitely be missed by so many.

The Island Cats said...

What a wonderful tribute to Rocky. We know how special he was to his human, Alana. And it was very nice of you to make a donation in his memory.

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

Wonderful, wonderful post .....sending you special love and (((hugs)))

katsrus said...

Beautiful Tribute to Rocky. I was so sad to hear of his passing.
Sue B

Two French Bulldogs said...

What a sweetheart. Run free sweet Rocky
Lily & Edward

Unknown said...

We have lost a star.
These are great videos.

Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty said...

So sad. RIP Rocky xx

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

For myself every single time that someone loses their beloved cat it tears the scar off the tiny patch it's made in my heart over losing Abby and then Gracie 6 months later. So it's like a new wound is created with each loss. Especially when you know the ups and downs and silent sufferings that go along with a critically ill cat. This is a beautiful tribute to Rocky who I know is missed so deeply by Alana. It takes a long long time to heal, even a little over a loss this great, and in some ways I am not sure if we ever do completely.

Rascal and Rocco said...

So sweet to feature Rocky and Alana. My fur babies are just that, family. And parting is never easy as each one has taken a big piece of my heart. Hoping Alana can find some peace soon. Glad she has good friends like you and all of us in the cat blogosphere to lean on. ~Rascal and Rocco

Life with Dogs and Cats said...

So sorry for your loss, and what a touching tribute to Rocky and Alana.

Purrs (and wags) from Life with Dogs and Cats

Cathy Keisha said...

Beautiful tribute to a cat we never met but we know so well; one that will live in our hearts. TW tried to do a post about Nicky for Thursday but couldn’t get through it so I wound up with a post about nothing.