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Lost my buddy Smoke (cat)


Sarahismymom

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Sarahismymom

Smoke was a cat born under my porch in 2015. I found homes for his sibling and kept him.  He had a really good personality.  Unfortunately, he snuck out of the house one day years ago. I found him living at a house one street over. Then one day he came back. He did this over and over. He’d stay with me and then stay with a sweet lady nearby.  Sometimes he came back & had a cold. I tried hard to keep him inside and make him healthy.  He seemed pretty happy. 
 

My mom has been sick and I didn’t pay quite as much attention to him.  He snuck out in May of 2021. Went back to the same lady. I was glad she looked after him. Yesterday, he showed up and was clearly sick. I brought him inside and made an area for him to sleep. He got up and got next to me.   I woke up and he’d passed away. Absolute Angel of a cat and my buddy.   This cat was on the verge of death and walked a block just to be with me!  Think of the distance he travelled given his size. I am absolutely blown away and honored beyond belief.  I loved Smoke!   My mom just passed away two weeks ago so I’m sure she was there to greet him. 
 

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Smoke as a kitten. He’s up front. 

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I am so sorry, I can see how he got his name Smoke. (I briefly had a cat named Smokey, similar fur.)

Interesting how cats choose us.  I'm glad he made his way back to you...is there some way you can let the other lady know what happened to him?

You helped make his life better, gave him a place to live, where he'd be taken care of and loved.  I wonder if he had a respiratory illness?  So sad he didn't get to live longer.

I hope you'll find comfort in this video, I strongly believe we'll be with them again...

 

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Sarahismymom

Had Smoke never snuck out, I would’ve had a chance to get him to the vet. I think he would’ve been more settled had I done that. Spending so much time outside, I’m sure he’s contracted something from a stray cat. 
 

I am absolutely honored he came back to be with me at the end. I drove the distance he’s travelled to get to me and for a cat, it was quite a bit. Considering his condition, I’m speechless that he was driven to make the walk. I always got him well though so maybe he thought I could help him.  I’m extremely touched.   I will watch for his “other” and let her know what’s happened to “Coco” as she called him. 
 

He was a remarkable friend. 

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It could be that he sought you for help, or wanted to tell you thanks for all you've done before he went.  Kitty did that for me, she'd lived a very hard life before I acquired her at 12 (I met her at 10), lived to 25, she was cantankerous and demanding, the night before she died, she came to me before I went to sleep and wanted me to pet her, she purred, this wasn't like her, it was as if she was thanking me and letting me know she loved and appreciated me.  They're amazing in how they sense things.

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I notified Smoke’s 2nd family of his passing. Very sweet lady who was wondering where he’d been. She said she has a few other cats but “Coco” was her favorite. We actually had a nice conversation about him. I feel like I wimp in that I ended up crying.

We both thanked each other for looking out for him. Then she said something nice. She said “we’ll both see him again & I’m sure he’ll be waiting for us. We’ll have to share him though!”
That made me feel good

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That is so neat that you made contact with her.  They are meant to be shared, even when they don't have two homes, they have others who they have a relationship with.  My Kodie gets so excited to see my friend Iris!  When he was attacked by a dog, she came to visit him the next day, he didn't even care about the treats she'd brought him (as much) as seeing HER!  Even though he was in pain, he spun for her!

Yes you will both get to see him again.  :wub:

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I used to watch the rainbow bridge video above often. I would be overwhelmed with sadness but also had some hope. 
 

In September of 2021, I lost my mother. Two weeks later, I lost Smoke. One day later, my house was demolished by the landlord. (Long story). I lost two more cats. September & October were the worst months of my life. I miss them all so much. 

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I am so sorry for all of your losses!  Did you lose the cats when your landlord demolished your apt?  I hope you sued the hell out of him!  Sometime giving vent to our anger in a positive way can be healthing.  

Again, I'm so sorry. :(

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In January of 2021, my landlord notified me of his plan to tear down his properties. He seemed to having financial troubles and could maintain them.  I was his only tenant at that point. I did all my own repairs. He did nothing. He was a pastor by the way.   I had to find a new place but around the same time, my mother’s health declined. I wanted to focus on her so I moved everything into a storage facility.  The landlord wanted me to move into another property he had. He asked me about it every week. It gave me time to get things moved out.   
 

I lost mom in September of 2021. I’d had a pretty simple life up until that point and wasn’t prepared for that sort of tragedy.  I was still in the house & trying to find somewhere to take the cats. I had asked the landlord to warn me when the house was scheduled to be demolished.  I had paid rent & just didn’t have a place to go at that point.   No one, no program, no shelter could help with the cats.   Smoke passed away on a Monday. I couldn’t believe that happened at that point.   The next night, I sat with all the other cats and said “I will get us out of here. I won’t let you down & I won’t let mom down.”  

The next day, I left work for lunch & saw the wreckers outside my home.  I called the landlord & he said it slipped his mind.   Most of the cats scattered but Kinky & Butter hid. They were timid cats. I just prayed they would make it. The workers said they usually run & hide. The next day I went back & one of the workers said the found a cat in rubble of the house beside mine.  Butter survived the demolition of my house but ran to the one beside it.  It was like a horror movie. I’m at work writing this & it feels like I want to scream.  I never knew what happened to Kinky but remember seeing a black cat staring at me from a yard at the end of the block. I’d returned at night to feed the surviving cats. One of the neighbors was so hostile that I couldn’t come back looking for the cats very often. I hope he found a home. He deserved it but they both did. 
 

I have 4 cats now. One my mom’s & three of her strays.   Very happy that I gave them homes. She loved them so much. I wish I could’ve saved everybody. 

 

 

 

Oh I’m sorry I wrote so much!!!  

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OMG, that is truly horrific!  I am so so sorry!  And NO NEED to apologize, this is what this place is here for.  Wow, just big wow.  And as pastor?!

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Thank you. It’s was such a traumatic period I just had to say something about it & this forum was all I had.  

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