SPECIAL NOTE:  This post for CrosbyandBuddy.com deals with a very sensitive topic – the loss of a pet and how children might deal with it. I suggest you read it first before sharing with a child. Usually, Crosby and Buddy’s stories are fun and designed to brighten your day.  This one is based on a recent passing at True Rescue, the shelter that Crosby and Buddy’s human mom volunteers at.  After reading the story you will see an update that shares the entire post from True Rescue last week and may help you understand why this story of a beautiful cat had to be shared.

Buddy: “Crosby, is something wrong with Mom?  She came home from True Rescue today looking sad.  That’s supposed to be her ‘Happy Place’, as she’s always telling us.”

Crosby: “I don’t know, Buddy.  Let’s ask her.”

“Mom, Buddy says you looked sad when you got home today.  Are you mad at us? Did something bad happen at the kitty rescue today?”

“Hi Crosby, Hi Buddy.  Sorry I’m sad today.  You guys are pretty smart.  Yes, something very sad happened at the shelter today.”

“We want to hear about it – maybe we can help make you feel better.”

“Do you remember me telling you about a beautiful cat that we rescued about 3 months ago from an empty apartment? She had been locked inside with another cat, with no food or water. We were able to bring them both to True Rescue and take care of them?”

“I remember them!  The big cat was called “Double Dee” and the other cat was called “Bee Cup”!”

“That’s right, Crosby.”

“Did something happen to them?”

“Well, Crosby, something did happen to Double Dee.  We got to the shelter this morning and saw that she was curled up in her favorite bed – she looked like she was sleeping. Except when we went in to feed her, Double Dee would not wake up. She had died during the night. It made all of us feel very sad today that we won’t be able to see her anymore.”

“Mom, what happened to her?”

“Well, Buddy, she was very old and not very healthy. Double Dee’s heart stopped beating. Her eyes were closed. She couldn’t run or meow anymore. Her body didn’t work anymore, and she died. That means we will not see her or pet her again.”

“Where did Double Dee go when she died?”

“The owner of the shelter or the vet has her body now and will keep it safe.”

“Don’t cry, Mom. You’re sad that Double Dee died. We’re sad too.  Would you like to cuddle with us and read a story? Do you think that might help you with your sadness?”

“Thank you, Crosby and Buddy. You boys are so sweet and kind.  Yes, I think that would help me to feel better – let’s cuddle and you can both tell me about your day today. Did you have fun? Did you play hide and seek? Did Dad give you your favorite Ocean White Fish for breakfast this morning?”

“Yes, to all your questions!  Dad gave us Ocean White Fish with gravy – we hate that pate stuff. Buddy hid and let me find him.  Then we wrestled until Dad said I was being mean to Buddy and made me stop.”

“Crosby had me in a wrestling hold he saw on WWE the other night – he had his paws around my neck and started kicking me with his smelly feet – that’s when Dad made him stop!”

“You guys are so funny! You make me feel better already.”

“Mom, will Double Dee be lonely or cold?”

“No, Buddy.  Once their body stops working, animals are not able to feel lonely, cold, wet, hungry, thirsty, scared or frightened.  Many people believe that when animals die, they go to the Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills to play in, and plenty of food, water and sunshine so they are warm and comfortable. All the animals who were ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt are made whole and strong again. The animals are happy and content and all run and play together. There is a poem about the Rainbow Bridge…

                So hard to see them cross The Bridge, but so happy to see them change… Young and strong and running free…Kittens once again!”

“So is that were Double Dee is, Mom? At The Rainbow Bridge, playing with all the other kitties that have died?”

“Yes, Crosby, that’s what we believe. It helps us to know they are OK and no longer in pain or suffering.”

“I’m glad that Double Dee is there, Mom. And that all you guys at True Rescue are taking good care of Bee Cup and all the other kitties you have saved. Don’t be sad – it’s still your Happy Place because you are saving so many baby, senior and orphan cats. You love them all and they love you!”

The End

From True Rescue…

We sat on this post a bit, because we needed a minute to gather our thoughts, and honor her departure from this world in the right way. We lost Double Dee a week ago. The truth is, we were angry…we are still angry. Double Dee was left abandoned in an apartment with her friend, Bee Cup, where they were found by one of our volunteers’ husband, who worked at the apartment complex. They were alone and scared, and had no idea what had happened to them. Can you imagine watching the only family you have known, pack up all around you, and then shutting the door to an empty apartment….and then just leaving you there with no food, water, bed or anything? As we cannot think exactly as animals can, we can only humanize these feelings, and we can only see these emotions through their eyes when we witnessed how scared and depressed both of them were when they came into the shelter.

Yes….depressed…confused…and scared. They were both senior cats, and both had medical issues. Perhaps the owners knew they wouldn’t be able to afford them any longer. Perhaps something tragic happened in their lives to make them pick up and leave their fur family behind. Perhaps they felt like they were doing the right thing or weren’t able to find them a home on their own. They only left us with guesses. If we were to be publicly angry about them, and really blast them, then we would be faced with the “AT LEASTs” from people. “At least they didn’t throw them outside”. “At least they left them in the apartment.” “At least they knew someone would come for them soon.” To us, upon learning that they were left with no family, no food, no water, nothing…. they had done the absolute LEAST they could have for these cats in our eyes.

So we are not trying to let our anger get in the way of our grief now, and we are trying to move on. We gave Dee the best life we could at the shelter. We named her Double Dee and her friend, Bee Cup, to laugh about their extreme size differences. Dee was large…obese for a cat, even. We loved her all the same, all 22 pounds of her, and when she started coming around in her room, she was full of love and life. Her friend, Bee, is an absolute delight as well, and we feel she deserves to go to an amazing home and live out her life. Dee started going downhill about a month ago, where we rushed her to our vet, only to find dire bloodwork. The only thing that was good, ironically, were her sugar levels. We threw all that we could at her medical-wise, but she was found curled up in her favorite bed, and appeared to have passed peacefully in her sleep last week. This made us thankful that we didn’t have to remove her again from her safe place and take her somewhere to be euthanized at the end. She left on her terms. God, we will miss her.

The work of a rescue continues…that’s what we do. We pick up, and we move on and keep saving. The losses we face hurt us most when we lay our heads down at night, but we will grow larger as a rescue and keep saving more in their honor. Dee might not have had the best last 3 months of her life if we hadn’t have stepped in and taken her out of that apartment. And our hearts would have been just a little smaller without ever having have met her. For that, we are grateful. Rest in peace, Double Dee, and run like you’ve never run before…. you don’t have 22 lbs and failing organs holding you back now, sweet girl. We love you.

truerescue.org/donate