Tribute to Cassandra (Cassie, Dec 7, 2018)
It’s so sad when a dearly loved pet passes. After all, they are family.
Today is that day; we lost our beautiful Cassie and my tears are flowing out of a place of such sadness as I write this post for her.
When my wife told me this terrible news, I frantically searched for her pictures; my Desktop and all the folders, various flash drives, and the archives of Facebook.
Fortunately, there were many that spanned over the decade she shared with our family.
Ah, to see how she grew from a little ball of fur to a majestic adult.
Cassie decided upon us as her new family
My wife and I visited a friend whose Persian just had a new litter a few weeks prior to our visit. Before us, a handful to choose from; all white kittens, some with blue eyes and others with brown.
Then there was the runt of the litter; a tiny thing, significantly smaller then her siblings. Perhaps, that’s what attracted us to her. Besides, she stuck out from the rest of the litter due to her coloring; white, grey, and ginger…a wonderful calico coat.
She was a multi-colored jewel in the freshly fallen snow.
And it was her demeanor…she sat quietly, patiently waiting for us to decide upon her. She knew we were her new family. She hooked us, and were all in…we’d be her new family.
When we brought her home, she was so small, the size of a remote. 
However, she had big feet and her paternal grandfather was a large cat. We suspected she’d grow to substantial proportions as well, and she did.
Sweet memories
Between the tears, memories flood my mind about the numerous fun times we spent together over the years.
She thought she was a dog and enjoyed retrieving a ball; she liked kneading bare skin with those sharp claws of hers; and she enjoyed sitting like a regal princess in the warm morning sun.
When she ran around on our polished wood floors, our laughter broke the silence as she would often slide around out of control like a novice skater on ice.
And if she was stressed, she would go and eat; as a result, we affectionately called her ‘Piggie‘ since she would visit her food bowl many times a day. Still, she never became obese and we wondered why.
We needed to stay one step ahead of her because she was an intelligent feline. She learned how to push open our patio door, if unlocked, and escape into the garden. Prison break! With the door opened a crack, and no sign of our two cats, we knew that they, or rather, she, was at it again.
We’d search high and low amongst the bushes, and much to her disapproval, bring her back into the house. A good brushing followed since dried leaves loved to cling to her thick coat of fur.
Cassie and Muffy
They were terrors together! They’d run after each other as we slept, and in the morning our bedroom floor would be covered with fur from their playful frolicking in the darkness of the night.
Cassie, who was laid-back most of the time, surely wondered why Muffy acted as she did. High-strung and vocal and just nasty at times, Cass couldn’t understand or condone that type of behavior. She would sit quietly, regal looking while in the midst of drama.
However, there were many moments when they snuggled and licked each other’s heads as they showed their love for each other.
Do animals mourn?
Now, we just have Muffy left. I wonder if she feels a sense of loss with Cassie’s passing. They were together since they were kittens, that’s ten years sharing the same space, not missing a day spent together.
Does Muffy feel sadness as we do about Cassie’s passing?
My regret; I was there to bring you home as a kitten and wished I’d been there to comfort you as you moved on to your new home as an adult.
If there is a kitty heaven, then you just entered there this morning, and now you’re looking upon us in our grief and missing you so much.
Rest In Peace, our dear Cassie.