Good Day fellow ch'ers and family members.

I just wanted to put up a post and check in and let everyone know that I do truly live...at least I'm pretty sure I do.

We are in North Carolina, the facts are in evidence to said statement, although the memory of the move is gone.

A lot and more has happened, and I won't bore you all with the novel of details involved.  I am here in NC, I absolutely LOVE it, I get to wake up every morning and have coffee with a mountain, and I get to go bed each evening after having had a conversation with the forest.

Sadly, there has been much strife to go with the joy.  On Thursday evening we lost Gizmo - our baby - my 16 y/o Alex's cat.  He was a new soul, and not much past a year old.   :'( :'( :'(  We have all cried a great deal, and we have all decried the unfairness of it.  But as is the nature of my family (for good or ill) we did discover the reason for the manner of his passing.  He was hit by a car, but not run over.  Gizmo was strong as an Ox, literally - not a week before his demise, I had him in for the night and went to the garage for a smoke and raised the big garage door only 2 inches.  Gizmo weighed over 20lbs and was 31" in length at 9 months of age, I hadn't weighed and measured him after he turned a year old though.  Anyway, he was really annoyed that he couldn't fit through the 2" gap at the bottom of the garage door, so he squirmed his head underneath, far enough for his shoulders to catch the edge and LIFTED THE GARAGE DOOR.  Trust me, you can't make this stuff up - had I not witnessed it with my own eyes I would never have believed it.  

Back to his manner of passing, our middle cat, Zoomie is 10 years old, and she is our pretty lady, also known as the evil alien spy kitty.  We believe she had been teaching Gizmo how to commune with the mother ship to report on the activities of their captive humans;  however Gizmo was raised in the city.  Out here on the mountain, the reception is TERRIBLE.  Cell phones are hit and miss.  We suspect that Gizmo had found the best reception down the driveway and then down the end of the road - just at the T intersection of the road and the highway.  He would lay there and give his reports.  I worried about him, but everyone on the street said not to worry, he was easily big enough for all of them (them being our neighbo(u)rs) to spot.  

Either he got distracted and decided to chase something and got clipped by a vehicle (likely he was chasing the vehicle) or if he was having difficulty with his reception to commune with the mother ship and stepped onto the highway we are not sure of, but the neighbors spied him and came immediately to tell us.  

We had him back home and in his favorite cat bed within an hour of his peril.  To our great sadness, dismay and distress, he had already passed and there was nothing we could do for him.  We brought him home, made him comfortable then set about the terrible task of informing his father (my son Alex), and the rest of the family.  Everyone cried and paid their respects, including 16 y/o Wiley Cat, 10 y/o Zoomie kitty, and Cisco Puppy who stood vigil over him for a full 36 hours.  

Alex has made the decision that he is to be cremated and his ashes interred at a place of his choosing when the time is right.  

It pains me to check in and bring such sad news to my family, but Alex is one of us, and his CH was much becalmed by Gizmo's presence.  Gizzard (as we often called him) would ALWAYS be right by his side for every attack and the aftermath.

Any condolences you can send would help to heal his heart - of that I'm certain.

As to me, well, I've been told to write a book, however it would have to be written as fantasy or fiction because no one would ever believe me.

I will update more and let you know about our fellow CH'ers that I have had the pleasure to sit and chat with in my new house at a later time in another thread.

(Hi Jon, Hi Bill!)

Again, I'm sorry to check in with such sad news  :'(

To my Gizmo the Giant - our baby sleeper cat, may you find your next life one of peace and love, and my you return to Alex as an older soul.

Love Cat

Cat,
I am so sorry about Gizmo.  It is so hard when we lose a member of our family, especially when one is so young.  Tell Alex that my *family*~Owlie, Callie, BB, Gray Baby, Little Boy and Mrow Mrow (all cats), are sending him comfort.

LEt me know when you want to talk!

carolyn

ps,  sarah moved in with her boyfriend and mama is having hell with *empty nest syndrome*

Golly Cat, talk about painting a picture! Wow, I am in awe. Sad?, yes...but touching, delightful, and funny too. I shed a few tears, not ashamed to admit that. CH may have taken a lot, but also seems to have stripped away some of my male stoicism and allowed me to experience feelings I used to bury.

Thank you for sharing, hope it is some comfort for you. I feel like, in a TINY way, that I knew Gizmo too. There is something about BIG cats that I can't put my finger on, but they ARE a special gift from God.  I've known several (Kitty Cat, Pumpkin, Redhead) none mine but all a delight.

Grief and tough times are MEANT to be shared (joy too). It reaffirms life, makes us appreciate what we have, and allows us to move on with treasued memories and/or the knowledge of obstacles surmounted.

My condolences to Alex, you, and your family including the 4 leggers. Thinking of you all and awaiting news of Gizmo's final resting place. I'm sure it will be appropriate for a forever friend.

Best,

Jon

BTW, just returned from a week in the central CA Sierras. Mountains and trees, oh yes! I feel better, I sleep better, I enjoy life more...the beauty of nature is rejuvenating, envigorating, and calming. Never been to NC, but I think I know what yur talkin bout.

AND, write that book, you have a gift...tell the publisher you already have a sale (Ellen too).

Dear Cat:

I'm so sorry for you and Alex.  Your words really choked me up.  Thanks for checking in and don't be a stranger.

Ray

So sorry to hear about Gizmo. You brought back memeories from our 6 month old Callie. She too loved to lie in the warm road but her end was chasing squirrels in the trees, way too high, lost her balance and that was the end! It's so hard to lose a pet but when they are so young it's even harder. ((((HUGS))))

Charlotte

PS I've been trying to call you with no success!

So sorry for your loss. :'( Sending our condolences to Alex and the rest of the family. It hurts so deeply when we lose one of our pets.

From our whole family, Angie, Myself, Ceasar, Batman and Buck. [smiley=hug.gif]

Cat,

I'm so sorry for your loss. [smiley=hug.gif]
Thank you for checking in.

Sanna

Thanks everyone, I finally figured out a way to get his photos posted,

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

You can see 2 photos of the guzzardmo at that site :)

Cat

I feel for your loss, i lost my dog nanny about 2 years ago and it devastated my wife and i.  my new dog tobie is a good dog and i love him dearly but still miss nanny.
glad to get to know you and thanks for sharing.

Cat,

Sorry to hear about Gizmo  :'(.  Please give Alex my condolences.

Beth

Sorry about Gizmo Cat.

Rats.

It was quite a post too. Loved it.

Charlie

Hey Sis, anytime you need to talk you know where to find me.

PM me with all the new contact info would ya?

I think I may have something here you use.... ;)

Cat, you have my sympathy on the loss of a family member.

But maybe you should be VERY AFRAID. I just had a weird thought... Gizmo may be aboard the Mother Ship now and sending direct signals to Zoomie.... (Have you noticed any "other" strange things happening?) :-/

Hugs BD

:-/ :'(Cat,
           I am sorry for the loss of your pet and friend, but I guess the upside is "what a beautiful place it is to pass on from!"  Just wait until spring when all the new flowers are in bloom here and then you might realize this was not such a bad place to become part of!       John

I know how Liz and I would feel if we lost Cleo or Betty!

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGESTART PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

BarbaraD wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2008 at 5:25am:

Cat, you have my sympathy on the loss of a family member. But maybe you should be VERY AFRAID. I just had a weird thought... Gizmo may be aboard the Mother Ship now and sending direct signals to Zoomie.... (Have you noticed any "other" strange things happening?) :-/ Hugs BD

OMG Barb!!  I hadn't even thought of that, it hadn't occurred to me even once, but it certainly explains the series of odd behaviours in the other 2 cats....

Wiley hasn't given reports in at least 8 years, not since I had the GALL to bring home a 3rd squalling pink mass of flesh that made grown adults turn into idiots (for those that don't know me, that would be my 8 y/o son Ayden) - Zoomie had taken over the reports almost completely at that point;  but damned if Wiley didn't give her a swat the other day to move her from the choice reception location on the back deck.  Heaven help us all if Gizmo's actually on the mother ship!

A little background - Gizmo's one of 3 kittens that his mama had of that litter, his mother had decided that she was single handedly going to populate the state of Texas with cats and has had kittens with her kittens, which might explain some of Gizmo's lack of intelligence.  Cow, Gizmo's sister, has just had kittens, 6 of them, her last litter she had 9.  Perhaps Gizmo has been recalled to help place the other spies - I've also been told that with each of the litters of kittens after Gizmo has produced progressively larger cats - now THAT'S scary.  When a cat can lift a 2.5 car garage door, and has siblings that have come after that are BIGGER than that, we as their human captives truly need to be AFRAID.

I'm not entirely sure that I wanted to know this Barb, but thanks anyway, I hadn't even considered it.  Perhaps I'll have the vet check Zoomie for the implant when she goes to her appointment tonight....

Cat (Whose NOT crazy....really)