| Location | Selsdon & Saffron Walden |
| Age | 15 years |
| Date of Birth | 12/02/1994 |
| Date of Death | 01/06/2009 |
| Visitors | 434 since 03/06/2009 |
| Creator |
Our beloved Coco passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday 1st June 2009.
I had Coco from when she was a kitten and ready to leave her Mum. She was such an adorable little black thing and I fell in love with her instantly.
She suffered an awful tragedy when she was only 10 months old. Coco was found with an awful leg injury on New Years Eve 1994. She was seen immediately by a vet and treated accordingly. She endured a further 8 or 9 weeks of veterinary work before they decided that her leg could not be saved and eventually amputated it. In my opinion (and many others) the vet should have amputated her leg immediately on receiving her into their care. In the weeks leading up to the amputation she had became very despondent. It was heartbreaking to see how much she had suffered, so we were delighted to see a completely different cat after she lost her leg. It was a new lease of life for her except on only 3 legs. She coped remarkably with the loss of her left back leg and could easily outrun any cat and amazed us with her agility, especially racing up loft ladders!
Coco came with me whenever I moved (together with Scrappy, another black cat, whom I rescued in 1996). In 2004 I decided that it was unfair on the cats to be cooped up in the flat that I was currently living in, with no easy access to a garden. My sister Sara happily said that the cats could live with her and the family in Saffron Walden. Coco spent the last 5 years of her life with them, thoroughly loved and looked after and she especially adored my niece Sophie who became her surrogate Mummy. She had a lovely garden to explore and spent many day sprawled out in her favourite spot on summer days.
I was devastated when Sara told me about Coco passing away and we buried her together in their garden at the spot where she especially liked to be.
Coco was my baby and I will never forget her and the great times I had with her.
Sleep peacefully Coco, I love you lots.
Mummy Jojo
xxx
xx
A Cat's Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep,
The king-size bed is soft and deep...
I sleep right in the center groove
My human can hardly move!
I've trapped her legs, she's tucked in tight
And here is where I pass the night
No one disturbs me or dares intrude
Till morning comes and "I want food!"
I sneak up slowly to begin
My nibbles on my human's chin.
She wakes up quickly, I have sharp teeth -
And my claws I will unsheath
For the morning's here and it's time to play
I always seem to get my way.
So thank you Lord for giving me
This human person that I see.
The one who hugs me and holds me tight
And sacrifices her bed at night.
~ Author Unknown ~
~ THE VACANT CHAIR ~
Your favorite chair is vacant now...
No eager purrs to greet me,
No softly padded paws to run
Ecstatically to meet me.
No coaxing rubs, no plaintive cry
Will say it's time for feeding,
I've put away your bowl, and all
The things you won't be needing;
But I will miss you little friend
For I could never measure,
The happiness you brought me
The comfort and the pleasure.
And since God put you here to share
In earthly joy and sorrow;
I'm sure there'll be a place for you
In Heaven's bright tomorrow.
(Author Unknown)
○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○♥○
I just wanted to let you know that I made it home. The journey wasn't an easy one, but it didn't take too long.
Everything is so pretty here, so white, so fresh and new
I wish that you could close your eyes and that you could see it too.
Please try not to be sad for me.
Try to understand
God is taking care of me...I'm in the shelter of His hands.
Here there is no sadness, no sorrow, and no pain. Here there is no crying and I'll never hurt again. Here it is so peaceful when all the angels sing.
I really have to go for now... I've just got to try my wings.
(Author Unknown)
Beyond the Rainbow
I know that it must be different,
now that I am no longer there.
I realize how much I was loved
and how all of you did care.
I know it will be hard at first
when you look around for me.
Expecting to find me in my bed
or beside my favorite tree.
Someday you will begin to see
although it'll take some time,
the happy times you shared with me,
the memories are yours and mine.
I'll remember you, my friends,
and how much you meant to me.
So please don't grieve and don't be sad,
it was just my time to leave.
(Author Unknown)
They're Only Ours for a Little While
We humans are prone to chase rainbows,
always wanting that pot of gold.
But the wisest of us remember the joy,
of just a small creature to hold.
Allow yourself to accept their great gift,
and know what devotion is worth.
If you've been loved by a dog or cat,
you're the richest person on earth.
But their lives are lived in miniature-
bright sun to palest moon.
They bless our days with innocence,
and faithfulness that's stilled too soon.
These precious lives are fragile,
as fleeting as a baby's smile.
So give them all the love you have,
they're only ours for a little while.
And in the lonely moments,
when you pause to wonder why.
Hold close those brightest shooting stars,
that burn so briefly in our sky.
But then look deeper in your heart,
to know all love must intertwine.
And when the night sky seems the darkest,
you'll see their light forever shine.
(Written by Nancy Hanson)
The Journey (Part 1)
When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark.
Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information.
Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details: the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig.
Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.
Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by.
You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat in hot pursuit, all in the name of love.
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love. The steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together."
The Journey (Part 2)
Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your animal companion always knew you to be. The one they were proud to call beloved friend. I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go.
An animal companion's time on earth is far too short, especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for a while, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left. The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy now wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to gray.
Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead, young and whole once more. "God speed, good friend," we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.
Crystal Ward Kent, 1998 (www.journeyforanimals.com) Reproduced by kind permission.
True of Dogs, and all animals for that matter! x
♥═══♥ WHY HUMANS LIVE LONGER THAN DOGS ♥═══♥
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn some thing from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him.
Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.
Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply, Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.
(Author Unknown)
♥═══♥♥═══♥♥═══♥♥═══♥♥═══♥♥═══♥♥═══♥♥═══♥
Home At Last
The trees were blowing in the gentle breeze
The sun was shining thru the leaves on the trees,
The meadows are green and the grass grows tall
Off in the distance you can see a waterfall.
Over the falls; down through the creek
The water flows gently as a rabbit sneaks a peek,
Far up above in the deep blue sky
The birds soar high as they fly by.
The animals play
At the bridge by the waterfall chasing each other
and just having a ball
They play all day from morning to night
There's no more rain; just warm sunlight.
Off in the distance, the trumpets would blow
All would look up and notice a bright glow,
The harps would play and the angels would sing
As another pet has come home, who had earned their wings.
(Written by John Quealy)
Beyond the Rainbow
As much as I loved the life we had and all the times we played,
I was so very tired and knew my time on earth would fade.
I saw a wondrous image then of a place that's trouble-free
Where all of us can meet again to spend eternity.
I saw the most beautiful Rainbow, and on the other side
Were meadows rich and beautiful -- lush and green and wide!
And running through the meadows as far as the eye could see
Were animals of every sort as healthy as could be!
My own tired, failing body was fresh and healed and new
And I wanted to go run with them, but I had something left to do.
I needed to reach out to you, to tell you I'm alright
That this place is truly wonderful, then a bright Glow pierced the night.
'Twas the Glow of many Candles shining bright and strong and bold
And I knew then that it held your love in its brilliant shades of gold.
For although we may not be together in the way we used to be,
We are still connected by a cord no eye can see.
So whenever you need to find me, we're never far apart
If you look beyond the Rainbow and listen with your heart.
(Written by CG - 1995)
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