It took a few tries before I could get past the tears, every time I attempted to put together this tribute video, Since life with JJ was both happy and sad, I wanted the video to be the same.
Portions have been re-dubbed and edited from Scribbles "Little Angel JJ" Video, which we had put together when JJ was still a mischievous kitten.
You'll find our second video dedicated to more of JJ's antics at the end of our tribute section
A Daily Journal of Healing Thoughts & Feelings...
FRI. MAR. 13 |15
JJ was fine right up until yesterday. He didn't eat his breakfast this morning, but later in the day, he did eat most of his supper. He was using his litter box and seemed pretty tired. Timmi, JJ & I were in bed by 11:30. JJ laid at the lower area between my legs, like he normally does before moving to his foam pas located under the bed.
Around 4 am or so, I was awoken by JJ wailing in pain. He was no longer under the bed, he was crying in the kitchen now. I called my dear friend Becky, who came asap and we went to the 24 Hour Pet Emergency Hospital.
JJ was not moving hardly at all. His joints seemed very stiff. The vet gave him something for the pain. She came back with a long checklist of tests and such that they could run (to the tune of over $1700) That would be just to try and figure out what the problem was, it did not include any treatment that may have followed.
The vet seemed very concerned about the muscle stiffness and strongly suspected he must have ate something that was highly toxic. The vet said that this was not going to be an easy fix, if it could be fixed at all.
It was not an easy decision, but was made a bit easier by the fact I don't have thousands of dollars to put towards vet bills. I requested JJ be put down.
I will create a tribute to JJ soon. I am still in a lot of shock. He was absolutely fine one day and deathly ill the next.
I am so sad.
"JJ loved you, as we all could see through all his pics..."
-Gloria Putman
KEN REPLIES:
KEN REPLIES:
Thanks Gloria, that was nice of you to say.
SAT. MAR. 14 | 15
Reality Sets In
Sometimes it feels like a big wave of emotion hitting me with reminders of things I won't be enjoying anymore because JJ is no longer physically here.
I try very hard to stop myself anytime I start feeling like this is my fault...like I must have left something toxin somewhere that JJ was able to get in to and it killed him. I don't know for a fact if it was a toxin, nor its origins even if it was.
I also have to remind myself of just how often JJ had been sick in his little life. Remember when I first got him? He was very sick for weeks. He was sick after he visited my friend's trailer at their campsite, he was sick after eating a bug and he had urinary tract issues.
When he was healthy, he was a lovable, lively kitty and I am gathering all the fond memories I have of my little buddy for a real nice tribute section on Scribbles, which I will begin working on shortly.
Finally, and in this case, I've saved the best for last..... I am so touched by all your words of condolence. From facebook messages and text, to phone calls and visits, so many of you have reached out to me. In addition to helping me through the pain I am feeling, it reminds me once again of how fortunate I am to have such a massive and unique support system.
JJ might have had to leave suddenly and unexpectedly, but he knew he was leaving his daddy in good hands. Thank you for being one of them.
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| LORENZO CROMWELL & HIS CAT MISS LILY CHECK OUT PIX OF JJ ON LAPTOP |
Spiritually Awesome!
"Ken, just have to tell you this. I just sat down to my computer and saw [the picture of you and JJ]. Miss Lily hopped on the back of my chair. I turned to her and said how sad it is that JJ is gone. What happened next was spiritually awesome.
She leaned toward me and gave me a lick on the cheek, and gave a little meow.
She never does that.
As I am typing this she is sitting on the back of my chair watching, not leaving. I believe what one person told me "All cats are connected by a common soul"
I think you just got a message of love. HUGE HUGS!"
- Lorenzo Cromwell
KEN REPLIES: That's very eerie.... but amazing. If sometime Miss Lily or Mr Pepper try to walk across your head, you'll know JJ's spirit must be close by again.
"Know that JJ in kitty heaven now playing with all the tin foil balls he could ever want.
I know you made his short life as happy and full of love as he could ever hope to get so take comfort in that."
I know you made his short life as happy and full of love as he could ever hope to get so take comfort in that."
-Renee Cuthbertson Giguere
KEN REPLIES: Thanks Renee, He did love his tin foil balls. There's still a small one tied to a piece of string, hanging from the bedroom doorknob. He loved to play with that one, it was attached to the doorknob by rubber band, because I would often have to remove it when JJ decided 2 am was a good time to start playing. What a crazy little cat he was.
SAT. MAR. 14 -LATE NIGHT | 15
The Sound of Silence
It is so quiet here tonight. Timmi is practically a mime and rarely barks or makes a sound. It was our buddy JJ who was the vocal one.
There was the "I'm hungry" meow, the "Wake up and pay attention to me" meow, the happy meow, the content purr and the inquisitive sound that isn't quite a meow, but one he made frequently.
I sure am missing my pussycat.
Here's a close-up of my angel cat pin that I wear on special occasions now.
SAT. MAR. 14 -LATE NIGHT | 15
It is so quiet here tonight. Timmi is practically a mime and rarely barks or makes a sound. It was our buddy JJ who was the vocal one.
There was the "I'm hungry" meow, the "Wake up and pay attention to me" meow, the happy meow, the content purr and the inquisitive sound that isn't quite a meow, but one he made frequently.
I sure am missing my pussycat.
Here's a close-up of my angel cat pin that I wear on special occasions now.
SUN. MAR. 15 | 15
The Most Horrible of Them All
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| YOU NEVER KNEW WHERE JJ WOULD POP UP NEXT |
Finding it very hard to get much sleep. Keep thinking JJ is still here,
Sadly, I am familiar with the loss of a beloved pet. I have done it several times in my lifetime, They have all been unique yet similar because in each case, the cat or dog in question had enjoyed a long and happy life.
That's one of the ways JJ's passing differs. Just a few days ago when he meowed, it was part kitten meow and part grown up meow. And I said to him "Are you getting your big boy voice now?" To which he replied with a kitten meow.
JJ was so young and I nurtured him from this sickly, tiny 3 pound furball to a mischievous, affectionate, curious cat. Me and my furry shadow were just getting into the swing of things and now he is gone. That's going to take some getting used to.
And of course, although I try to put the brakes on whenever the thought floats back into my head, there's the mystery of "What killed JJ?" Based upon his rigidness and other symptoms, it seemed fairly accurate that the vet leaned towards a toxin. That opens the flood gates as to what that toxin could have been and where it came from and how it got there (and that last one usually always turns out to be because of me.) Which is when I hear you all collectively yelling "Don't blame yourself!!" and "Remember all the times JJ was sick in his young life"
Yes, I have said goodbye to many furry friends, including: J.R., Poppy. Toby and Emerson. But I just have to say it, this is the most horrible of them all.
Give your pet an extra hug today. JJ would have liked that.
"Remember JJ fondly, but don't think he or you lost out in some way
- the reality was quite the opposite."
- the reality was quite the opposite."
-Brian Mackie
KEN REPLIES: This is brilliant Brian. Really made me stop and think.
Invasion of the Ferals
There are MANY feral cats around my place. The man next door and others in the neighbourhood, feed them, so it's not unusual to see cats every time I look out a window.
The feral cat invasion was something I noticed right away, when I moved here last June. It's not just buddy next door. There are places across at least two entire blocks, where there are tons of cats. One place is across from Bunsmaster Bakery & Marketplace, a busy intersection. Not a good place to raise your kittens.
When I first saw the feral cats today it made me sad because (surprise, surprise) it reminded me of JJ. But as I watched the big fluffy cat and then another, I thought of it as still getting to enjoy the antics of pussycats, even though they're not officially anyone's pets.
JJ used to watch the feral cats with great fascination. And when it was cold out or bad weather and he would be looking outside at them, I would tell him what a lucky boy he was because he had a daddy and a warm house & food, and those guys out there didn't have any of that.
With the nicer weather finally upon us, "those cats" are coming out again. But sadly, JJ isn't here to watch them anymore. frown emoticon
#tooyoungJJ
"So sad to hear about JJ. My last visit with you he was so funny, playing with the plastic bag I had brought your shirts in, do you remember? We were laughing and he was a happy cat. That's the memory we will have to keep in our heads and hearts."
~ Love you, Kim
Thur. Mar. 19, 2015
Today marks exactly one week since things went rapidly downhill for my little buddy JJ.
It was last Thursday morning that JJ did not eat his breakfast, This was the first thing that alerted me something was up.
Although he certainly wasn’t himself that day, he did eat his supper and use the litter box, so I was concerned, but not overly so, because JJ had been sick before and didn’t seem to be in distress of any kind.
Although he certainly wasn’t himself that day, he did eat his supper and use the litter box, so I was concerned, but not overly so, because JJ had been sick before and didn’t seem to be in distress of any kind.
I would never have imagined I would wake to JJ’s crying at 4 am and a few hours later be saying goodbye to him forever.
When putting together “The Best of JJ – A Tribute to My Furry Friend”, I was surprised by how many video clips and photos I have of him. Was it because JJ was always doing “something”, like exploring, looking out the windows, playing with his rubber spiders in the tub and his daddy and toy mice just about everywhere else.
And let’s not forget his relationship with Timmi. JJ just wanted to be buddies, hang out and maybe play a bit. Grandpa Timmi was not into it at all. Any time you saw a photo of Timmi and JJ sleeping side by side, it was usually after Timmi fell asleep and JJ quietly curled up next to him. JJ was nothing if not determined.
A year and a half of memories with one wonderful little cat and I will treasure them forever.
MON. MAR. 23 |15
As the days go by, I find myself feeling somewhat lost without JJ. I am giving Timmi lots of lovin' and more attention than ever, but it still feels so different around here without JJ.
It was because he was a part of everything that went on here. Now those things are still going on, but he's no longer a part of it.
A friend who has a cat that looks eerily like JJ, posted a pix of her kitty poking her head in the bathroom door while my friend was taking a bath.
If the spiders weren't handy, the shower curtain was equally entertaining. I'd tap on the curtain on my side and he'd pounce and attack from his side.
I'm sharing this because it was a happy time and I want to always remember those and how lucky I was to have had them in the first place.
And what happened to all his rubber spiders now? They were put in the "Halloween stuff" box, and I will surely have an infestation of them come this October.
Fri. Mar. 27 | 15
For Hardcore JJ Fans
It was exactly two weeks ago that we said goodbye to my buddy JJ, after he got deathly ill from an undetermined cause.
Fine one day and gone the next, is something I am still finding difficult to come to grips with. That and how young he was. Sometimes the pain creeps up on me. Like a great big wave. Reminding me of those many special moments JJ and I shared and making me feel like in a way, a little piece of me died when he did.
It also makes me wonder if perhaps I've not become a bit too reclusive. In one of my video clips I'm jokingly "marrying" JJ, a Cheerio as the wedding ring. Nothing too unusual about that. LOL!
Timmi is loving all the added attention he is getting these days, As are the many feral cats who roam the block. Yesterday I had a little "cat chat" with a pair of black kitties, who were hanging out in the next door neighbour's yard. I gave them a treat as a thank you for having humoured me.
A few days after he passed away, I created 'The Best of JJ', as a tribute to my furry friend.
This time around we get a closer look at JJ in action, in a longer video truly intended "for hardcore JJ fans". If you've had enough cute cat antics, this probably isn't the clip for you.
If you were a friend or admirer of JJ, we hope you enjoy our new video of this most memorable crazy kitty cat doing what he did best....loving life.
For Hardcore JJ Fans
It was exactly two weeks ago that we said goodbye to my buddy JJ, after he got deathly ill from an undetermined cause.
Fine one day and gone the next, is something I am still finding difficult to come to grips with. That and how young he was. Sometimes the pain creeps up on me. Like a great big wave. Reminding me of those many special moments JJ and I shared and making me feel like in a way, a little piece of me died when he did.
It also makes me wonder if perhaps I've not become a bit too reclusive. In one of my video clips I'm jokingly "marrying" JJ, a Cheerio as the wedding ring. Nothing too unusual about that. LOL!
Timmi is loving all the added attention he is getting these days, As are the many feral cats who roam the block. Yesterday I had a little "cat chat" with a pair of black kitties, who were hanging out in the next door neighbour's yard. I gave them a treat as a thank you for having humoured me.
A Closer Look at JJ's Antics
A few days after he passed away, I created 'The Best of JJ', as a tribute to my furry friend.
This time around we get a closer look at JJ in action, in a longer video truly intended "for hardcore JJ fans". If you've had enough cute cat antics, this probably isn't the clip for you.
If you were a friend or admirer of JJ, we hope you enjoy our new video of this most memorable crazy kitty cat doing what he did best....loving life.
