Sandy was a feral cat who lived in our yard and garage (we adjusted the door so it didn’t close all the way so that the wild cats could get in to eat and be out of the weather). He was almost white, with pinkish Siamese markings and blue eyes.
He knew exactly when it was mealtime and was always there waiting. He was very friendly and loved to bump his head against your legs, the other cats, car tires, you name it, and when he bumped you, you stayed bumped. Brindle Cat just wanted to eat but his top priority was bumping and sometimes she could hardly keep her head over the dish.
He liked to sleep on the roof of my car and often when I pulled out a cloud of cat hair would blow off. Many times there were cat footprints sliding down the windshield. In the winter he slept on a ratty old bathmat that had made it just past the door at the back of the garage and no farther. We never saw him on it but it would be warm when we touched it and Sandy would be going away. MRA began to worry that he needed more protection from the cold one winter and bought him a nice cat nest, but Sandy wouldn’t sleep in it until we put the dirty old bathmat into it.
He was almost always around somewhere, sleeping in the side yard, rolling on the sidewalk, resting on the porch, or waiting outside the garage for his late night meal, and the sight of him always made me smile.
But it has been over a week since we have seen him, and we’ve come to the conclusion that something has happened to him, as things do with outdoor cats. We’ll probably never know what and maybe that’s just as well. My head accepts it but my heart keeps hoping to catch a glimpse of a little white cat.
Sleep well, Sandy.
Your website is so neat. Easy to use. I crosstitch a lot. I was so amazed to see the finished product from your costumer that is so close to the painting itself.
From Jane Martin
11 years, 2 months agoMy heart goes out to you. I live in a suburb of New Orleans. I have been feeding several cats on my front porch since the spring of 2006. These cats are the babies of cats lost to hurricane Katrina. Although the cats and I have been acquainted for 7 years they are still feral and will not come within 3 feet but they love when I respect their space and just sit out on the porch and talk to them. I just dread the day when one of my “babies” doesn’t show up for dinner.
I firmly believe that there is a heaven and I also believe your sweet Sandy will be there waiting for you.
From Melissa C.
11 years, 2 months agoI’m sorry for your loss. Our furry friends leave quite an impression on our hearts. We would love to bundle them all up and take care of all their needs and make a heaven here on earth for them, but sometimes we are only able to do it for the ones who God puts in our way. Your Sandy was a blessed kitty and was fortunate to have you to love her and you were blessed by her too.
Take care.
From Caroline in NH
11 years, 2 months agoI am so sorry. We have both indoor & outdoor cats, as well as indoor/outdoor dogs. It is definitely heartbreaking when something happens to one of our furbabies.
From Craig Mason
11 years, 2 months agoMy heart aches for you. I’m a dog person, but about 30 years ago I had one cat who disappeared one day, and I still look for her. Our four-footed friends and relatives do indeed leave paw prints on our hearts, and I hope their influence will get us into heaven with them. Bless you for caring for a homeless one.
From Janet
11 years, 2 months agoSandy will be waiting for you at Rainbow Bridge. Until then she will live in your heart.
From Christina Busby
11 years, 2 months agoThank you for sharing your beautiful story about Sandy. So sad that you have lost your special friend who sounded so intriguing and loving. Perhaps he will turn up one day – fingers crossed… I was very touched too by the caring lovely comments made. Sending love and best wishes
Christina xx
From Lois Hunter
11 years, 2 months agoMy heart broke as I read your story and I am crying as I write this. I have cats, now just one and they are like children. One of my furbabies who has passed is my computer wallpaper. I hope that your furbaby will turn up. My heart aches for you.
From Linda Russell
11 years, 2 months agoI too have lost far too many furbabies! I had two kitties disappear that I too, just like Craig still tend to look for, because I loved them in a very special way. They were lap and bed kitties, and I miss their love and warmth! I am glad our babies will be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for us someday!
From Jude
11 years, 2 months agoSo sorry to hear about Sandy. Cats are special animals that become dear to the heart. I had to put my cat Sam down last year and cried bucketloads at the vet saying goodbye to her. I still miss Sam and sometimes imagine I see her out the corner of my eye, or catch myself thinking about things Sam would have liked. Wrap your grief in a warm blanket and nurture it, for your grief marks the loss of something important to you.
From Yeong May Wah
11 years, 2 months agoTouching. Share your loss. Sandy brings me back to Snowy, my 15 year old white spitz , my favourite . Still wet my eyes more of fond memories of him and less of that twitch over time. I grew up with a terrier, a german shepherd, and a mix breed together with 3 pussies in my grandma’s residence . Back then the pussy ‘tigers’ rule . My current strays are nocturnal caught on CCTV. At 12.00 midnightly one black walks from the back garden and out the front gate and at 1.30am re enters the front gate and walks to the back garden. The cream coloured cat from the house across the road will nightly stretches and pops itself on top of my car parked under the porch, faces and watches his house across the road.When its a nightly affair even from a distance one connects
Thanks all for sharing. Please be happy as long as they are happy to be where they have always wanted to be.
From Liz
11 years, 2 months agoI’m so sorry for your loss. It’s heartbreaking, they come and go in our lives these feral cats. We don’t own them, they ask for so little but give so much. Good Luck Sandy wherever you are xxxxxx
From Barbara Large
11 years, 2 months agoMy heart goes out to you. I have lost many cats over the years, and its a lot worse when you don’t know what’s happened to them. They leave a huge hole in your life out of all proportion to their little furry bodies. He will be happy sitting watching the great mouse hole in the sky, don’t worry!
From Cindy Doll
11 years, 2 months agoMy sympathy to all who knew and loved Sandy. We who love animals understand your grief, and I hope you take some comfort in knowing that you made his life a good one, and that he knew kindness from humans because of you.
From Ronald Miller
11 years, 2 months agoMy heartfelt tears go out to you. At least you have pictures as visual memories. Plus you have all the memories that you’ll always cherish in your heart. Just remember that the Rainbow Bridge is were we will be able to be with our little loved one’s that were part of our human family. God Bless….
From Tanya2
11 years, 2 months agoDeepest sympathies, Meredith – the only negative side to our furkids is that they are not with us long enough.
From Roxanne
11 years, 2 months agoI am so very sorry.
From Darren Rankin
11 years, 2 months agoVery sorry to hear off the loss off Sandy. Our cats are huge parts off our lives and when they leave us it’s horrible . Keep your chin up and maybe one day you will feel the leg bump again x
From Doris
11 years, 2 months agoMy deepest sympathy in the loss of your Sandy. I’ve lost many cats over the past 63 years, and each one of them has always come back to say a final farewell, so I know that they’re waiting for me. Probably having a few arguments as to which one of them was my favorite kitty, too. Sending you a big cyber hug!
From elli
11 years, 2 months agoI have just read your sad story about Sandy and my heart breaks for you. I live in the Cotswolds, England, with my furbabies Merlin and Lewy Cougar and I know just how much love and happiness our furry friends bring to our lives. My boys are like my children and their love is unconditional. I Lost my beloved boy Booty on 1 October last year, aged 2O, any my heart still aches for him. The biggest consolation that you can have is to know that you gave Sandy the joy of a home, a warm bed, good food and loving companionship whilst he was with you. He is not far away, his love will always be with you and he will be watching over until you can be with him again. God bless and hold you all in love and peace. Sleep well Sandy,
From Jennifer
11 years, 2 months agoI know very well how the little ferals work their way into your heart. And I know how much it hurts when they don’t show up for meal times. Take comfort that you gave Sandy a very nice, happy life, and he loved you in return.
From Fay
11 years, 2 months agoThey are never with us for as long as we want them to be but take comfort that he knew how much you loved him by how you cared for him. My thoughts are with you.
From Isabelle
11 years, 2 months agoSleep well Sandy, you are now in the Paradise of cats. I send all my prayers and friendly thoughts to the many friends you have left behind you on this planet.
From Paula
11 years, 2 months agoDon’t lose hope — I am in central Texas and have feral barn cats. Sometimes they leave for 6 to 8 months and reappear as if nothing happened. I did lose one to a coyote this summer, saw the coyote go after one of the other cats and stopped that but was missing the one. I kept searching until I found him and brought him to the barn to be buried in front.
For the cats in the winter I use an indoor/outdoor heating pad for cats which you can find on the web. You can plug that in in your garage and it stays warm enough for them to cuddle and sleep on but does not cause any fire hazard. I leave two plugged in in my barn aisle on stop of some rubber mats; the cats love them, the cords are chew proof and the plastic covers are waterproof and they come with a fleece cover to cover the plastic. They have to be safe if I will leave them plugged in with a barn full of hay and equines.
From Lorelei
11 years, 2 months agoI agree with the person above – it’s possible your little feral cat has moved on to a different garage. One of our outside cats disappeared and I’d given up hope. I happened to mention it to my neighbor, who told me that a cat matching the description had moved into her barn. And her barn was mouse free for the first time ever! So maybe Sandy has found an rich hunting area and is making another human very happy.
From Beth
11 years, 2 months agoI am so sorry to hear of your loss, but here’s hoping Sandy will find a way home. Warm and loving thoughts coming your way.
From Jewel Clark
11 years, 2 months agoI am sorry to hear about you cat. We live on a farm and always have them around. I have had 2 orange males over the years that come and go. It’s always make you wonder when they don’t come back for awhile. At times I feed as many as 15 farm cats.
From sandy
11 years, 2 months agoHow very much hurt we have when a precious pet leaves, going who knows where. I’m hoping Sandy returns one of these days and if so, here’s a big hug for all of you. Otherwise, here’s another big hug for all of you, as well.
Keep loving!
From Chris
11 years, 2 months agoI lost my 13 year old baby hoover and still miss her everyday, but I still talk to her thinking she can hear me wherever she is waiting for me, so I asked to to keep an eye out for your Sandy and make sure she is well taken care of till you are together again. Furry kisses and hugs to you.
From Cathy
11 years, 2 months agoSo sorry to hear about your Sandy. I have lost two cats in this manner. They simply go out one day, and never return. It has been almost 3 years since I lost my “Monkey” and I still catch myself doing a double take whenever I see a black and white cat that resembles him, even though I know he is not coming back. My heart goes out to you!
Cathy from NH
From Toni
11 years, 2 months agoSo sorry to hear about Sandy. I do know your pain. But quite honestly when I got you’re email regarding your loss, it gave me chills. As we just lost our kitten “Chloe” on Sept. 1st. (An accident in the home). And then just yesterday, our outdoor cat, “Bella” was attacked and killed by a dog. I don’t understand these two pet tragedies happening so close together. All I know, is that I remembered your email, thought about Sandy, then also thought how this somehow seemed to be almost a warning or premonition about the fate of our outdoor cat, “Bella”. Sandy’s personality fits Bella’s to a “T”. Tragic, and Bizarre. Peace and Blessings to you and Sandy.
From denise
11 years, 2 months agoI’m sorry to hear of your loss. They do make themselves at home in your heart with their quirky little ways. We have a “porch cat”. We actually know where her real home is but apparently she doesn’t get as much attention as she requires there. So she frequents our house for snacks and petting. She has disappeared a few times and we’ve been afraid she had come to some harm, but so far she has always turned back up, letting us know in no uncertain terms that she wanted her snack.
From Sue
11 years, 2 months agoI’m so sorry about the loss of your cat. I truly believe that she will be there waiting for you at the gates of heaven. It is a scientific fact that energy cannot be destroyed…so the essence of her lives on…just in a different form…waiting for you! Know that you made her days on earth very special!