Remembering My Little Danny Boy, about my Tuxedo cat Danny Options

[DannysMom]

moon_beam and xxForeverxx, thank you both for your kind and comforting words. Having this forum to come to and finding kind and supportive people on here has helped so much. I don't know where I would be without your support. I too hope that 2013 will bring me much happiness. 2012 has been such a bad year for me in so many ways. My Danny boy was quite a character. Neither one of my "girls" open and bang shut the cabinet door where the food is stored like he did. Sometimes I miss that. He was always quite clear on wanting to be fed. Tina used to eat his kitten food when he was little and I think that's why he got into the habit of wolfing down his food like he did. Danny would actually push my hand out of the way as I was pouring the food into his bowl and he would wolf it down and purr loudly while eating. He was so funny and such a character.

The most amazing things about him were that he hardly ever hissed. I didn't even know he could hiss until he was a couple years old. He let Tina pounce on him and play rough with him, but every once in a while he would let out a hiss and she would stop and stare at him as if to say:"Geesh! I didn't know it bothered you!"

The other amazing thing about him was that he never chattered at the birds. He genuinely liked them. There was a pair of house finches who used to set up their nest on my balcony in one of the flower pots every year and they would always eagerly greet Danny. He was fascinated by these birds. They haven't come by since he died. I think he probably liked birds because there were birds in the pet shop where he was and maybe he liked them singing and chirping at night when the shop was closed.

He did not like windy days and was terrified by gusts of wind when he would go out onto the balcony. It sent him running back inside. When he did something wrong, which was almost never, I would always use his formal name "Daniel" and tell him gently no.

[moon_beam]

Hi, DannysMom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing, and for sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny with us. He is an incredible little boy who has endowed to you the sole privilege and honor of being his Forever Mom, and sharing his eternal love.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Mindy and Shelley kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious girls will have a very peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening blessed with your beloved Danny's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious Mindy and Shelley. Please know you and your precious girls are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing with you and you and your precious companions are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[xxForeverxx]

Hi DannysMom

Fudge is no closer to opening the cupboard door. Seems he has given up and become lazy and he just lays down by the food door like Ellie does now! Not quite as clever as you sweet Danny. Bet it taught Tina a lesson by him eating so quickly.....she probably looked at his bowl with disappointment thinking "oh Danny has figured it out, no more extras for me"

That is so cute about the birds. They obviously generally came by your place to see Danny. Maybe Danny has sent them to another house where the cat likes birds.

I love the fact you would use his full name when he was a little bit naughty. I cannot imagine him being called Daniel. I am sure it was not very often you had to use it though. It is definitely like telling off children telling off out fur babies!

xxForeverxx

[DannysMom]

moon_beam and xxForeverxx, thank you so much for stopping by and honoring my little Danny boy! I so appreciate your kind words and walking along this journey with me.

Danny was a clever one indeed, and I will always fondly remember him banging the cabinet door shut even if it sometimes startled me. I miss that sound as crazy as it may seem. I'm afraid Mindy is not much of a "bird lover" but rather a hunter. She chattered away at the birds this morning from her window perch. Those finches felt so safe with Danny that they even sat on the balcony railing when I had the door open once. He truly liked birds and enjoyed their sweet song.

Yesterday I got a page from our help desk and to my delight the guy's name was 'Danny'. Every movie that has a "Danny" character in it always make me think of my sweet kitty boy. I remember how one morning he accidentally got locked in the linen closet and remained there until I returned home from work. He looked very sleepy when I let him out and went straight to the litter box. I felt so bad for him, and from then on always checked the linen closet.

Despite his sweet nature Danny could be a bit of a "bully" sometimes. He would chase Tina under the bed and sit there so that she wouldn't get out. He loved chasing her in the living room and would quickly trap her behind the two-seater by darting from one end to the other and not letting her escape. He was quite a funny character.

[moon_beam]

Hi, DannysMom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing and your treasured memories of your beloved Danny. I am chuckling about your sweet boy getting shut into the linen closet one day. This brings many memories to my heart of some of the "predicaments" a few of my furkids have found themselves in, and how very grateful they were to be "rescued."

Thank you so very much for sharing your beloved Danny with us, DannysMom. I hope as you continue to travel your adjustment journey that you will find more joy and comfort in your treasured memories - - and the deep sorrow in your heart less intense.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Mindy and Shelley kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious girls will have a very peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening blessed with your beloved Danny's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious Mindy and Shelley. Please know you and your precious girls are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing with you and you and your precious companions are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[DannysMom]

Dear moon_beam, thank you for your support and for sharing my Danny with me. He never got himself locked in the linen closet again after that incident, but he did get locked in my clothes closet more than once. Tina and Danny were always drawn to that closet and would have happily napped in there if I had let them.

I don't know why, but I had a bad crying spell this past Monday evening. I guess I just always try to keep it inside, because I don't want to upset Mindy and Shelley. But for some reason the pain wanted to be let out. I thought of how he had heart problems and I didn't even know it. I remembered him crying out in pain on Christmas Day. It broke my heart to see him in so much pain, and even now as I'm writing this it brings tears to my eyes. Danny was such a happy and loving cat. He should have lived to a ripe old age and died painlessly in his sleep. I had a good cry Monday and the next two days I felt kind of "out of it".

I keep thinking people will tell me that I should be "over it" by now, but Danny's death and the way he died left such a huge hole in my heart. And once in a while the pain just wants to be let out. It may just be another year before I can truly think of him and not feel pain. He was such a treasure. One look from those soulful green eyes would just always melt my heart.

[moon_beam]

Hi, DannysMom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. Please let me try to offer you some comfort when you share with us: "I keep thinking people will tell me that I should be "over it" by now, but Danny's death and the way he died left such a huge hole in my heart." DannysMom, there is no such thing as "getting over" the physical loss of a loved one - - whoever the life form. It is very normal for you to feel a huge hole in your heart for a very integral part of your life is no longer physically with you. Remember, this is an adjustment journey. Even though the calendar indicates that the first year of adjustment has occurred, it simply means that you have endured through the first year "withouts" - - this doesn't mean that you will no longer feel moments of sorrow - - sometimes intensely - - in not having your beloved Danny's physical presence with you. Even now many decades since a little kitty I had when I was a very young girl transitioned home to the angels on Thanksgiving Day I can still feel deep sorrow in my heart and sometimes a mist in my eyes when I think of my brave little Willie.

So please know you are always among friends here who truly do understand what you are going through. We are here for you for as long and as often as you need us to share the not so bad days, the better days, and the days when it seems like your heart is breaking anew without your beloved Danny's sweet physical presence beside you. In time the deep painful sorrow does ease, but this can only happen in your own way and in your own time.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Mindy and Shelley kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious girls will have a very peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening blessed with your beloved Danny's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious Mindy and Shelley. Please know you and your precious girls are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing with you and you and your precious companions are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[xxForeverxx]

Hi DannysMom

Even if people did think you should be over it......they have obviously never owned an animal......an animal that can mean just as much as a child can to someone. A constant companion in your life. A little feline friend who never shouts at you, understands when you are grumpy and is there to cheer you up with hugs and love. If any of my friends said that I would ignore them as they just have not had that special feeling.

I do not think it is bad you had a cry. Danny was a special boy and your crying because of that very reason. I feel sometimes it makes me feel better to cry to as I am sure it does you.

It is funny how peaceful he was with the birds but he liked to wind Tina up! I think that is the male side of him though as it is Fudge that always jumps on Pixie first and sometimes you can see she just lays there silent and still until he realises she did not want to play and gets bored and walks away.

I hope you are feeling OK today.

xxForeverxx

[DannysMom]

moon_beam and xxForeverxx, thank you for understanding and for your support. I guess I feel pressured sometime to feel better and get "over it", but it's really a journey with twists and turns like moon_beam often says. There will be good days and not so good days. It really does take time for the heart to heal, and Danny meant so very much to me. I was so smitten with him the very first time I saw him. I knew he was meant to be with me, and I'm glad I was there at the right time.

xxForeverxx, thanks for saying that crying does help. It really does. It releases the pain that builds up inside and it has to go somewhere or I would go crazy. I'll never forget how much I hurt last year in January. My heart literally ached and I would often have chest pains. It was a deep and horrible ache from losing Danny.

He was a little jokester and prankster and he knew he could push Tina's buttons so easily by just standing there and looking at her with his big green eyes. He didn't have to say anything, just sit there and stare at her and Tina would give off a short protest and then leave "her" cat chair for Danny to sit in. When one was in it the other one would always try little tricks to get the other one out of the chair. Tina would start playing with a toy and try to get Danny to jump out of the chair.

In the mornings Danny would lie down by my feet and rest his head on my feet. He would wait for me to wake up, patiently sitting in front of my face. Waking up to see those big green eyes and long whiskers was always such a joy. He had this loving look on his face, my sweet boy. It's little wonder I miss him so.

[moon_beam]

Hi, DannysMom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. You and your beloved Danny share so many wonderful memories. I am so chuckling about the "possession in 9 tenths of the law" method he and Tina established for enjoying Tina's chair. That is soooo funny.

I know how comforting it was for you to wake up to your beloved Danny's sweet face, and how so very difficult it is adjusting to his physical absence. I hope somehow the cherished memories you have offer you comfort, especially when the deep sorrow becomes more than your heart can bear.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Mindy and Shelley kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious girls will have a very peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening blessed with your beloved Danny's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious Mindy and Shelley. Please know you and your precious girls are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing with you and you and your precious companions are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[DannysMom]

Has it really been 1 year and 1 month today? Sometimes it seems much longer and other times it seems like it was just yesterday. I remember how lost I felt without Danny last January, how the pain was just too much to bear and I would do nothing but cry and have this constant ache in my chest like my heart was about to burst. Thankfully, my Mindy snuggled right by my face this morning when I woke up. I really don't know how I made it through it all last year, without Danny and then without Tina.

My heart aches for my sweet Danny boy today, wanting to just hold him one more time. I wish I had taken videos of him. I often thought about it, but never got around to it. I would love to see him run around again and hear his sweet, melodious voice again. I loved hearing him purr. He had such a strong and loud purr. And he purred often, especially when I petted him. I loved the way he would crinkle his little nose and sniff the fresh air when going outside on the balcony. One time when I was real sick with a bad cold he curled up by my feet to comfort me. I loved waking up on the weekends and finding him next to me on the bed. That was the best part of waking up on a Saturday morning, with my little friend right there and Tina as well. I loved Danny so much and love him still. Living life without him is still painful at times, especially when the 28th of the month rolls around.

[moon_beam]

Hi, DannysMom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing, and your treasured memories of your beloved Danny. As we look back over the days, weeks, months, - - and eventually years - - as we continue on with our earthly journey it can bring many mixed emotions as to how we have managed without the precious physical presence of our beloved companions who are now with the angels. Even years down the road our hearts can still grieve and wish as we tenderly hold our beloved companions forever in our hearts and memories. The good news is that the deep seering pain does ease so that the memories that once brought us sorrow during our deep grief journey can once again bring comfort and joy.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Mindy and Shelley kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious girls will have a very peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening blessed with your beloved Danny's, and Tina's, sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious Mindy and Shelley. Please know you and your precious girls are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing with you and you and your precious companions are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny, and Tina.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[xxForeverxx]

Hi DannysMom

Do you know what helped you through last year? The fact that Danny and Tina gave you so much joy that they sent you another two beautiful cats in their memory to look after you. That is how you got through it. They never left you, they are always with you guiding you and helping you carry on.

It is lovely how he used to sit with you until you woke up and be with you when you were ill. I know it must be hard that you do not have any videos but I think photos say much more and all the ones I have seen of Danny tell a story. A story of a boy who loved his mummy. And all the years he was with you I bet you have loads of photos.

Thank you for sharing more about Danny. I feel like I am getting to know an amazing cat. I cannot wait to see more photos of your precious boy.

xxForeverxx

[DannysMom]

moon_beam and xxForeverxx, thank you for your kind words and your support. My Danny was so special. I wished I had taken more pictures of him, but I always thought I had more time. The few pictures I do have of him are precious to me. He very much enjoyed being photographed and would happily "pose" for pictures, seeing how it brought me so much joy. Here is one of him and Tina lying on the stairs together. I miss how he used to hop on the bed in the morning and rest his head against my feet. He loved it when I used the flannel sheets, because they were so soft and warm. He would "help" me make the bed, and roll around on the soft new sheets. The picture I use for my profile here is my favorite. I recently had that put on a coffee mug, and so now I can sip my coffee while looking at Danny's sweet face. I haven't been to the pet cemetery in a while, and hopefully the weather will be nice enough tomorrow. I had wanted to put a rose on each of their graves for Valentine's day, but I did not get around to doing that.

[moon_beam]

Hi, DannysMom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing, and for sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny with us. I always smile when you share pictures of your beloved Danny and Tina with us, and this picture is no exception. There is no question in looking at this picture that your beloved Danny and Tina know they are loved, and are so happy to have you for their Forever Mom.

I hope you will be able to visit their resting places this weekend as you want to. Even though you were not able to visit them on Valentine's Day I hope you find comfort and joy in knowing that every day is a Valentine Day when love is shared.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Mindy and Shelley kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious girls will have a very peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening blessed with your beloved Danny's, and Tina's, sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious Mindy and Shelley. Please know you and your precious girls are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing with you and you and your precious companions are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny, and Tina.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[Jake'sGrandpa]

moon_beam and xxForeverxx, thank you for your kind words and your support. My Danny was so special. I wished I had taken more pictures of him, but I always thought I had more time. The few pictures I do have of him are precious to me. He very much enjoyed being photographed and would happily "pose" for pictures, seeing how it brought me so much joy. Here is one of him and Tina lying on the stairs together. I miss how he used to hop on the bed in the morning and rest his head against my feet. He loved it when I used the flannel sheets, because they were so soft and warm. He would "help" me make the bed, and roll around on the soft new sheets. The picture I use for my profile here is my favorite. I recently had that put on a coffee mug, and so now I can sip my coffee while looking at Danny's sweet face. I haven't been to the pet cemetery in a while, and hopefully the weather will be nice enough tomorrow. I had wanted to put a rose on each of their graves for Valentine's day, but I did not get around to doing that.

Cute kitties!

[DannysMom]

Jake's Grandpa...thanks. They were very cute, both of them.

So today it's 1 year and 2 months. Monday, March 4, would have been Danny's 13th birthday. I always thought he'd be around for 13 or 14 years. He always seemed so healthy and didn't really have any health problems, except that he was overweight. I tell Mindy about Danny sometimes and what he used to do. I am so glad that Mindy also likes tummy rubs just as Danny did and that she also likes getting her hind paws rubbed (the paw pads), just like Danny. It is comforting to me and always makes me smile.

I don't think I'll ever forget this sweet kitty boy who brought so much joy into my life.

[DannysMom]

Today, March 4, would have been Danny's 13th birthday. I had planned on putting some flowers on his grave yesterday, but I've been ill and so I was not able to go. I do feel bad about it, like I've let him down in some way, and I hope he knows that I remember him today, on what used to be his special day. I always used to sing "Happy Birthday" to him on his special day, and he enjoyed it. Danny was such a happy and laid-back kitty boy. He had a real sweet temperament. I used to take short naps with him, and it felt so good just lying down on the bed beside him, and I felt refreshed afterwards.

It makes me sad that today is his birthday and he is no longer here with me. I miss him so, still. Sometimes I think the older we get the harder it is to bounce back after a loss in life. Danny was so special in so many ways, and he was such a sensitive kitty boy. That made him all the more endearing to me.

[Jake'sGrandpa]

DannysMom, Danny knows that you will always love him and will never forget him. Like you, I miss a lot of the little things that Jake and I did together. It's been nearly 8 months since I lost him and the hole in my heart is not getting any smaller. We just have to hang in there until that day when they run to meet us again forever at the Rainbow Bridge. Take solace in that thought.

[moon_beam]

Hi, DannysMom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing, and for sharing your beloved Danny's earthly birthday with us. Please permit me to try to add some words of comfort and encouragement to Jake's Grandpa's words of wisdom.

It really doesn't matter how old we are when we experience a loss, for how we respond to it is as individual as the nature of the loss. The relationship you share with your beloved Danny is a very special one in its own unique way, and because of this the adjustment to no longer having his sweet physical presence is extremely difficult. And when we have other life challenges to endure at the same time this can prolong and intensify the adjustment journey.

Please know that your beloved Danny knows how much you love him, and that this love continues to grow each and every day.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Mindy and Shelley kindly, my friend, and that you are feeling better. I hope you and your precious girls will have a very peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening blessed with your beloved Danny's, and Tina's, sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, and of your precious Mindy and Shelley. Please know you and your precious girls are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to sharing with you and you and your precious companions are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Danny, and Tina.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam