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> Smarty, Short journey for a special kitty
Flossie's Mom
post Jul 29 2012, 11:30 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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Joined: 31-October 08
From: Raleigh, NC & Hazen, ND
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Smarty's journey with our family began almost exactly five years ago in Raleigh, NC. He hitched a ride in a small trailer behind my husband's service truck. He jumped out and it took me several days to ease him into our house. Lots of food in dishes moved closer & closer to the door & eventually inside. We were headed for a month long vacation so asked a friend who loved cats and had lost his two not long before this to keep him while we were gone. He said he may want to keep him so we told him he could if he wanted to or we'd take him back if he didn't work out. Well he really loved the cat so made his home with him for the next year and a half. Upon our friends' death, our daughter took Smarty to care for him.

In 2011 we moved Smarty across the country to North Dakota......... long ride for him but he did good. Today he took his last car ride out to our farmstead to rest in his favorite bed in the trees near the garden. He had gotten hard to touch, hid a lot, difficult with the other pets in the family but all the tests we'd had done did not show anything of concern. With a new cat in the family we thought that was the problem & it should work itself out with more time as well as trying to work with him. Today he climbed into a chair near the window and just laid his head down no longer responding so we knew the time was near. Since he did not seem to be suffering we kept him home but planned to take him in tomorrow morning should he survive the night.

About 9 this evening Smarty took his final car ride, in his favorite bed to the farmstead to rest in that bed underneath the trees near the garden. We hope he had a better life as a result of that first trailer ride to begin as well as end his journey with us. Who knows what may have been his fate? Five years is short and we know not what took him but he joins his Daddy Brooks and we know they will be happy together once again. We will forever wonder what happened as he was eating normally until yesterday. He died peacefully in the chair, near the open window.

RIP Smarty Pants!!!
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Gretta's Mom
post Jul 30 2012, 06:56 AM
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Good morning Smarty Pant's mom

(What a great name!) Smarty Pants is one of those animals who has a very strong spirit, someone to find on earth (you and you family) and a mission to accomplish (watch over you at a special time, teach you some life lessons, and most important, love and be loved by a soul-mate or mates). They choose their time of arrival, put themselves in the path of their one(s)-and-only, and then choose their times of departure. Seldom is this shown more clearly in your dear, darling Smarty Pants. Rest assured that he is back in the Perfect World - the place he's been since time began and where you wiill one day join him and live together forever. Because spirits can do things we humans can't do - Smarty Pants is also right there beside you - still on his job - still loving the greatest love in the world. Love like this never diminishes, it only grows. Gretta (the kindest chocolate lab who ever lived) has met Smarty Pants and is taking "smarty pants" lessons from this wonderful cat.

Be well.

Gretta's mom
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moon_beam
post Jul 30 2012, 10:25 AM
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Hi, Ginger, please permit me to add my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved Smarty. Losing a companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company.

From what you have shared with us there is no doubt in my mind that you, your husband, your friend, and your daughter gave Smarty a loving earthly journey. One thing I have learned over the years is that, while the medical professions - - both human and veterinary - - can be very helpful in diagnosing and offering treatment to help restore the physical body to a good quality of life, it is not perfect because there are so many variables involved in the testing process itself. You did the very best for your precious Smarty in trying to help him, and I hope this will be of comfort to you and your family in your grief adjustment journey.

You helped Smarty to know the kindness and love of humans who cared for him during his earthly journey, and for this you and your husband will be always be his "first loves". You made sure that others who came into his life would love him and take care of him as you and your husband would, and so you continued to be his earthly guardians. And although his earthly journey was brief, you have given him a beautiful place of rest for his physical body in your garden. Although he is now reunited with his Daddy Brooks, your beloved Smarty is also forever in your heart and your memories, Ginger - - his sweet Living Spirit is forever with you continuing to share your and your family's earthly journey just as he always has and always will. He is forever a part of you - - he is always a heartbeat close to you.

Thank you so much for sharing your beloved Smarty with us, Ginger. He is a very handsome young lad, and his eyes reflect the assurance he has that he is loved. Please know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers as you travel this grief adjustment journey, Ginger, and please let us know how you are doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
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DannysMom
post Jul 30 2012, 05:33 PM
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Flossie's Mom, please accept my sincere sympathies on the loss of your cat Smarty. What a handsome kitty boy! I love the pattern of grey and white on his face, it is so unique! I am sorry that you do not know what happened to him. He could have had a stroke or something like that, but I am not a vet. I know it is a comfort to you that he died so peacefully. I am very sorry for your loss. It is never easy to lose one of our precious fur kids. I hope that you can find some comfort in the memories of your life with Smarty.


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
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Tom's Dad
post Jul 30 2012, 06:20 PM
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Please allow me to also express my deepest condolences on the loss of Smarty (A beautiful boy) Five years is all too short a time (as I painfully know all too well) Rest in peace Smarty, and know that you were loved on this earth.


--------------------
Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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Flossie's Mom
post Jul 30 2012, 11:24 PM
Post #6





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 383
Joined: 31-October 08
From: Raleigh, NC & Hazen, ND
Member No.: 5,211



As always the wonderful people here have helped comfort and encourage me with the passing of our Smarty....... that name has a story behind it.............. my husband is a "dog" person, not so much a "cat" person. So my coaxing the kitty inside was not something he would have done and not too sure he was "thrilled" with my rescue efforts. Smarty hid a lot behind or under the furniture. Observed from top of the coffee table but kept his distance. When he did decide to finally get on a lap....... guess what? he chose my hubby's lap. So he named him Smarty since he seemed to realize who he needed to convince to let him stay! We told our vet that story & he agreed the name was appropriate, saying to Smarty "you have hit the jackpot here Smarty". He knew what care we had given our beloved Flossie and what expense we had gone to for her.

As always moon_beam you know just exactly what and how to say things to help us put such a sad passing into a perspective that we can reflect on what we had rather than what we've lost. And it is not really what we've lost because we have wonderful memories and we still have those. You have such a caring way of helping so many of us here and LS is very blessed to have your thoughtful words for all of us.

Danny's Mom, I had not even considered a stroke. I'll mention that to our daughter as she is really struggling with the suddenness of it. Thanks so much for thinking of us while you also are still in the midst of your journey having lost special ones so recently.

Gretta's Mom, thanks so much for your comforting words to us. It is such a help to know people understand our grief journey is a work in progress. Maybe Smarty has met Gretta and is OK with her being a DOG!

Tom's Dad, thanks also for taking the time to express your condolences. I know you have struggles of your own with your loss as well as the job/travel situation and finances trying to care for your two precious fur kids. I appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to send greetings to our grieving family.

We will get through this and unfortunately we will need to face this more than once again in the future as we have 3 dogs and 8 cats between us in the family. NOT all in the same household fortunately.

Thanks to all of you once again..............
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sher_mark
post Jul 30 2012, 11:47 PM
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Dear Flossie's Mom,
I'm very sorry for your loss of Smarty. He was a beautiful kitty and was clearly much loved and cared for.
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moon_beam
post Jul 31 2012, 07:56 AM
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Hi, Ginger, thank you so much for sharing with us how you and your family are doing, and for sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Smarty with us. Indeed - - through his assessing the situation of his new home he knew that he needed to win your husband's "approval" - - and in a way that your husband could not refuse such a special addition to the family.

As you know, Ginger, we live in a physically oriented world governed by the five senses of taste, touch, sound, smell, and hearing. A huge part of our grief journey is adjusting to the physical absence of our beloved companions. This is a painfully slow process - - both emotionally and physically, and one which can only be handled one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time in our own way and in our own time. Please know that your daughter and family is in my thoughts and prayers that each day will be one day closer when the deep sorrow will be less so that they can find joy once again in their treasured memories of their, and your, beloved Smarty.

I hope today is treating you and all your family kindly, Ginger, and that each of you will have a very peaceful evening. Thank you again so much for sharing your beloved Smarty with us, please know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
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Flossie's Mom
post Jul 31 2012, 09:32 PM
Post #9





Group: Pet Lovers
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Today our Grandaughter, who is staying in the camper located on our property, asked me if Smarty had been in that trailer when he first came to North Dakota....... Yes, he was there for 4 months until our daughter found a place closer to her job. I asked why. She said she felt a cat jump onto the bed during the night.

That was Smarty I am sure. He is telling us that he is OK. His physical body is resting on the property so he was letting us know that his spirit is also here!


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Gretta's Mom
post Aug 1 2012, 06:46 AM
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Smarty's Mom

A Smarty visit!!!!!! That's exactly what happened. Dear Smarty IS telling you that he is OK, he is there, (and as a spirit, he is also in the Perfect World), he's still watching over you, loving and being loved by you.

YOU GO, SMARTY!

Gretta's mom
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moon_beam
post Aug 1 2012, 11:02 AM
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Hi, Ginger, thank you so much for sharing with us how you and your family are doing. How wonderful that your granddaughter shared a visit with Smarty's sweet Living Spirit. I hope she was not frightened or concerned about the experience but rather felt comforted by it - - and you as well.

Thank you for sharing another picture of your beloved Smarty with us. He is so handsome. It never ceases to amaze me how our furkids can keep their whites so sparkling white - - it must be the natural "detergent" in their saliva and the little scrub brushes on their tongues.

I hope today is treating you and all your family kindly, Ginger, and that each of you will have a very peaceful evening. Thank you again so much for sharing your beloved Smarty with us, please know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
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Tom's Dad
post Aug 1 2012, 05:18 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 4,059
Joined: 6-January 11
From: Louisville KY
Member No.: 6,946



Sounds like you did indeed receive a visit from Smarty. They are often few and far between in own experience. But are always precious. I still get them from Tom from time to time. I can usually tell from Theresa and Tang's odd behavior and interest of the door to the furnace/AC closet (Tom's favorite place) I hope that you get more visits in the future from Smarty letting you know he is OK and still watching over you. Thank you for sharing.


--------------------
Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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