In my Honolulu office, I had many pictures on my wall and they had to be removed in preparing to consolidate our offices in Redmond, Washington by the end of the month. A large number of those special pictures are of my cat, my friend and one of the sweetest kitties ever…Punkee.
In January, after fifteen great and wonderful years, Punkee passed away.
I have had a kaboodle of cats and kittens in my life since I was a child. In 1994, when my daughter Brittany was 5 years old, we went in search of her first kitten. Little Punkee was a resident at the local animal shelter when we found him. After we sat down in the kitten petting room at the shelter, it didn’t take long to know Punkee would be coming home with us.
He was bright and affectionate, with a sweet disposition. He was quick to stand up and say, “I’m the one! Take me! Take me!”.
We named him Pumpkin but his cuteness had us calling him Punkee soon after. He quickly had us all trained as his humble servants. In return, he lit up the house with his playfulness and love. As he and Brittany grew up together, they were best friends. The hat photo here was from one of their many “let’s dress up Punkee” parties.
Everyone thinks their cat is special, but Punkee truly was a cat that everyone who met him commented in how super friendly and mellow he was. He loved to be pampered by family, friends and strangers alike.
I have hundreds of wonderful memories of Punkee. He loved the TV remote control, using it for his pillow while sleeping and he enjoyed the little “nubs” during the daily kitty massage he counted on receiving when his daddy got home from work.
Losing Punkee was a big change for my family and I. We take comfort in knowing the challenges of aging and poor health no longer cloud his days and in our hearts know change can make us feel glad and sad all at once. How fortunate we were to share fifteen wonderful years with a kitty of a lifetime!
I just want to say how sad I am. I understand that bond. We have a dog that won't be with us for long. she has had 2 tumors taken off in the last 3 months one which was last week. she is 15. So my heart goes out to you and yours family.
ReplyDeleteI also want to commend you for getting him at the shelter. I use to run one and made it a no kill as long as I was there. It is no fault of the animals that the humans don't take care of them that they end up there. They were created by God as we were so I thank you for rescuing "Punkee".
Sincerely Theresa Hill
What a nice post for a wonderful family member! I always find comfort from the poem at Rainbow Bridge, where a few of my wonderful pets are waiting for me.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm
Marguerita
No matter how long they live, it's never long enough! I've had many cats in my life too, and each one was special. I know how much you miss your Punkee. Your memories of him will always be with you.
ReplyDeleteOrange tabbies are the best. I'm a dog person, but once, when living in rural Montana, I inherited an orange tabby from a "city" friend (is Billings a city?) who found it wandering around with a tight rubber band around its tail. The tail eventually fell off, but Leinenkugel's spirit never did. (Named after the beer for her color.) She would sit on the dining room bench and swat at the dogs as they passed her, trying to goad them into a wresting match. She would wander off for days at times, checking out the neighborhood for juicy rodents, and return to enjoy some more wrestling. One week she didn't return, and we found her body lying near a black-widow spider's web. It broke my heart, but I think the dogs missed her the most. Hear's to tabbies!
ReplyDeleteJust saw your post about your dear Punkee, So sorry that he is no longer a part of your daily life but what warm and wonderful memories you have and what a great life he must have had with you and your family.
ReplyDeletemy condolences,
Linda
Thistledown & co
I love cats and am sad for you in the loss of Punkee. Those are some sweet pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet kitty and a moving tribute.
ReplyDeleteAmanda (Scoopie77 from Twitter)
What a lovely post about your beloved Punkee. I can relate to the sadness of losing your pet but also how one doesn't want suffering for that pet. We lost our dog, Skeeter, to cancer and I still get tears in my eyes when I think of him.
ReplyDeleteYou have a really nice style of writing that is very enjoyable to read.
Lovely story, and such a wonderful tribute!
ReplyDeleteAs a cat lover myself, I can certainly identify with the bonds our pets form with us. I have a twenty-two year old cat, Ashley, who I know I will find curled up in her favorite spot just any day now.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tribute to your Punkee cat.