Last night our cat Rado (pronounce as in Silverado) died. We think he suffered a massive sudden stroke.
All animals are unique, God’s creations, and Rado was a very special gift for 6 years. A former stray, he came into our lives unexpectedly as a battle-scarred scruffy guy who had enough of the rough life. So, six years ago he took a chance on us, and from that moment to this we were forever grateful for his presence.
After the initial vet check and neutering, Rado immediately sought to find his place in our family and was uniquely gifted at expressing thankfulness. He lived his absolute best life for the past six years and was reciprocally cherished beyond all imaginings.
As his battle scars healed, Rado blossomed into his beautiful Russian Blue best. A truly handsome fellow, and incredibly unique in cat disposition. His heart was a feature of his personality that exceeded his good looks.
Each day Rado would check on his peeps, making his forever faithful patrol rounds to see what everyone was doing, a trait later called his ‘security checks.’
Once he knew his humans were in their appropriate and familiar places, he would go about doing cat things – napping and enjoying his best life, while remaining watchful and forever thankful.
It is said that pets generally will attach to one member of the household, and I have found that to be true in all cases until Rado. He received a middle name because he just seemed to need one. Thus, in his second year, Rado became Rado-Thomas.
As if he were forever as concerned about equitable devotion as he was for showing appreciation, Rado Thomas loved everyone equally with his full appreciation.
His intentional efforts were uniquely noticeable. Through each and every day of the six years he put time, effort and energy into making sure his adopted humans knew he was thankful.
In the life of Rado Thomas, perhaps an outcome of his origin, he never once took anything for granted. He loved very well. “Those outside days are over,” he would seem to convey, “this inside stuff is just way better.” With that expressed opinion solidly as his foundation he never once again looked wistfully toward the outside; nope, not even a twitch or a flinch. “Right here” was his place, right here.
Rado was an unexpected gift upon arrival and became a visible reminder of how to define ‘steadfast’. “You move, I move, that’s just the way it is human,” and with his companionship, even when it was totally undeserved, that’s just the way he was.
I am sure many readers will understand when I say he was more than ‘just a cat‘.
Rado Thomas will live forever, deeply in my heart.
Farewell my boy, I love you.
~ Sundance
.
So this where we part my friend.
And you’ll run on around the bend.
Gone from sight but not from mind.
New pleasures there you’ll surely find.
I’ll go on, I’ll find the strength.
Life measures quality, not it’s length.
One long embrace before you leave.
Share one last look, before I grieve.
There are others that much is true.
But they be they, and they aren’t you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought.
Will remember well, all you’ve taught.
Your place I’ll hold, you will be missed.
The fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest.
Take with you this…. I loved you best.
—Jim Willis 2002
I have a photo on the bulletin board here in the office of my mid-50s son in the vet’s office at the end of a long day spent wrestling giant tires on the 18-wheelers and the great ore trucks in the Colorado mountains. He’s still wearing his brilliant yellow work vest, kneeling on the floor, head-to-head, with his old dog, Top; holding Top’s head in his big hands, saying the painful goodbye. Oh, yes–we “loved them best”–always.
His household has now become a place of cats. They come running as he comes in the door at the end of the day. They climb straight up his work clothes until they find that familiar place on his shoulder.
As the transition to cats was taking place over many months, he sort of pretended he didn’t like the cats so much. It’s about six months since he lay that pretense aside and now I get photos of the latest great thing the cats did….on a fairly regular basis. One of them is the most beautiful calico.
We have a small herd of barn cats as my husband calls it (only six I do not know what his problem is).
They all have names but he insists on calling them all “Puddy” just to be difficult I think.
When we feed them daily in our barn he always checks them and if one does not come running fast enough for the food or does not show up at all he worries and fusses and goes looking for it.
Their health, comfort and welfare are more important to him than he wants us to know even though we do tease him a bit about it.
Yesterday the youngest Woodstock, a tiny yellow kitten did not come in, and he spent two hours looking for the little guy giving up only when it got too dark to look anymore.
Thankfully Woodstock showed up just ten minutes later in our dining room window begging for a treat, what a relief.
So sorry to hear about Rado, he was such a handsome boy.
What a loss for your family Sundance.
Beautiful – I think I have something in my eye.
Jimmy Stewart reading a poem about his deceased dog, “Beau”, on “The Tonight Show”.
Such a simple expression of love, it made me cry.
It looks like Johnnie had to wipe his eyes dry as well.
When I was growing up we had dogs. Our first dog wandered into our back yard dragging a heavy chain around her neck. She was a young pregnant female escaping from a violent owner. He let us keep her and soon after she had nine puppies. We found good homes for all the puppies and kept the mother and one puppy ourselves.
At one point we had four dogs at once. They had the run of the house, but aways asked to be let outside to go to the bathroom. They were never tied, and they never ran away.
When we traveled, the dogs were cared for by others. When we returned, the dogs went crazy with joy and emotion.
He was beautiful and he looks so much like my cat Ted, who hopefully has many years left. We had a cat of 20 years pass away a few months ago and just today my wife went and got an urn for his ashes. RIP Ozzy. All of our cats sorta just found their way to us in various ways. Heck, of the three we have now, two are neighbor’s cats that ended up ours because they just didn’t really want them and they’d spend all their time over here hanging with Ted and Ozzy. Then they moved and said “Well, do you want to just keep ’em?” Well, we sure aren’t letting you guys abandon them!
So sorry, Sundance. Wishing you well.
Oh Sundance I am so sorry. They are never just a cat or dog but family. No favorites as they are and were wonderful creatures sent from God. Remembering Husky, Lobo, the beagles, Scudder, Tommy, Biscuit, Madeline, Little Debbie, Harry who we thought was Harriet, Shep, and presently we are blessed with Roxy and the Kitten. so many more over my 81 years. All strays but Husky who was a spitz chou given to me when I was six. Harry was a maine coon who loved only me. As I buried his ashes under a walnut tree I wept and told him good night sweet prince and may angels guide thee to thy rest. Can’t write anymore as I’m sobbing. Blessings on Rado Thomas and especially you Sundance.
Written by Richard Lockridge at the time of the Gettysburg address.
For Emma the Warrior Dog
“Since she is mortal, as am I,
My dog too must someday die,
And being flame while I am clod,
It will be she who goes to God.
Go bounding up the golden flight,
Slit-eyes undazzled by the light,
And pause before the golden chair
To lick the star dust from her hair.
Await afraid (yet without fear),
As goddess once, before God appear;
A gentle touch from Hand Divine,
She will be God’s dog, as she was mine.”
Merry, everytime I read this, it goes straight to my heart; and depending who we’ve lost, dog or cat, I find this a comfort in ways I cannot explain. I hope you will as well. 💕B
Thank you Betsy. The lovely poem helps but the tears keep streeming. At 81 nearly everyone is on the other side and I find myself dreaming about some of them. At the end of a dream about my sister we were at the Stoneboro fair and ready to leave. As I waited for her to get in my 1946 Chrysler windsor a wonderful man came to my window and told me my sister had gone ahead.
Oh Merry….I understand the tears, of which I’ve had my fair share this Christmas as well. I am not a dream analyzer, but perhaps you can think of yours as a sign that those you’ve lost you will be seeing again one day. I think of Joseph for example, and the message that his espoused wife was bearing the Son of God, which came to him in a dream. He often spoke to people through dreams…I don’t doubt He still does.
Sometimes one can’t put a finger on exactly why those tears come…for any reason, for no reason, for all the reasons. Best to just let them flow. They are after all prayers in themselves even without words. My heart is with you, my friend. And I hope His peace will be with you as well.💕B
Our sincere condolences on the loss of Rado Thomas.
What a fitting and beautiful eulogy SD!
WOW!! What a beautiful tribute to Rado. Being an animal lover and being the recipient of many pet’s love (canines), I can certainly relate to that wonderfully written tribute. Sorry for your loss. But thankful for your memories of Rado.
Such a wonderful tribute to a special cat! Godspeed Rado! You did good.
You have my sympathy for your loss. I have always believed God gave us dogs and cats to teach us how to Love others.
I’ve often wondered why dogs and cats have such short life spans relative to the people they love.
Our dogs were an integral part of our family. They grew up with our children. I even had to diaper the Havanese on one particularly chaotic road trip.
On Christmas morning, our big galoot lab tiptoed around the Christmas tree, opening treats wrapped in tissue paper. He was as excited as the kids! Every morning, he took a ride to school with our eldest daughter.
The smaller dog loved squeaky toys. We saved one in our memory box that plays his favorite Christmas tune. He was our ‘talking’ dog. He would growl the other dog’s name, and never let his ‘brother’ out of his sight!
Both dogs passed while the kids were away in college. College kids all dread this, as it’s a common occurrence, kind of like Toy Story. As I said, why must they leave us so soon?
My sincerest condolences, Sundance. All I can say is we are better people for having loved our wonderful family pets.
So sorry for your sudden loss, Sundance. Our pets are part of the family and we grieve their loss as we would a family member. I have been in your shoes several times with the loss of our Dobes over the years. It never gets any easier. You never forget them, either. I still think about all of my Dobes that have passed almost every day. They are with you forever.
💞
Very sorry he’s gone. Been there; still cry, missing my Bigboy.
Beautiful tribute to a beautiful cat. Pets can never be replaced…only remembered.
We are cat people. We like dogs, and don’t want one. If we need a dog “fix” the neighbors dogs work fine. We have been adopting cats from rescues, shelters and off the streets for 30 years. We are on our third generational round of cats, with only 8 living with us currently. When we lose one, we come home to love the ones still here. Most of them are grateful, one is almost feral, so she gets attention only when she wants it badly.
After a medical scare with my lovely wife, we decided to no longer get young cats, but look for older cats, in shelters needing to finish out their lives with us, and hopefully before us. So far we have brought in 2, 1 with cancer, one with kidney failure. They were excellent cats. The one with cancer lasted 2 years and the one with kidney failure lasted one year, we lost her just a few months ago.
If you can find it in your heart, please bring in an older animal looking to spend their golden years with you. Spending their later years in a cage is not how they should live.
So sorry for your loss Sundance. You truly loved him and he knew it.💔💔
I’m sorry.
Sorry for your loss.
Sorry for your loss. There is a terrible void left by the sudden loss of one’s pet. Lost our doodle of 13 years ,6 months ago. I miss him everyday and our house seems empty for now.
I wish pets would live longer because losing one is so devastating. Given the current state of the environment we live in I prefer dogs over people. Pray and help others
This was a beautiful write up. So sorry for your loss.
I still have screen savers…paw prints…the poem I posted on Rainbow Bridge…. for my “inherited” Pomeranian Chloe (a college pet of daughter #1) as well as my two Westies, Max and Maria, both all heart and no brains at times when it came to confronting bigger dogs.
All 3 lived lived full lives, 17+ years.
They were, without question “my dogs” and real characters as well as my best friends.
Condolences on your loss.
Love your Poms name doc00!
Love your screen saver idea too.
My heart is broken!!! I am so sorry. They are never “just a cat.” He is absolutely beautiful. And what a beautiful tribute to Rado-Thomas. RIP, RT. You were loved. 💔 😭
I am so sorry for your loss. It is never easy to lose a beloved furry friend. You gave Rado Thomas the best years of his life. He was a handsome fellow. My sincere sympathies to you Sundance.
Heartfelt sympathies in losing your beautiful Rado Thomas, Sundance. Cats have a way of entering our hearts and leaving their paw prints there permanently. He truly was blessed by you and your family, as you were by him.
My heartfelt condolences.
Been there–multiple times.
Requiescat in Pace et in Amore, Rado
un gran companero
As I am becoming more and more disgusted with humans, who have turned their back against God, I’ve come to appreciate more the love of God manifested in pets. While I’ve been greatly saddened by my personal losses, I have in recent years, become tremendously happy and appreciative to God for the good years that I have had with my pets.
God bless Sundance and family. Rado rocked and his memory and love still rocks.
A beautiful tribute to someone so loved.
May you meet again on that bright shore.
The look on Rado’s face says a lot about your relationship. He may have had a little “Sundance” in him.
I’m very sorry for your loss, Sundance. When our cat, Mr Smithers died, my dad, a grizzled iron worker, said simply “It’s hard. They’re beautiful.”
I’m so sorry Sundance. Pets are one of God’s most beautiful gifts. It’s so hard to say goodbye. 💔
I lost my first pet, a basset hound named Brutus, right before Christmas when I was about 11. My parents got him a couple of years before I was born and from the beginning we adored each other. I cried so much when he died. He had a stroke and our vet advised us to put him to sleep because he was suffering. Even the vet cried a bit. He had cared for Brutus since he was a puppy.
That was over 30 years ago. I’ve lost a few more pets since then. I remember and love them all.
Praying for your peace and healing. ❤️✝️🙏
As the fortunate adopter of a “they don’t make them like that anymore” cat with an impeccable character, my condolences and heartfelt understanding for your loss.
❤️
Bless y’all big time. I know what kind of friend you just lost. Big hug y’all
They are family as much as any other member. Some are strongly more of a family member than humans. Family sometimes picks us and we are the better for it. Nothing I can say can ease the passing. They will always be with you.
Let me offer my sincere condolences as I wipe the tears.
4 years ago I lost my “soulmate kitty”, an expression I picked up from a breeder. He was a gorgeous Norwegian Forest cat that somehow found us on our country property. We had him for 12 years and he changed our lives forever. Like you said, they are more than just a cat! Your boy is a beauty.
Lucky God, has all these wonderful souls with him just waiting to be reunited with us.
Norwegians and Maine Coons are amazing cats. We lost our Norwegian last year. Best natured animal I’ve ever seen.
I am so sorry, we have a cat that looks just like Rodo. She is 13 years old and like Rodo is bonded to all of us.
I’m sorry, Sundance.
My heart grieves for you and your family.
I pray you are able to feel the Lord’s presence, support, and love.
Sorry for your loss of such an amazing friend…
My heart goes out to you. As a cat owner and lover my whole life, I know the joy and happiness that a cat brings to each and every day. I am happy that Rado Thomas found a loving home these past six years!! RIP
I took home my 1st pet in 20 years, an abandoned 1 – 2 year old calico who I named “Kali”. The cat’s previous owners trashed out their rented apartment attached to a barn that was on the same property as a farmhouse where I was installing new flooring. I walked through the apartment about a week after the slobs vacated to scout what will almost certainly be one of my next jobs. The slobs moved and locked the cat out with no food. When I let her into the empty apartment she RAN from room to room and freaked out crying. She knew her “family” was gone. She knew.
The slobs had told me Kali was their cat. They moved nearby and were allowed back on the property but just decided she wasn’t worth taking. They had 4 dogs and 2 other cats. For whatever reason, she didn’t make the grade.
She is very affectionate, playful and intelligent. She’s also 100% house broken.
I will never forget when I went out the back door of the apartment into the 2nd floor of the barn. She heard me and came running down from the floor above me and leaped onto a trashed mattress standing next to me. She sunk her claws into my coat with one paw and gripped the mattress with her other paws in a death grip while crying and rubbing her head on me. I hope I never see a scene like that again.
She’s my cat now.
Good on you Boogystew
My sister had a Russian blue — Anthony.
What a dapper nephew he was! All the extended family adored him.- big, ole chunky guy!
All of us — not just my sister, were devastated when he passed.
Wishing you heartfelt sympathy. These fuzzy relatives are the heart of our families! 🐱 ❤️
Sorry for your loss. I can appreciate the heartbreak having had 6 dogs and 4 cats through my many years. Each different than the other with their own unique personality and I remember each vividly with love and joy.
Beautifully said, Sundance. May your hearts always remember Rado with a middle name.
Nearly two years ago both my 17 year old babies crossed on over months apart. Cats live forever, just not on this earth. Looking forward one day to seeing not only these two but, a lifetime of critters who passed through my heart and life. My prayer is for perfect peace for you and all who knew Rado-Thomas.
So very sorry for your loss. A magnificent tribute for Rado Thomas. Rest in peace and love “Dear Boy.” You loved and were loved.
I am so sorry! What a beautiful boy! Not writing more thru tears, and I’m a dog person. Much love and comfort to ya’ll.
What a great story and a sorrowful loss. Condolences Sundance. Rado Thomas certainly was a handsome boy, and I am so glad you found each other to share some quality life together. Nothing like the love of a pet. I am sure he will be missed.
RIP Rado. You were obviously well loved and will be greatly missed.
My rescue animals have always been the counterbalance for the daily shortcomings of humans in my world.
Their loss always leaves a big empty spot.
My condolences.
For you Sundance,
Truly sorry for your loss. Losing these family members is painful. If it helps, I’ve taken some comfort in the thought that those 4 legged members, who loved unconditionally, maybe only went on before us and are now bonding with our other human love ones that also went on before us.
oh, how I luv the gentle grays. I luv them ALL more than I can say, but the grays have a bit of heaven in them even when they’re here on earth. good night, sweet boy.
Pets are God’s gift to us and I’ve had many in my lifetime. I loved them all deeply as a cherished family member and grieved just as deeply when each passed. One was a Russian Blue named Mary adopted at barely eight weeks that I was blessed to have for fourteen years. My condolences Sundance.