Devi has gone to the Rainbow Bridge

 I know we haven't posted for a while. Some of you saw this on Facebook. We lost our beautiful sister Devi to a sudden aortic thrombosis on July 30th. We love her and we miss her so much.

Frootbat Friday

We both love to lie in the sun! :) For those of you who asked if we could get sunburned. Yes, if we were outside in direct sun, we would need to wear sunscreen so that we wouldn't get sunburned. However, indoors, the glass in the windows block enough of the bad UV that causes sunburns, and so we don't burn. When we go outside on our harnesses, we aren't out long enough to get sunburned, and our humans make sure we always have lots of shade.




Yesterday was a holiday here in Germany, so we weren't around to visit all of our friends. We are sorry that we were unable to return your visits, and we will visit as many of our friends who commented as we can today. Thanks for understanding!

We are very sad to hear that Bonnie Underfoot has gone to the Bridge. Our deepest condolences to her family.

(Thanks to Zoolatry for the graphic)

Tags: Frootbat, Frootbat Friday, Sphynx, Canadian Sphynx, Canadian hairless, cat, hairless cat, hairless kitten, kitten, Sphynx kitten

Purring & Remembering

Miral has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. We are purring and praying for her family.

Thanks to The Cat Realm for the graphic.


There was a fire at the apartment where Mu Shue, Lilly Lu and Iris live. Their mom Laura was not home at the time. We are purring and praying that Mu Shue, Lilly Lu, Iris and all the other pets living in the building managed to get out and are safe. Watch the Cat Blogosphere for further updates.

Mancat Monday: Remembering Caesar

(Created with Kitty Doodles by Patricia Christensen)

Caesar, a dear friend and wonderful kitty, has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. He went to sleep and never woke up. Caesar, you will be missed. We loved you very much.

Your family has our deepest and most sincere condolences. You were well loved and you are now an angel at the Rainbow Bridge. We know you brought your family much joy, and had a wonderful life full for happiness and love. You also brought joy into the lives of your friends, and our lives are the richer for having known you.

Please go and leave a word of condolence on Caesar's blog, for his littermate Prinnie, and the rest of his family. We are sending our love, hugs and purrs to them.

Caesar, You Will Be Missed

Caesar, a dear friend and wonderful kitty, went to the Rainbow Bridge last night. He went to sleep and never woke up. Caesar, you will be missed. We loved you very much.

Your family has our deepest and most sincere condolences. You were well loved and you are now an angel at the Rainbow Bridge.

Please go and leave a word of condolence on Caesar's blog, for his littermate Prinnie, and the rest of his family. We are sending our love, hugs and purrs to them.

Memorial Monday

Yesterday, my humans attended a Remembrance Day ceremony at one of the Commonwealth War Graves south of Munich, Dürnbach War Cemetery. This cemetery contains 2,934 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 93 of which are unidentified. Among these are British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and Indian burials, many of them air force personnel. There are also 30 war graves of other nationalities, most of them Polish.

It was cold and windy, typical weather for Remembrance Day. It threatened to rain, but the precipitation held off for the duration of the ceremony. Military personnel from many countries were at the ceremony: British, Canadian, German, and a handful of other nationalities, and many of them had their spouses with them. They were all happy to brave the inclement weather to honour all those who gave their lives for our freedom, and to honour those who have served in the past and who continue to serve.

The ceremony consisted of prayers, two minutes of silence at 11am, and laying of the wreaths on the central cross in the cemetery. The Gospel of John 15: 9-17 was read in English and in German.

₉ As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. ₁₀ If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. ₁₁ These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. ₁₂ This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ₁₃ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ₁₄ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. ₁₅ Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. ₁₆ Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. ₁₇ These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Due to the weather, my humans did not bring their camera or take any photos, but I do have a scrapbook layout from Vimy Ridge, Canada's National First World War Memorial, that I would like to share with you.

(Click image to view a larger version. Credits for the scrapbook layout can be found here.)

Tags: Remembrance Day, Vimy Ridge,

Thursday Thirteen: In Honour of Veterans' Week

This Week I am presenting two special Thursday Thirteen lists in Honour of Veterans' Week (November 5-11) and Remembrance Day (November 11th)

13 Conflicts Past and Present in which Canadians Have Served

1. The First World War - During the First World War, 60,383 Canadians lost their lives, 155,799 were wounded, and there were 1,630 civilians killed (in the Halifax Harbour explosion). Many historians believe that Canada became a nation, separate from Great Britain, with the Battle of Vimy Ridge in the First World War
   
   
2. The Second World War - Canada’s participation in the Second World War was a massive effort involving millions of Canadians from coast to coast. Nearly 47,000 Canadians died and nearly 55,000 were seriously wounded between 1939 and 1945.
   
   
3. The Korean War - 26,791 Canadians served in the Korean war, 516 died, and 1,558 were wounded. Another 7,000 served in the theatre between the cease-fire and the end of 1955.
   
   
4. First and Second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF I and UNEF II) - Canadian Forces members took part in the United Nations (UN) peace missions in the Gaza strip and the Sinai peninsula of Egypt between 1956 and 1967, and again from 1973 to 1979.
   
   
5. United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus - The Canadian mission to Cyprus lasted 29 years, making it one of the longest overseas commitments in which Canada has ever participated. In total, more than 25,000 Canadian Forces members served in Cyprus over the decades.
   
   
6. Operation DANACA UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) Golan Heights - Between 1974 and 2006 over 12,000 soldiers, sailors and air personnel served in the Golan Heights.
   
   
7. Persian Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm) and United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission - More than 4,000 Canadian Forces personnel served in the tense Persian Gulf region in 1990-91, as part of the international coalition of countries that came together to force the invading forces of Iraq out of neighbouring Kuwait. In the aftermath of the conflict, Canadians continued to serve in peacekeeping and embargo-enforcement efforts in the region. My human dad served a tour of duty in Kuwait during the first Gulf War.
   
   
8. United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) - My human dad is one of the many Canadians who served a six-month peacekeeping tour in Haiti. He was one of the Canadian Forces engineers who "brought their expertise in road maintenance, mine disposal, water supply and power generation to the peace support efforts."
   
   
9. Operation HARMONY - United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR)
   Balkan Region - More than 2,000 Canadian Forces personnel served in the Balkan region with UNPROFOR and one of its successor missions, the United Nations Peace Forces Headquarters (UNPF).
   
   
10. Operation PALLADIUM - NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) The Balkans - Again, my human dad was one of the many Canadians who served a six-month tour of duty in the Balkans. More than 40,000 Canadians served in Bosnia-Herzegovina and twenty-five Canadians lost their lives while serving there.
    
    
11. Operation TOUCAN International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) and United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) - 600 Canadian Forces personnel served in East Timor.
    
    
12. Operation ECLIPSE - United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) - This is another peacekeeping tour that my human dad did. This one was particularly rough on my human mom, because he was gone over Christmas. My human dad was one of the first officers and soldiers to go over, because he was among the engineers setting up the camp. When they arrived, there was nothing but an empty field, and they had to build everything from scratch. They were living in pup-tents and burning their waste while they set up the camp. On Christmas Day, it is traditional for Canadian officers to do many the soldiers' duties, to give the soldiers the day off. So my dad spent that Christmas burning human waste (this was before they had the sewer system for the camp set up) and ate a "boil a bag" meal. This was also during their first month of the tour, so they didn't have any phone or computer access yet. They only had the satellite phone for emergencies. So my mom couldn't even talk to him at Christmas. Once the camp was set up, around mid-January, she started hearing from him almost every day via email, and once a week by phone. But that Christmas was hard for her.
    
    
13. OP ATHENA - Afghanistan - The Canadian contribution to the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) - There are currently 2,286 troops serving in Operation Athena and close to 10,000 Canadians have served in Afghanistan since 2002. 71 Canadians (70 military and one diplomat) have lost their lives in Afghanistan, including Captain Nichola Goddard, the first woman in Canadian history killed in a combat role and the first female member of the Canadian military killed in combat since the Second World War.
    

13 Ways to Take Part in Veterans' Week (courtesy of Veteran's Affairs Canada)

1. Pause for the "2-Minute Wave of Silence" at 11:00 a.m. on November 11 for the men and women who served our country during wartime.
2. Attend commemorative ceremonies at the local cenotaph.
3. Watch the national Remembrance Day services on television and remember that the National War Memorial in Ottawa is dedicated to those who served in time of war.
4. Wear a poppy in tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives for freedom.
5. Plan a candlelight tribute to commemorate a special anniversary with one of the regiments, air force groups or naval associations in your area. Visit Veterans Affairs Canada's Web site for links to Veterans' groups and organizations.
6. Spread the word about Veterans' Week.
7. Organize a lunchtime discussion on how the wars still have an impact on our lives today.
8. Encourage your local public library or archives, both important resources for community history, to create a display of wartime memorabilia (for example, photographs, uniforms, badges, military medals and decorations, diaries) in your office complex.
9. Hold a series of readings during the Week on books by or about Veterans and the wars.
10. Organize a walking tour of historic sites related to Veterans' achievements in your community, for example businesses, hospitals, museums, grave sites, etc.
11. Contact your local Royal Canadian Legion Branch, local historical or genealogical society, the history department at a nearby university or community college, or local Veterans' groups for information and speakers. Bookmark Veterans Affairs Canada's Web site for links to Veterans' organizations.
12. Visit a Veterans' residence, senior citizens' residence or nursing home to talk to older men and women about their lives and experiences during times of war.
13. Ask your local school board, a trustee or teachers to use the school resources provided free each year by Veterans Affairs Canada in the classroom.
    
    and for those currently serving:
    
    Get in touch with a member of the Canadian Forces either in Canada or overseas. All the addresses for Canadian Forces bases and overseas operations are listed on the National Defence Web site at Write to the Troops.
    

Tags: memes, Thursday Thirteen, Remembrance Day, Veterans' Week, Canada, military, history

Goodbye Jasmine

Jasmine has gone to join Gizzy at the Rainbow Bridge.


Please stop by Millie's a leave a word for Millie and her mom and send lots of purrs their way.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

After playing hard, I sometimes like to relax in my tent.

We remember all those who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge.

Tags: Easy Like Sunday Morning, Sphynx, Canadian Sphynx, Canadian hairless, cat, hairless cat,

Tribute to Whiskers

(Scrapbook layout credits can be found here.)

Dragonheart's mom here, borrowing his blog to remember the one who came before him, Whiskers. A year ago today (September 1st), Whiskers went to the Rainbow Bridge. He was 19 years old and died of kidney failure. He would have been 20 in November.

I received Whiskers as a birthday gift for my 15th birthday. He was the best birthday present ever. When we went to the breeder to pick him up, I had the choice between him and his brother. I chose Whiskers because he was friendly and curious - he came right out to me and sniffed my hand, and let me pet him. He then started purring.

Whiskers acquired his rather uncreative name due to the fact that he was missing the whiskers on one side of his face when we picked him up. They had been bitten off while wrestling with his brother. The name Whiskers suited him, and so it stuck, although he was often called "Whiskey." Whiskers was a Seal Point, although his front paw pads were the wrong colour for a Seal Point - they were too pale. But his back paw pads were the dark brown/black of a Seal Point, as was his nose. Whiskers had the most amazing, gorgeous blue eyes. The photos don't do them justice. They were a deep, intense blue, and just amazing.

When we brought Whiskers home there was another cat living with us, my sister's cat, Princess. We had had her for about 8 months. Whiskers and Princess became friends, and it was very clear that Whiskers was my cat and Princess was hers.

Whiskers was a wonderful, friendly guy. He loved people and delighted in being the centre of attention. He loved cuddling up on a lap (especially mine), and being pet. He had a wonderful, loud, rumbling purr, as well as the "typical" loud Siamese voice. He slept with me at night. When he was a kitten, he liked sleeping on my pillow, curled up on my shoulder-length hair. In the winter, he loved curling up under the covers, at my chest or behind the crook of my knees.

When he was a few years old, we almost lost Whiskers. He swallowed a needle. Fortunately, it lodged sideways in his throat, and I easily felt a weird lump there. The vet was able to remove it surgically, and Whiskers had no more health problems (other than the plaque build-up on his teeth that is common in Siamese) until he was in his late teens and developed kidney disease.

Whiskers was a wonderful companion. When I fractured the L2 vertebra in my back (I fell off a horse while jumping) and was confined to bed rest for a couple of months, he was my constant companion, keeping me company through the long days, and entertaining me with his antics. He loved playing with drinking straws, especially the bendy kind. When I recovered from my back injury, I switched universities, and ended up moving away from home. Sadly, I couldn't bring Whiskers with me to the University Residence, so he stayed at home with my parents, my sister, and Princess, my sister's cat.

Every time I came home from university, he was there. Ready to purr for me, sleep with me, and play. When I graduated from university, and moved into a place of my own, we decided that at that point, since Whiskers and Princess were starting to get old, and had spent almost their entire lives together, it would be cruel to separate them, so they stayed with my sister and brother-in-law. Fortunately, they lived in the same city, and so I was still able to see Whiskers frequently.

Last summer, my husband and I moved to Germany. As most of you know, Dragonheart's "dad" - my husband - is an officer in the Canadian Forces, and we were posted to Munich for three years. I knew Whiskers probably wouldn't still be alive when we moved back to Canada in three years time. He was 19 years old, he had kidney disease, and he missed Princess, who had gone to the Rainbow Bridge about 6 months earlier. So I sad my goodbyes to him before we left, spending a lot of time petting him, hearing his wonderful purr with him curled up in my lap.

A year ago today, I received the phone call that I knew would come some day. Whiskers had gone to the Rainbow Bridge.

As a tribute to Whiskers, I commissioned a painting of him by my very talented friend, Michelle Wiebe. You can see the painting here, and read more about Whiskers here or here.

I still miss my darling Whiskers, some days more than others. Sometimes when I visit Latte's blog, I get a little misty, because there are certain photos or poses that Latte strikes that remind me a lot of Whiskers. Fortunately, the immediate pain and sorrow of his loss has passed, and I remember all the wonderful times we had together. I also have Dragonheart, who is even more friendly and cuddly than Whiskers was (which is amazing!) and we we hopefully have a little brother or sister for Dragonheart by Christmas (I'm waiting for news from Dragonheart's breeder on her next litter of kittens.)

Whiskers was a very special cat, and he will never be forgotten. I miss him and I still love him. He will always have a very special place in my heart.

Tags: Whiskers, Siamese, Meezer,

Frootbat Friday

In this photo you can really see my forehead wrinkles (aren't they cute?), my ear tufts and my nose fur. You can also easily tell that I lack whiskers. I have a couple of very tiny, short, curled whiskers on either side of my face, but that's it. I don't miss them. Many Sphynx have no whiskers at all, and we get around just fine. We (usually) don't try to enter spaces that are too narrow for us to fit in, and we (normally) don't get stuck in places that are too tight. I guess we have developed other methods of estimating the size of objects and other ways of navigating in the dark. I understand that whiskers are very important for other cats, but we Sphynx get along just fine without them!

(Click photo to view a larger image)

In memory of all those who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge. Tomorrow, it will be a year since the one who came before me, Whiskers, went to the Rainbow Bridge. So my mom will be borrowing my blog to leave a special tribute for him. I will be giving her lots of purrs and cuddles tomorrow, because I know she'll be sad.

Tags: Frootbat, Frootbat Friday, Sphynx, Canadian Sphynx, Canadian hairless, cat, hairless cat,

Remembering Oscar and Anastasia

(Thanks for Skeezix for the graphic)

Dear, Sweet Oscar has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. :( You can read about it on Emma's Blog. Please stop by Oscar's blog and leave a word of condolence to his family.

Oscar, you were a wonderful friend and you will be missed.

(Anastasia's Altar courtesy of The Cat Realm)

We are also very sad that Anastasia has gone missing, and it is believed she has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. :( Please leave your thoughts for Karl and his human staff at The Cat Realm. Anastasia, your light will continue to shine over the Cat Blogosphere.

Farewell Chatham

Chatham has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. Chatham, I hope that you will find the one who came before me, Whiskers, there. He was also a Siamese, and he went to the Rainbow Bridge on September 1st, 2006. Unlike you, he didn't quite make it to his 20th birthday, dying 2 months shy of that milestone. Please drop by Chatham's blog to leave your condolences. (Thanks to Skeezix for the graphic.)

Goodbye Sweet Suzanne

My dear friend Suzanne has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. She will be dearly missed. (Please feel free to use this graphic on your own blogs.)

My Heart Will Go On

Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you go on.
Far across the distance and spaces between us
You have come to show you go on.
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on.
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on.
Love can touch us one time and last for a lifetime
And never let go till we're gone.
Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold you
In my life we'll always go on.
Near, far wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on.
Once more, you open the door
And you're hear in my heart
And my heart will go on and on.
You're here, there's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on.
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on.

Will Jennings