Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day 2024

 

ABOUT RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY:

Deb Barnes founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (RBRD) in 2015 as a special day for pet guardians to honor the memory of those beloved pets in their life they have loved and lost, but never forgotten – whether fur, fin, feathers, scales or something else. It’s held every year on August 28, in honor of the day Deb had to say goodbye to her  precious Ragdoll cat, Mr. Jazz, the meow author of Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond.  

My "Baby Bobo"

The first to make his way over the Bridge was my precious Angel Bobo. I had found Bobo late in 1989 during a blizzard in Ohio. He was approximately 6 months old at the time. I was blessed to have him in my life for 18 years. Bobo was truly MY cat. He hated other cats, wasn't a fan of dogs (except for one Sheltie who lived near us in Ohio, that Sheltie was named Kelly and they used to eat grass together when Bobo would go outside on his leash.).

 Bobo was the first kitty I had ever share my life. We had a bond that I thought would never ever be as intense as it was, until:

My Cody

 

My Cody, My Codester, my precious love bug, my cuddle bug, my shadow, my heart, my soul. My "Velcro kitty". When Cody was adopted July of 2007 (two weeks after my Bobo passed), I never, ever thought that I would have a bond like that again. My Cody, the day I adopted him he crawled up my chest at Petco and wouldn't let go. From that day on until his tragic, unexpected death in 2020, he DID NOT LET GO. My chicken loving, catnip loving, Sheltie-loving cuddle bug only wanted to be loved from the moment we laid eyes on each other.

Cody was the reason that this blog began. He was my "co-pilot", my sidekick. Our blog started October of 2009 and to honor his memory, while the name of the blog has changed, the link never, ever will.

Cody gave me more happiness, love and yes, heartbreak than I could ever imagine. My precious boy, I miss you beyond words.

I used to love when Cody played with certain toys from kittenhood on, he would do a somersault while he played. It was the cutest ever. Cody was a "people cat". Anyone who entered our home, in his mind, was his friend.

He spent every single night on the armrest of the couch next to me while I watched TV. To this day, that armrest remains empty. 

When he wasn't sitting with, or following me, or playing with his brother, Cody loved nothing more than to spend time in his cherished cat tree.

I will be forever grateful for Cody's cat tree as well as his custom-made urn, where Cody is at rest. He gets to spend eternity in his favorite spot in the world, his cat tree.

My Dakota, My First Sheltie

Believe it or not, when Dakota joined our family in October of 2007, while I loved him, it took us a few years for us to truly form the deep bond that we had.

Daddy was the one who used to take Dakota to the Vet and to grooming, so he bonded with him earlier than I did. While I was CRAZY about Dakota, our bond deep bond began probably when he was about two years old. From that time on, Dakota and I were deeply bonded. So much so that he had an uncanny sense of understanding my emotions, coming to me to give me kisses when I would cry. He was my cooking buddy; he would watch me like a hawk from the babygate whenever I would cook, and I would tell him everything I was doing.

Dakota was stoic, funny, barky, quirky, handsome, loving, loyal and all I could have hoped for from my first Sheltie. Dakota was the fulfillment of a lifetime dream of being a mom to a Sheltie. I couldn't have asked for a better dog.

He adored his Daddy and his Mama, popcorn, apples, chicken, hamburgers and his beloved red, white and blue ball. 

He didn't like other dogs, wasn't a fan of that many people, but he was fiercely loyal to his Daddy, Mama and to his brother, Cody. Dakota loved with everything he had, even in his last moments. I am grateful for each and every moment I had with this special boy and miss him terribly.

Dakota and Cody adored each other. Many who wrote me notes of comfort when they passed, a mere 9 days apart, felt that the two of them planned on leaving together.  I'm not surprised. When Cody passed first, Dakota was lost. He kept looking for Cody everywhere, it was the most heartbreaking thing to witness. Dakota had already been diagnosed with cancer (Hemangiosarcoma), and when Cody left us, it was as if Dakota lost his will to live. He wanted to be with his Daddy and Mama but missed his brother terribly.

The photo below was the last photo of the boys taken together; it was taken extremely close to when they passed. I am grateful that I have it. Cody and Dakota brought his Daddy and Mama more joy and silly, loving moments than we ever could have imagined.

This is the sweatshirt that was on the floor of the closet

where Cody ultimately passed.

He chose to lay next to it.

This sweatshirt had been missing for years.

Until Cody passed away on it.

"Coincidence? I think not."

To each and every one of you who have lost beloved babies,

please remember:

"We all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun"--John Lennon

Thank you, my precious pets, for your unconditional love, for the happy times and memories that will live with me forever. Thank you, my beloved Cody, for this blog and all that I experienced because you were the first to make it possible. Love forever to all of you, always, your Mama.

I didn't intend for this post to be quite this long, and I thank you for taking the time to read it. I also would like to thank Deb Barnes for creating this wonderful event. I send my love to each and every one of you and look forward to reading your stories and seeing your photos of those "who came before." May we all derive some comfort from these posts.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day 2023, My Babies

 ABOUT RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY:

Deb Barnes founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (RBRD) in 2015 as a special day for pet guardians to honor the memory of those beloved pets in their life they have loved and lost, but never forgotten – whether fur, fin, feathers, scales or something else. It’s held every year on August 28, in honor of the day Deb had to say goodbye to her  precious Ragdoll cat, Mr. Jazz, the meow author of Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond.  

My "Baby Bobo"

The first to make his way over the Bridge was my precious Angel Bobo. I had found Bobo late in 1989 during a blizzard in Ohio. He was approximately 6 months old at the time. I was blessed to have him in my life for 18 years. Bobo was truly MY cat. He hated other cats, wasn't a fan of dogs (except for one Sheltie who lived near us in Ohio, that Sheltie was named Kelly and they used to eat grass together when Bobo would go outside on his leash.).

 Bobo was the first kitty I had ever share my life. We had a bond that I thought would never ever be as intense as it was, until:

My Cody

 

My Cody, My Codester, my precious love bug, my cuddle bug, my shadow, my heart, my soul. My "Velcro kitty". When Cody was adopted July of 2007 (two weeks after my Bobo passed), I never, ever thought that I would have a bond like that again. My Cody, the day I adopted him he crawled up my chest at Petco and wouldn't let go. From that day on until his tragic, unexpected death in 2020, he DID NOT LET GO. My chicken loving, catnip loving, Sheltie-loving cuddle bug only wanted to be loved from the moment we laid eyes on each other.

Cody was the reason that this blog began. He was my "co-pilot", my sidekick. Our blog started October of 2009 and to honor his memory, while the name of the blog has changed, the link never, ever will.

Cody gave me more happiness, love and yes, heartbreak than I could ever imagine. My precious boy, I miss you beyond words.

I used to love when Cody played with certain toys from kittenhood on, he would do a somersault while he played. It was the cutest ever. Cody was a "people cat". Anyone who entered our home, in his mind, was his friend.

He spent every single night on the armrest of the couch next to me while I watched TV. To this day, that armrest remains empty. 

When he wasn't sitting with, or following me, or playing with his brother, Cody loved nothing more than to spend time in his cherished cat tree.

I will be forever grateful for Cody's cat tree as well as his custom-made urn, where Cody is at rest. He gets to spend eternity in his favorite spot in the world, his cat tree.

My Dakota, My First Sheltie

Believe it or not, when Dakota joined our family in October of 2007, while I loved him, it took us a few years for us to truly form the deep bond that we had.

Daddy was the one who used to take Dakota to the Vet and to grooming, so he bonded with him earlier than I did. While I was CRAZY about Dakota, our bond deep bond began probably when he was about two years old. From that time on, Dakota and I were deeply bonded. So much so that he had an uncanny sense of understanding my emotions, coming to me to give me kisses when I would cry. He was my cooking buddy; he would watch me like a hawk from the babygate whenever I would cook, and I would tell him everything I was doing.

Dakota was stoic, funny, barky, quirky, handsome, loving, loyal and all I could have hoped for from my first Sheltie. Dakota was the fulfillment of a lifetime dream of being a mom to a Sheltie. I couldn't have asked for a better dog.

He adored his Daddy and his Mama, popcorn, apples, chicken, hamburgers and his beloved red, white and blue ball. 

He didn't like other dogs, wasn't a fan of that many people, but he was fiercely loyal to his Daddy, Mama and to his brother, Cody. Dakota loved with everything he had, even in his last moments. I am grateful for each and every moment I had with this special boy and miss him terribly.

Dakota and Cody adored each other. Many who wrote me notes of comfort when they passed, a mere 9 days apart, felt that the two of them planned on leaving together.  I'm not surprised. When Cody passed first, Dakota was lost. He kept looking for Cody everywhere, it was the most heartbreaking thing to witness. Dakota had already been diagnosed with cancer (Hemangiosarcoma), and when Cody left us, it was as if Dakota lost his will to live. He wanted to be with his Daddy and Mama but missed his brother terribly.

The photo below was the last photo of the boys taken together; it was taken extremely close to when they passed. I am grateful that I have it. Cody and Dakota brought his Daddy and Mama more joy and silly, loving moments than we ever could have imagined.

This is the sweatshirt that was on the floor of the closet

where Cody ultimately passed.

He chose to lay next to it.

This sweatshirt had been missing for years.

Until Cody passed away on it.

"Coincidence? I think not."

To each and every one of you who have lost beloved babies,

please remember:

"We all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun"--John Lennon

Thank you, my precious pets, for your unconditional love, for the happy times and memories that will live with me forever. Thank you, my beloved Cody, for this blog and all that I experienced because you were the first to make it possible. Love forever to all of you, always, your Mama.

I didn't intend for this post to be quite this long, and I thank you for taking the time to read it. I also would like to thank Deb Barnes for creating this wonderful event. I send my love to each and every one of you and look forward to reading your stories and seeing your photos of those "who came before." May we all derive some comfort from these posts.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day 2022, My Babies

ABOUT RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY:

Deb Barnes founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (RBRD) in 2015 as a special day for pet guardians to honor the memory of those beloved pets in their life they have loved and lost, but never forgotten – whether fur, fin, feathers, scales or something else. It’s held every year on August 28, in honor of the day Deb had to say goodbye to her  precious Ragdoll cat, Mr. Jazz, the meow author of Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond.  

My "Baby Bobo"

The first to make his way over the Bridge was my precious Angel Bobo. I had found Bobo late in 1989 during a blizzard in Ohio. He was approximately 6 months old at the time. I was blessed to have him in my life for 18 years. Bobo was truly MY cat. He hated other cats, wasn't a fan of dogs (except for one Sheltie who lived near us in Ohio, that Sheltie was named Kelly and they used to eat grass together when Bobo would go outside on his leash.).

 Bobo was the first kitty I had ever share my life. We had a bond that I thought would never ever be as intense as it was, until:

My Cody

 

My Cody, My Codester, my precious love bug, my cuddle bug, my shadow, my heart, my soul. My "Velcro kitty". When Cody was adopted July of 2007 (two weeks after my Bobo passed), I never, ever thought that I would have a bond like that again. My Cody, the day I adopted him he crawled up my chest at Petco and wouldn't let go. From that day on until his tragic, unexpected death in 2020, he DID NOT LET GO. My chicken loving, catnip loving, Sheltie-loving cuddle bug only wanted to be loved from the moment we laid eyes on each other.

Cody was the reason that this blog began. He was my "co-pilot", my sidekick. Our blog started October of 2009 and to honor his memory, while the name of the blog has changed, the link never, ever will.

Cody gave me more happiness, love and yes, heartbreak than I could ever imagine. My precious boy, I miss you beyond words.

I used to love when Cody played with certain toys from kittenhood on, he would do a somersault while he played. It was the cutest ever. Cody was a "people cat". Anyone who entered our home, in his mind, was his friend.

He spent every single night on the armrest of the couch next to me while I watched TV. To this day, that armrest remains empty. 

When he wasn't sitting with, or following me, or playing with his brother, Cody loved nothing more than to spend time in his cherished cat tree.

I will be forever grateful for Cody's cat tree as well as his custom-made urn, where Cody is at rest. He gets to spend eternity in his favorite spot in the world, his cat tree.

My Dakota, My First Sheltie

Believe it or not, when Dakota joined our family in October of 2007, while I loved him, it took us a few years for us to truly form the deep bond that we had.

Daddy was the one who used to take Dakota to the Vet and to grooming, so he bonded with him earlier than I did. While I was CRAZY about Dakota, our bond deep bond began probably when he was about two years old. From that time on, Dakota and I were deeply bonded. So much so that he had an uncanny sense of understanding my emotions, coming to me to give me kisses when I would cry. He was my cooking buddy; he would watch me like a hawk from the babygate whenever I would cook, and I would tell him everything I was doing.

Dakota was stoic, funny, barky, quirky, handsome, loving, loyal and all I could have hoped for from my first Sheltie. Dakota was the fulfillment of a lifetime dream of being a mom to a Sheltie. I couldn't have asked for a better dog.

He adored his Daddy and his Mama, popcorn, apples, chicken, hamburgers and his beloved red, white and blue ball. 

He didn't like other dogs, wasn't a fan of that many people, but he was fiercely loyal to his Daddy, Mama and to his brother, Cody. Dakota loved with everything he had, even in his last moments. I am grateful for each and every moment I had with this special boy and miss him terribly.

Dakota and Cody adored each other. Many who wrote me notes of comfort when they passed, a mere 9 days apart, felt that the two of them planned on leaving together.  I'm not surprised. When Cody passed first, Dakota was lost. He kept looking for Cody everywhere, it was the most heartbreaking thing to witness. Dakota had already been diagnosed with cancer (Hemangiosarcoma), and when Cody left us, it was as if Dakota lost his will to live. He wanted to be with his Daddy and Mama but missed his brother terribly.

The photo below was the last photo of the boys taken together; it was taken extremely close to when they passed. I am grateful that I have it. Cody and Dakota brought his Daddy and Mama more joy and silly, loving moments than we ever could have imagined.

This is the sweatshirt that was on the floor of the closet

where Cody ultimately passed.

He chose to lay next to it.

This sweatshirt had been missing for years.

Until Cody passed away on it.

"Coincidence? I think not."

To each and every one of you who have lost beloved babies,

please remember:

"We all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun"--John Lennon

Thank you, my precious pets, for your unconditional love, for the happy times and memories that will live with me forever. Thank you, my beloved Cody, for this blog and all that I experienced because you were the first to make it possible. Love forever to all of you, always, your Mama.

I didn't intend for this post to be quite this long, and I thank you for taking the time to read it. I also would like to thank Deb Barnes for creating this wonderful event. I send my love to each and every one of you and look forward to reading your stories and seeing your photos of those "who came before." May we all derive some comfort from these posts.

Honoring My "Baby Bobo" on Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: I was going to do a new post for this year but Dakota had a dental yesterday where he had 2 teeth removed (he is doing GREAT!!), so needless to say, I have been a bit distracted. To those who have seen this post the past few years, sorry.......to new readers, hope you enjoy reading about my "Baby Bobo"

ABOUT RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY:

Deb Barnes founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (RBRD) in 2015 as a special day for pet guardians to honor the memory of those beloved pets in their life they have loved and lost, but never forgotten – whether fur, fin, feathers, scales or something else. It’s held every year on August 28, in honor of the day Deb had to say goodbye to her  precious Ragdoll cat, Mr. Jazz, the meow author of Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond.  Be sure to share your posts, photos, videos, etc. on Facebook too by clicking this link.

My "Baby Bobo"

In order to not make this post overly "photo heavy" I have created three collages to honor my beloved Bobo whom I was blessed to share my life with from December 1989 until July 2, 2007.

Bobo was found as a stray in sub-zero temperatures when he was approximately six months old. He spent every day of his life showing me his gratitude for having rescued him, and more unconditional love and devotion than I ever thought could exist. His life cannot accurately be portrayed in a mere three collages, but that is all I can do for now. Many of the photos I am sharing with you today,  you have not seen, (I apologize for their poor quality, but they were taken before the days of cell phones and blogging), and I will offer some explanation of the photos. Please join me in remembering my beloved Bobo with all of my love and with a heart that still breaks and grieves when I gaze upon his photos and share these memories.

In this collage you will see in the top left some of Bobo's favorite toys that I cannot bring myself to part with, nor do I ever allow Cody to play with them. The photo on the top left shows them in the bag in which they are stored, in the bottom photo you see his "kitty" that he slept with every day, his stuffed woofie, a mouse, two balls and his catnip pillow with a picture of a kitty that looked so much like him.

In the photo on the top right, are his last bowls that are kept in a trunk for safe-keeping. I have never let Cody use them. They were Bobo's and as much as I love Cody, I never could bring myself to allow him to use these bowls.

This collage is rather eerie when you hear a story that accompanies it. First, why in the world I bought my mancat a PINK carrier is beyond me! For the life of me I have no idea why I did that!

The bottom left photo shows my maiden name with Bobo's name on top of the carrier, all ready for for trips to the vet. The photo on the right is my Bobo sitting on TOP of his carrier which he used to do ALL of the time!

The photo on the top left is a photo of the  carrier as it looks today.  I keep it in the closet of my office, everything in it is exactly as it was since the day he crossed the bridge.I haven't changed or touched a thing. I sometimes think I should dispose of it, but I can't. It will be with me always.

What is eerie is one day I couldn't find Cody. I searched everywhere, and when I finally found him I found him IN the closet, IN Bobo's carrier. He had opened the door, crept in, and it has now become  one of his favorite sleeping spots. He does this nearly EVERY DAY.  I like to think that on some level he and Bobo are communicating, and I am convinced that they are. How and why Cody ever discovered this in the closet, I have no idea. For some reason it brings Cody happiness and comfort to sleep there, and it makes me happy that he does it.

I leave you with a photo of Bobo on the top left in his eating area when we moved to Michigan in 2001. 

The other photos show him on the couch that was Lenny's before we were married. There is a photo on the top right of Lenny and Bobo. Lenny didn't meet Bobo until he was 12 years old and had already slowed down considerably, but they were blessed to have six years together. Sadly, that is the same couch that the Vet helped him cross the Bridge on and we no longer have it. I just couldn't keep it, it caused me enormous pain every time I looked at it.

Painting of Bobo by Becart

I used to think Bobo's markings were so unique until I saw a number of cats in the blogosphere who looked so much like him it was uncanny! I adored his perfect four white paws and his "bib", he was such a handsome boy.

He wasn't a people cat as Cody is, I often wondered what Bobo experienced in the months before he found me. He didn't like strangers, he was a much more fearful cat than Cody (who is fearless), but he had a sensitivity and a remarkable way of being attuned to every nuance of my being that was something that isn't experienced often in ones' lifetime. When I hurt, he hurt, and vice versa.

The Rainbow Bridge poem was given to me by a friend when Bobo passed. I keep it in a frame in my office, where it still brings me comfort.

I didn't intend for this post to be quite this long, and I thank you for taking the time to read it. I also would like to thank Deb Barnes for creating this wonderful event.

I send my love to each and every one of you, and look forward to reading your stories and seeing your photos of those "who came before." May we all derive some comfort from these posts.