(IND) Dendesi's Cookies 'n' Cream

(September 28, 1998 - March 10 2002)

We brought her home on a rainy December day in 1998. She was as cute as a little Chocolate button, and as sweet too1

Cookie was Mommy's special girl, and she loved to have quiet time with me, just the two of us. If she could sleep with us, she would curl herself into a ball halfway on top of my face, and I loved her for her loving nature. We would have long "conversations" about things as well - she loved to talk to us when there were no other cats around.

There was no warning of anything being wrong with our Cookie. She was in beautiful condition, and we were looking forward to having a new litter with her in the Summer, 2002. That's why the shock of opening the cat room door on the morning of Sunday, March 10, 2002 was so great. How can you ready yourself to find a cat laying dead on the floor!?! I was in shock, and just could not believe that she was gone, without there being anything we could have done for her.

Our vet did the autopsy, and found that Cookie had had a blood-clot quite close to her heart, which in turn caused cardiac arrest. So we know that she did not suffer long, and the way she was laying on the floor also told me that she couldn't have been in pain or conscious for long.

There are no words to say how much we miss our precious Cookie. She was in many ways the apple of my eye, and she was a very special girl in so many ways.

Cookie will be missed dearly, and will be thought about every day that goes by!!

Good bye, our beautiful Chocolate Cookie - may you rest in peace!!

(N) Apelia's Felicity

(April 19, 2000 - May 20, 2000)

Our F-litter was born on April 19, 2000. We knew there were five kittens, and I was ready for complications, since was Cookie's first litter...you never know with first time "moms".

We were blessed with three girls, and two boys. "Felicity", as she was called, was the smallest kitten in the litter from the start. She just seemed to develop slower. At the same time she seemed active and there were no "outward signs" that anything was wrong. I just gave her some extra food. If I didn't feed her several times a day, she lost weight, even though she seemed to be getting milk from Cookie. I probably should have taken this as a sign, but we do all we can to help the small ones. She was so sweet - so special, and the more time I spent with her, the more special she became to me.

It got harder and harder to feed Felicity - she just didn't want to eat, but I thought that if she just got to the point where she started eating "other food" with the others, it would be OK. 

On Friday, May 19, 2000 Cookie came to us in the den/TV room, carrying Felicity. I should have taken this as a CLEAR sign that something was REALLY wrong, and  that she just wanted me to take over.  She just seemed tired, so I put her in a warm "puff" bed and kept her on my lap, and gave her drops of glucose water. It seemed that she just needed to rest - there were still no signs that anything was wrong - she just seemed tired. She didn't want milk from her mother on Friday evening or on Saturday, May 20, so I kept her with me, and tried to give her the glucose water, as well as some remedy to help upset stomach. It seemed that her stomach was hurting, but she seemed happy when I petted her.

During the evening on Saturday, we were watching TV, and I was petting Felicity. And then suddenly she was just "gone". It was like one second she was there, and the next, her little life was gone - like a candle that was blown out. We tried for an hour to get her to come back, but she was just gone.

Looking back, I see what a big difference there was between her and her sisters & brothers. Bjornar says that if I hadn't tried feeding her like I did, she probably would have died much earlier. This is probably true, and maybe I even in some way hurt her by trying to keep her alive. But I just couldn't watch her wither and die without trying. We did not have an autopsy done, as our vet said that it would probably not help explain why she died.

Felicity was placed in her final resting place in our garden, with tulip bulbs over her, so that we can see something of beauty and think of her when the Spring comes. Burrying her tiny body was just as sad as when she died. It brought back a lot of memories, and sadness.

She will never be forgotten, and will always stay in our hearts as the little wee one that she was. Felicity - we miss you!!

Kamasaki Apelia Royale

(March 1998 - September 1999)

We called her "Woodi". She was born in England, and flew over to live with us in the middle of June, 1998.

Woodi was the Mother of our D-litter, where there were four lovely Birman babies, and we have kept the best one - (N) Apelia's Dream Come True ("Truly"). We will be forever greatful to Woodi that she gave us the gift of these babies, and feel that we have at least a little part of her living on here through her daughters.

Woodi became ill of what showed to be a serious infection on one small part of one lung. We don't know all the details yet, but we think that some small object (maybe some hair or something else small) may have gone into her lung and attached itself to a small area, causing an irritation. And then when she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, the volume of the four babies pressed up onto her lungs, adding to the irritation, and creating the first signs of an infections.

Because of her babies, we couldn't do anything until she had given birth (all four within one single hour!), and then she was sent through tests, x-rays, and put on antibiotics. She later went in for an ultrasound and was operated on, and the operation went well - they removed the small area of the one lung, and she was breathing on her own afterwards. But alas, she died the next morning - a shock to us all. I was prepared for the fact that she could die on the operating table, but since things had gone so well, we all were optimistic. Her resperatory system just shut down, they said. All I know is that there is an empty place here, that belongs to our beloved English toffee - she was very loved, and she will be missed dearly!

Bianca av Okabe (N)

(November 1995 - August 1998)

Bianca died in August of 1998. She only reached the young age of 2 1/2 years old before leaving this world. She was our first Birman - a sealpoint female, and she is the reason we fell so utterly in love with this wonderful breed.

Bianca had the honor of giving birth to Apelia's first litter of kittens, on June 14, 1997 - her first and only litter of kittens. She didn't go to shows, as she had a few dark spots on her gloves. She preferred peace and quite...and something good to eat!

Bianca will always hold a special place in our hearts - especially mine, as she was Mommy's girl! We had not lost a furry loved one before Bianca, and the world felt different. Changed. There was one less sweet soul. There was a missing piece of the puzzle. But we also know that because of Bianca, we have a burning desire to do all that we can for this wonderful breed!

I know that everyone who has one or more pets has one that dies at some point. But somehow it feels like no one has ever...or will ever...feel like we did when we lost our beloved Bianca. I remember taking her in my arms and just crying and crying on the floor. It all was so unfair!

We love you Bianca and bless you! We send you reluctantly to your new adventure, hoping it is filled with fields full of cat-nip, all the treats you can eat, and a body that is free from disease and pain.