PUNKIN

Sweet Little Punkin

Sometimes, we bond with an animal so strongly, it's as important as a human relationship and shapes our personalities in ways we may not even realize. Punkin was one of those bonds.

We adopted her from the animal shelter when she was about 7 weeks old. I backtracked and realized 7 weeks prior was the very day we'd had another cat put to sleep. That was Mikki, who got feline leukemia, even though she'd been vaccinated against it. I couldn't give Punkin that sad date as her "birthday" so I went forward one day and her birthday became December 13, 1988. However, I'm sure it was no coincidence that the two cats had Dec. 12 in common. I'll explain later in this tribute.

After being diagnosed with kidney failure in May 2004, Punkin kept on living as normal, and had no pain until the day before she died, July 12, 2005. At 16 years and 7 months old, Punkin lived a nice long life for a cat, but I wish it could have been twice as long.

People often confused her name and called her Pumpkin. As you can see, she was not an orange cat. Perhaps they didn't realize that Punkin is a term of endearment. They'd ask why we (my ex and I) chose that name. When she came to live with us, we were having problems finding just the right name. I asked her several times "What's your name, little Punkin?" and about the 3rd time I asked, she perked up as if to say "Yes, that's it, I like being called Punkin!" and so, in reality, she chose her name.

Punkin had some verrrrry strange tastebuds. She absolutely loved nacho-cheese flavored Doritos, especially with salsa. Yes, that's right, I said salsa! She also loved tomato sauce, ketchup, maple syrup and bread. (And don't you dare ask me how I figured out she loved those things!)

Punkin was part human, part dog, and all cat. Part human because she seemed to sense when I was down and needed a cat in my lap. Part dog because she followed me around the house and kept me company, just like a faithful canine. All cat, because, well, if you've ever been owned by a cat, you know what I'm talking about.

I'm pretty sure Punkin's soul was and has been reincarnated. Consider the following:

- Mikki, the cat I mentioned above, had a curious habit. I sleep on my stomach and she'd often jump on the bed and curl up for a nap...on my back! Shortly after adopting Punkin, I had a bout of sadness, still missing Mikki, and was crying in bed. Punkin jumped up on the bed and laid herself down...on my back. She had never done that before, and never did it again. I can only draw one conclusion from that - it was the soul of these cats telling me that their spirit lives on. What a wonderful gift I was given!

- Punkin had a cat bed in one bedroom and slept there nearly every night. Often, when she awoke and saw me, she'd give a little "mrrf?" greeting to me. On the day Punkin left this world, I was grieving. I looked into the bedroom at her cat bed, and to my amazement, I "saw" her there, and "heard" her usual greeting. I knew she wasn't there in physical form, but her presence was so strong I couldn't deny it. Then I felt a wonderful pain-free happiness. She was telling me that she wasn't sick any more and was happy. Still, it's hard to accept this sort of alternate reality and thought maybe I was a bit woozy. I walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. There, she made me feel her presence again. She liked to nap in an empty cabinet above the refrigerator. I felt compelled to look up at that cabinet, and this time she communicated to me that it was time for her to leave, and even though she would miss us, she would always have a part of us with her, and part of her would always live with me.

Punkin tolerated my kisses, and not only allowed but didn't even mind the many silly names I called her. Punkin, Gray Monster, Boo, Furrow Face, Boo Boo Kitty, oh, you were so sweet and friendly. I hope that now another human has been given the gift of your soul's presence and like me, will treasure it always.

Click here for a few of Punkin's photos

Links to websites about renal failure in cats