Sent with Love

We were all a bit teary yesterday when we received a package and a card in the mail. We didn't expect to hear anything more about Crystal, but he hasn't been forgotten.

Because Rusty is such a large cat, Jan makes him a bed every winter out of a rectangle clothes basket. He hasn't seemed very interested in it this year, preferring to squeeze himself into a dishpan bed. When Crystal couldn't leap any more, Jan made him "steps" to the washing machine where he would eat. The last week he couldn't climb, so Jan made him a bed in the basket. A big soft pillow and lots of bedding.

After Crystal died in the basket, Jan threw away all the bedding and made a new bed for Rusty. Cotton, who had never shown any interest in it before, climbed in and claimed it. It sits on the cold floor and Jan had thrown away the afghan used to keep it warm.

This is Cotton in her new bed a few hours ago.


This is the beautiful, thick blanket that came in the package yesterday. Jan laid it out on her bed to try to show you it's a good size and is covered with kitties on one side and is brown on the other (see lower right corner of picture). According to the note, Parker and her family -- Powder, Puff, Rudy, Diamond Doggy & their humans -- asked Hansel's mom to make a nice blanket in memory of Crystal. She put lots of love into it so our hearts would be filled with the joy that we are not alone -- which makes it doubly special. And she did this while she was going through the stress of Hansel's two broken hips and surgery.

The moment Jan unfolded it, Cyndi claimed it for her bath.


Jan then put it where the blanket is most needed, in the big bed on the cold floor. She left Cotton checking out Hansel, Tesla's & Benny's scent.


When she returned to take a picture of Cotton in her bed, this is what she found.

Yep, Rusty suddenly decided he likes his bed again. And poor Crystal was out in the cold. Literally. Looks like this is going to be a very popular bed now. Thank you, Parker & Hansel!

On the left is a shot of the card Parker's family sent after Crystal died and the one on the right is from Casper, Cleo Patches & their mom. (Sorry about the quality. Kind of dreary today and couldn't find a good spot to take a photo.) They are both lovely cards and we are going to save them. Thank you!



Again, we are grateful to each one of you for your kind words and deeds. We have all accepted Crystal's passing but we still cry for him.