Year
2014 Tributes
(Click HERE for Tributes
posted in other years)
For pet names beginning with "T".
Tabitha aka Tabby, Aug.27, 1997 -
Feb.4, 2014
Our sweet Tabby. Always remembered. Forever loved. I hope
you are with Angus, Trina and Tia Maria.
Tank, 09/13/2004 - 06/11/2014
Tank was the light of my life! He came to me when I needed him the
very most. He showered me with love and English Bulldog Charm and
kisses! His every minute of everyday was filled with nothing but
heartfelt love for everyone around him. He was the most amazing
Dog in the whole world. So many people grieve over the loss of
him. Not a minute goes by I don't miss my baby! I can't seem to
shake that he is gone. I have never felt a pain like this and I
worry still about him everyday. I can't wait to see you again my
sweet puppy Angel. I told you every night before we went to bed,
Momma Loves her Puppy Angel and thanks god for you everyday! I am
so lost without you! Love You Your Mama!
Tasi Perez, 02/01/05 - 08/25/14
A tribute to our beloved TASI who brought so much joy and
happiness to our family, with her playfulness, always full of
energy and always a comedian and wanting to please. Thank you for
sharing your love and fun filled attitude with us. You gave us all
you can and your loyalty to our family, and for that you will be
forever in our hearts. Rest peacefully our girl, we will meet
again someday. Love you always, from Mommy, Daddy and brother
Napu.
Taura (Taura Bean), 05/21/2004 -
10/20/2014
We had decided to get a bird and had spent approx. 6 months
researching the type of bird we wanted. We had it narrowed down to
a few small breed parrots. We visited a flea market one weekend
without thought "this would be the day we find our bird" but one
seller had a whole clutch of 3 month old Green Cheek conure
parrots. We took a look at what they had and we picked up a couple
which were nippy but when we picked up Taura, she ran up my arm
and got into the back of my hair and would not come out. I think
she picked us. And we immediately fell in love with her. We have
no children together and my wife and I always considered Taura to
be our daughter.
We took her home and our life had never been the same. She was
larger than life with a personality to match. If you ate
something, you had better save a piece for her or else. If you
were walking barefoot on the floor, you might get a toe bit. But
she was also a great snuggler and lover when she was on my
shoulder and she always wanted to be with me (my wife even
admitted she was "my" bird).
She loved rock and roll music and would always bob her head up and
down and dance anytime we played any rock music.
She left us way too early and life will not be the same without
her.
Taz, October 15, 2000 - July 17, 2014
Written - Sunday, July 20, 2014.
She was a good girl, very loving, very special...a mix of husky,
shepherd, and ??? When I'd come home from work, my wife
would let her out and she would dash down the back steps and run
to my car. I always had an empty water bottle...which she
would grab... and then walk with a prancing step back to the house
holding the bottle. On the occasion I didn't have a bottle,
she would grab a leaf or a stick, or something and do the same
prance. Taz's right ear stood erect, while the left one
lopped over....that is until 4 years ago when it started to stand
upright. After 10 years of having one ear up and one ear
down...both ears stood up. Taz had hip-dysplasia, and as she got
older her back legs got weaker. Last summer she could still
go for short walks, then in the fall she had a hard time getting
up the steps to the house. I'd boost her up so she could get
in. In the winter I'd take her out at night so she could go
potty. This last 6 months were the worst as her back legs got
progressively weaker. She got to the point that she couldn't
get up without help, and then could not walk. Her pain got
worse and worse. Last Thursday, our vet of 19 years came to
the house to help her through the last step in the circle of
life. She was laying down, head up with that smile that sled
dogs have. The doc gave her a tranquilizer shot.
Slowly her head started to droop. I held her head and gently
laid it on the blanket that she was on. She was in a deep
slep...and out of pain. Then the doc gave her the final
shot. In less than a minute she was gone. No more
pain. Hopefully she's at the rainbow bridge playing with our
beloved dogs that came and passed before her: Fancy, Czarina
the husky, Ashley and Abbey..both german shepherds. Please
wait for me at the rainbow bridge so we can all be together
again. I love you all.
Taz, 05/06/14
You came into my life about 7 years ago. Nobody knew your
background at the shelter where I found you.
I'd gone there to find a small dog to live in my small apartment
in San Francisco. I remember going into the adoption room
and they brought in a little puppy. It ran around the room
like a maniac and peed on the floor about three times. It
was just too high energy for me.
Then they showed me you... There you sat in a little 5'X5'
room. You had toys scattered around, but you didn't seem the
least bit interested in them. You were the color of
chocolate--so brown.
The thing I always liked about you was that you lived in your own
little world. You didn't behave like any other dog I'd ever
met. You rarely barked. You didn't seem interested in
making friends with other dogs. You always preferred
sleeping alone. You knew what you wanted and didn't feel as
though you needed to live up to anyone's expectations but your
own.
We seemed to have a pact... You did your thing--keep me
company, help me through my depressive episodes (by making me get
out of bed), being a good friend... My job was to keep you
warm, keep you fed, and keep your feet dry--God how you hated the
rain.
Other dogs that I've had in the past were lickers. They
played with balls. They chewed on my socks (sometimes while
they were still on my feet). They got into trouble on
occasion.
You didn't do that. You rarely grinned. But I could
always tell you were content when you "lip-licked". I could
rub that sweet spot right between your eyes, just above the bridge
of your nose and you'd lick your lips in bliss.
And goodness knows that you loved your supper... Supper for
breakfast, supper for supper, and supper for snacks. All I'd
have to say is, "Taz, are you ready for supper?" and you'd jump up
and do a little dance--butt in the air--prancing on your front
feet.
I've never met a dog that liked chicken as much as you. Even
when you got older and sometimes turned up your nose at your
regular food, I could get some ground chicken and boil it for
you. You were in heaven.
And God forbid I forgot what time you wanted your supper.
You'd sneak up behind me and give me a little "zap" with you nose
on my calf. We called it your "Jedi nose trick".
When we first got together they told me that you were about 7
years old. That was fine with me. My dog previous to
you lived to be 19. So, I figured we'd have several years to
enjoy one another.
These past few years had been tough on us. I lost my ability
to work. I had to move from San Francisco to TN. I
went through a pretty rough patch. But you were right there
with me. You were my rock during those low periods.
But before we left San Francisco, you got to march in the SF Pride
Parade. Remember that? We had to take a special taxi
to get to the parade site. There were tens of thousands of
people lining the parade route. We got your a
rainbow-colored leash and you marched through the streets of San
Francisco like you owned them. What a good time we had that
day.
Then you started to get frail. A couple of years ago I began
to notice that you had trouble walking. You began to arch
your back. Your back legs seemed out of sync.
I took you to the vet. I thought you'd had some kind of back
injury. But they told me you had arthritis.
That would eventually be your downfall. Who could have
figured that arthritis would so unmanageable that it would lead to
my making the decision to put you to sleep?
But for the next 2 years it just got worse and worse. You
became slower and slower when we'd go out for walks. Our
trips became shorter and shorter. Eventually you became so
debilitated that you could only manage one or two steps before you
stopped.
During that time your vision started to go. Then went your
hearing. You were just getting older and older.
We tried Tramadol. Remember that? What a
nightmare! You HATED it! I tried wrapping it in
hotdogs, bread, cheese, cream cheese, Pill
Pockets--everything... I even got one of those "pill
pushers"--the thing that looked like a syringe. They made it
sound so humane... "Just stick the pill in the syringe,
place the syringe in your pet's mouth, and push the pill to the
back of the throat."
Remember what you did? For the first time in your life with
me your growled and barked. Then you pooped on me.
What a spectacular failure...
Next came the baby aspirin. We used the tangerine flavor,
the coated aspirin... Both of them tore your stomach up.
By this time you were having problems holding your bowels and
bladder at night. The aspirin just made it worse.
I took you to the vet one more time. She asked me, "How old
is Taz?" I had no idea. I'd been telling people for
years that you were 14 or 15. She looked at you; examined
you, and said, "I'd say he's closer to 17."
That really shocked me, Taz. It's like I lost 2 or 3 years
of your life in that one sentence.
It feels like I spent the past 6 months or so watching your every
move. If I heard your dog tags jingle, I was afraid you were
uncomfortable--that you needed to go outside. If I heard you
sneeze, I'd raise up out of bed and make sure you were OK. I
worried about you all of the time. I monitored your
food. If you didn't eat it all in one sitting, I'd
worry. Was it cancer? Was it heart disease? Was
it kidney problems? I knew our time was getting
short.
And to make matters worse, since I'd lost my ability to work, my
income plummeted. I didn't feel like I could take you to the
vet as often as I should. I remember that one visit when the
vet came in and examined you. She looked at your teeth and
said, "His teeth are in really bad shape. No wonder he
doesn't eat the way he used to."
I felt so judged. I wanted to scream at her, "Listen lady,
when I got this dog, I was making over $75,000 a year! I
could take care of him! I never thought I would lose the
ability to work! That wasn't in my plans! Besides, you
want to see some bad teeth?!? Let me show you mine!! I
haven't been to a dentist in years!"
I was so angry!
It was around this time that I began to notice your "stare".
I'd walk past your bed expecting to see you curled up--nose to
butt--sleeping. But you'd have your head sticking out from
under your covers, just staring into the space.
Then a couple of weeks ago we were having some severe
storms. I got an alert on my phone that ordered us to take
shelter immediately. I took us to the safest part of the
apartment and put you on my chest. I remember laying there
with you and looking into your eyes; thinking, "He's not in there
anymore..."
The last drug we tried was Rimadyl. I'd heard good things
about it on Facebook. The vet agreed. It was liver
flavored--no bitter taste. It was supposed to be the wonder
drug. Very arthritic dogs had taken Rimadyl and started
walking around as they'd done years earlier. I really had my
hopes up.
But it didn't work did it... It immediately took your
appetite. You wouldn't even eat boiled chicken.
Finally, about a week ago, I knew it was time...
At 17 years old, you were a very old man. You couldn't
rest. You couldn't eat. You were pooping and peeing on
yourself at night. What kind of life did you have?
I've worked in the health care field for over 25 years. I've
watched people decline and die. And I've watched families go
to great lengths to keep loved ones alive.
Last year I wrote up my own Advance Health Care Directive. I
wouldn't want to live a life in nearly constant pain, unable to
take care of my toileting needs; depending on people for feeding,
etc. I would want someone to end my suffering.
And so with extreme fear and sadness, I made the decision to take
you to the vet one last time. I made a list of all of the
problems you were experiencing. If there was ANYTHING that
she could do to improve your quality of life, I would be open to
it. But deep in my heart, I knew there was nothing that
could be done.
As awful as this may sound to some people, I planned your death to
the last detail. I knew that I did not want to be with
you. I've seen too much death in my life in my line of
work. I didn't even go to my mother's funeral. I won't
ever put myself through another death unless it's my own.
Call me weak, call me whatever you want, but I just won't do that
anymore.
I made arrangements to have all of your things bagged up before
the vet appointment. I didn't want to come back home and
have to go through your bedding, your food, your snacks (Honeynut
Cheerios), your medicines, your nail clippers, your shampoo, your
sweater, etc. I didn't want any reminders of you anywhere.
I know you understand... You KNOW I didn't dislike
you. I just couldn't face any of it.
That was the good thing about our relationship. We
understood one another. At least I think we did... I
didn't complain about you not being a "bouncy, happy, frolicking"
dog. And you didn't have great expectations of me--just keep
you comfortable--warm, fed, and dry. It was a simple but
deep relationship.
My friend drove us to the vet. I held you on my lap. I
kept thinking about the verse from scripture, "Yea though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
I didn't get out of the car once we arrived at the vet
clinic. I sat there with you in my lap. My friend went
in and asked the vet to come out to the car--which she did.
We talked. I asked her if anything else could be done.
And she said, "No..."
She walked back inside to get the paperwork that needed to be
filled out for your euthanasia. I hugged you and cried so
hard that I shook the car. She came back out and took you in
her arms. She let me kiss you on your face and hug your
little neck. And you gave me one more gift--a final "lip
lick". Who knows, maybe you knew what was going on...
She took you inside and we drove away. I called the office
about 15 minutes later to see if she had completed the
injection. And she had. Your life here on earth was
over.
It's been a day since that happened. And I know that you are
in a place where you can understand how I feel. I'm not
experiencing heavy and deep grief. I feel a little guilty
about that. What I'm feeling is a great sense of
relief. Things had just gotten so hard--so tense around
here. You were in pain. I was constantly
anxious. But now we both have a sense of peace and ease.
I will always love you, Tazzie... You know that. As
long as I have the ability to hold any memories, you will be
there.
The depth of my love for you plays out in my mind as a promise to
myself--that I will never have a pet again. I just can't go
through this again. I can't watch something that I love so
much go through the pain and suffering that you endured.
I will enjoy other people's pets. I will always love
animals. But I'll never go through this again.
You were my 9th pet in my life. It's just too hard to say
goodbye.
Right now I imagine you in a place where you have reached a state
of enlightenment--a level of enlightenment that all creatures
(including us humans) reach. You are so far beyond pain and
worry. Maybe you have been reunited with your brothers and
sisters and your parents. I can't imagine what your soul is
doing. But I imagine it to be wonderful.
I hope that we'll see one another again. I hope that we'll
be able to experience one another on a different level with equal
understanding of one another.
And I hope that when you crossed over to the other side that you
didn't look back.
I love you, baby... Until we see one another again...
Taz Fastenau, July 1998 - March 11,
2014
My sweetest Taz, today is the saddest day of my life because today
is the day I lost you. The other saddest day is the day I
lost Buster. The past seven months have been so hard for
both us without him but we’ve taken care of each
other. I don’t know how I’ll be able to go on without
you now and it’s hard for me to let you go but I do so because I
love you. You have given a great fight for a long time my
Sweetie and now you will be free from your sickness and have
peace. I miss you so much already, but I know you will now
be with Buster again. My boys can now be reunited and he
will take care of you as he always did. I know you will be
so happy to see him and love on him too.
I will miss your sweet little precious face; your beautiful,
strong voice calling out to me or singing from your opera table;
your special maneuvers like “bear” and somersaults; your soft,
fuzzy fur nuzzling up against me; and your sweet, loving
personality.
I will miss your waking me up in the morning purring and tickling
my face with your long whiskers, snuggling in the kitchen after
breakfast and then sitting on my desk or in the chair right beside
me while I work during the day, sitting on your rumpled papers
near-by me in the evening, and laying on my chest with your paws
around my neck in bed at night, and putting me to sleep with your
purring.
You were the most precious, sweet kitty in the world and you gave
so much love to me, papa and Buster. You were such a great
blessing to me and the 15 ½ years we had together were the best of
my life. My life will never be the same because of having
known you and your love.
I pray that you are up in heaven reunited with Buster, that you
are young and healthy again and have no pain or sickness, you can
see well again, get to run and play with Buster like you did when
you were young, have lots of great toys and other friends to play
with too, have lots of great boxes to hunker in and lots of
rumpled paper to lay on, have a big fluffy bed that you can
snuggle up with Buster in and lots of sun to nap in, can eat again
whatever you want and however much you want without feeling sick,
have lots of people loving on you, holding you, petting you,
kissing you and telling you how special you are; that they will
take care of you until we can be together again.
Papa loves you and will miss you terribly too – the special
bedtime routine you had together. I love you with all my
heart, my special little guy, and always will. You will always
mean more to me than anything. Thank you for all the love
and joy you gave me and thank you for taking care of me after we
lost Buster. I hope you know how much I love you and how
special you are to me. I long for the day when we will
be reunited and I can tell you in person how much you mean to me
and how much I love you. Take care until then, my love.
I Love You,
Mama
(Dana Fastenau)
Taz Mitchell, Jan 4, 2000 - Dec 1,
2014
My little man Taz has lived with me from the time I left my
parents home. He swam in Pacific n Atlantic and all of the five
great lakes and has traveled to seven of the provinces and lived
in three. He has enjoyed swimming, wakeboarding, snowboarding,
snowmobiling, sailing, boating and hiked many trails. We have
climbed a 2000 ft mountain together and have been on boats,
trains, planes and in several automobiles. Taz was by my side
through the recovery of two major surgeries and has been a
constant in my adult life thus far. He was the best fur man at my
wedding and best fur bro Dylan could ask for.
In 15 years together, we have had a blessed ride. There is no way
to sum up how much I love you Taz. Thank you for teaching me how
to live in the moment and to love for a lifetime. I will continue
to take you wherever I go... Until we meet again my love.
Tazz, 3/15/1993 - 8/25/2014
What can I say? Tazz was the best cat we could have ever hoped
for. She was long and sleek with jet black hair and bright
green-yellow eyes. The perfect Halloween cat? Absolutely!
Trick-or-Treaters would try to scoop her up every year for their
own. She was beautiful, smart, precocious, rambunctious, and
funny. She gave us so much joy and happiness and a lot of laughs.
She was a good friend to me, my husband, and our daughter. She
always wanted to be around us and in the middle of whatever was
going on. She was constantly seeking our attention. She was also a
great mentor and companion to our younger cat, Vixen. She took
care of her and taught her many things. They shared a bond between
them and communicated in a way that we humans could never
understand. Like all cats, it was her world and we were lucky
enough to be a part of it for so many amazing years. We will
cherish her and carry our memories with us. She had an awesome 21
years and for that and her presence in our lives, we will be
eternally grateful. She is gone, but certainly not forgotten and
will live in our hearts forever. We celebrate her life and
remember all she gave to us, and hope we gave her as much in
return. This is not goodbye, but simply so long, until we meet
again. We love and miss you, our first baby, our sweet kitty.
Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Rachel and Vixen
TEDDY, June 29, 1999 - April 19, 2014
My beloved Teddy Bear, I miss you so much. From the day I saw you
when you were with your three other siblings I couldn't wait until
you turned 5 weeks old so that I could take you home. I had to
decide between two males and I chose you because you peed on my
sisters ugly Birkenstock sandals and I picked you because you had
an empty bladder and I knew we probably wouldn't have to stop on
the 1 1/2 hour drive home from your kennel. You loved the car
ride...you were my constant driving companion. I felt bad when I
had to go to work and I couldn't take you with me. I'd take short
errands just so you could go with me for a ride. I know in your
later years you didn't like driving in the Prius, it just didn't
feel right to you, thus I fixed up and kept the old Oldsmobile
because you sat on the armrest and always leaned on me as I drove.
I miss the warmth of your body against mine as I drive. Everyone
said that we were joined at the hip, the 14 years and 10 months
past by so quickly. I'm so glad you were in my life through all of
life's ups and downs. I will never, ever forget you. I LOVE YOU
ALWAYS!
love,
Mommy
Teddy, 11/01/1995 - 02/17/2014
Teddy,
I love you and miss you very much. You made my life so complete.
We shared many things: birthdays, graduations, weddings, moves to
different homes, births, deaths, divorce and many other things.
You were always there by my side.
Be happy Little Cuppie, sleep well, hope you have lots of treats
and ice, and no pain. ♥
Mom, Sarah & Jay, Tyler, Ashley & Caden,
Aunt Cheryl, Anthony, Lisa & Ellen
Tegra, 09/18/2014
Tegra, you were a sweet gentle cat. You will be
missed. You are off to join your buddy JC at the Rainbow
Bridge. God Bless you.
TESSIE ROCKS, 1/30/08 - 4/29/2014
GONE TOO SOON, My Angel Tessie
My sweet Angel Tessie. How can this happen? You are no longer
here with me? I miss you so much. I fight the tears every single
day when I think of you. You were a very Special Angel My Dear
Tess I will never forget you. Please save a place for your
sisters, Talloulah and Bonnie and your Momma at the Bridge till we
meet again. We'll play in the clouds together..I Love you Always
Momma's Baby.
Thelma Lee Blewett, 09/15/95 -
03/20/14
THE STORY OF THELMA
Thelma Lee Blewett
September 15, 1995 – March 20, 2014
On Monday, March 17, 2014, St. Patrick’s Day, I brought home a few
Fuji apples for Thelma. Normally she eats Red Delicious but I
splurged and she was sooooo excited that she ate about 1/8 of the
apple really fast. About 3 hours later she started throwing up in
her cage, the door was open and she came out and continued to
throw up. I went over and tried to calm her down. I took a video
of her when she started making the movements of trying to throw up
again and of me trying to see into her mouth. She was so good
about it. At 7 PM, her bed time, she was a bit off, but I put her
to bed. She said her good nights to the wall (will explain later
in the story) and kissed me good night and I went back to doing
some work on the computer.
Call it mothers instinct but I was worried and kept checking on
her. About an hour later, I noticed her breathing was labored and
she was breathing through her beak and her tail was bobbing – I
knew this was bad from what I had read. I sat on the futon, in the
dark, listening and then decided at about 11 PM to put her in the
steam shower for a bit to see if that helped. It didn’t. My
eyesight is not good at night and I paced for about 20 minutes
trying to decide if I should drive across town to the emergency
doctor or not. I tried to call my friend Marcia, but she had her
phone turned off so I got Thelma, wrapped her in my bathrobe and
drove to the emergency hospital. She was so quiet but she snuggled
into me as I drove, then she got up to look out the window for a
bit and she even tried to bite the seatbelt, the little rascal. By
the time we got to the hospital she was again snuggled into me.
We got to the hospital about 12:30 AM and they immediately put her
in an oxygen tank and started antibiotics. I cried. I was sure
that I had made her sick because I didn’t wash the apple before I
gave it to her. I told the doctor this and then reluctantly drove
home. I had to return at 7:20 AM to take her directly to her
regular avian vet which was about 3 miles from there. We got to
Flamingo Pet Clinic and I learned that Dr. Haulk had retired and
that the new avian vet was Dr. Kenton. He was so patient and kind.
By now Thelma was very docile and kept falling asleep on her perch
while the doctor was talking to me and he was concerned. She
shouldn’t be falling asleep, he knew she was sick. Again, I cried
and reluctantly left Thelma in their care. I called a couple hours
later, and they said there wasn’t any change but I could stop by
later to see her.
I had a job interview at 3 PM that was only 2 blocks from
where the emergency hospital was so I drove back there for the
interview then went to see Thelma and take her her favorite yellow
ducky. She was standing up (no perch in the fish tank oxygen
thingy they had her in) and even allowed me to pick her up. She
snuggled with me and I put her back in, took a couple of pictures
with her ducky and said a sad good-bye.
Wednesday morning I had a temp job from 8:30 to 2:30 so after the
job I called the doctor’s office and was going to go by but they
said they were just getting ready to take her in for x-rays and I
didn’t want to stress her any more by leaving her again so I said
I would come Thursday morning. At about 4 PM Doctor Kenton called
me and said that he got the results from the x-rays and that it
showed Thelma had “white lung” and he wasn’t sure if it was the
fluid from aspiration or a tumor. If it was a tumor there wouldn’t
be anything they could do for her but if it was fluid, then we
would just wait and see and keep her on the antibiotics. He said
for me to come in anytime Thursday and he would go over everything
with me and show me the x-rays.
I decided to call the office and let them know what time I would
be there, I planned to be there at 10 AM, giving them a chance to
open and take care of the other pets that needed to be seen. The
girl said that the doctor forgot that he would be out in the
morning but would be back at 3, so she gave me a 3:15 appointment.
I called my friend Marcia to ask if she could drive me (I wanted
to be able to sit in the back seat on the way home with Thelma)
and she picked me up and about ½ way there the doctor called and I
told him I would be there in about 10 minutes. He had gotten back
early. He said he thought that I would be able to take her home
today.
When we got to the clinic, I was talking to a lady in the lobby
who had a puppy and I hope Thelma heard my voice from where she
was. The tech came out and took us straight away into a room and
the doctor came in to explain what was going on. He said the same
thing as he did the night before and showed me the x-rays. He said
that he was leaning towards it being a tumor because of the shape
and density of if but she was doing better and could go home with
medications. There was a knock on the door and the nurse asked the
doctor to step out for second and a minute later he came back in
and said he was so sorry but Thelma had just passed away.
NO NO NO NO was all I could say. Not my baby! Bring her to me! He
quickly, gently and lovingly brought her in and handed her to me
wrapped in a towel. She looked so beautiful! So beautiful. Marcia
and the doctor went over some stuff and then left me alone to
grieve in private. I took a few pictures which I will not share at
this time, but I needed to say my good bye.
I am having her cremated and will bring her home. I am going to
make her urn and color it with bright colors like her feathers.
Fly Free my sweet, lovely girl. You brought so much laughter, love
and happiness into my life. I will meet you one day soon on the
bridge along with Oreo and Goose!
Thelma is survived by me, her forever mom, her former mom Anna
(she is now 87 years old and this was the hardest and only phone
call I made the day she died), her Aunty Marcia, Aunty Robin,
Aunty Nancy, Aunty Helen, and her mom that never got to experience
all her wonderfulness, Wendy. Many friends who I know loved Thelma
and will miss her greatly.
THELMA LIVING LIFE
To all those reading this, if you know a single person that has a
“pet” that they treat like a child, don’t make fun of them. You
have spouses, children, and relatives that you can turn to for
support when you need it, someone to be there for you. We, the
single, alone, humans have our furry or feathered kids. When we
come home, it is to them and their unconditional love that lifts
us up.
After my Oreo passed away in 2003 I swore that I would never have
another “pet”. Then in 2005 I moved to Rabbit Springs Road and
thought maybe I should get a bunny, but I just decorated my mail
box with a wooden bunny and was happy, or so I though.
In the valley where I lived, there was a group of 5 women who got
together once a month for a pot luck dinner and to play poker. One
of the ladies was Anna, and she lived 5 acres away (yep, I was
living in the middle of nowhere) and she had several dogs, a cat
named Winston, Thelma and chickens. Well, in November 2005 Anna
asked if I would babysit Thelma while she and her husband went to
visit their daughter for Thanksgiving and I said “sure, but I have
never taken care of a bird, and not sure what to do”. She
explained everything to me and said “just leave her in her cage
for 2 or 3 days until she gets used to you then maybe she will
come out, but take it slow”. So Thelma came for a visit and
I fell in love! At Christmas I got to babysit her again and then I
would go over to Anna’s house every couple of day to get my Thelma
fix. I never thought about getting a bird, I just liked visiting
with Thelma.
One day a few months later Anna said that she and her husband were
going to move north to be close to their daughter and would I like
to adopt Thelma, I didn’t even take a breath, I just said YES!!!
Thelma was born in 1995 and I was Thelma’s 4th mom. Her first mom
had grandkids who taught Thelma most of her words but when the dad
passed away, when Thelma was 3, the mom sold her to Kathleen who
was Anna’s daughter. Kathleen had her for 18 months then Kathleen
passed away and Anna had her until 2005 when I got her. So for
having such a hard luck life, she hit the jackpot when she came to
live with me because I was going to love her forever and never
sell her, or give her away, in fact, I have a $20,000 life
insurance policy on myself (plus another one) that was just for
Thelma’s care after I pass. She should have lived 60 – 80 years!
Her next mom had been picked out (Wendy, my dear friend Marcia’s
daughter) and they have bonded and every night I would say to
Thelma, as we looked at the pictures on the wall “Good night next
mama, this one, that one and the other one” (Next mama is Wendy,
this one and that one are her twins and the other one was the
older sister to be). Thelma would look at each picture and then
kiss Wendy! I love to plan, and I wanted to be sure that Thelma
had everything she needed and the $20,000 would be for her care
and transport to her new home in Texas. Maybe now, I will put in
my will that the $20,000 goes to a bird rescue society because I
am done, I will not allow my heart to hurt again like this.
Thelma Sayings:
I am corn holo, I need Teepee for my bunghole
What the Fuck! I wanna play too.
What ya doing?
Hello / Good Bye (she knew the difference)
She had different Hello’s, for any man, it was a soft sexy
helllloooo
I LOVE YOU!
Hey, hey what about me?
Hi Thelma
Ni, ni or Night, night
Boom! Boom! Boom! (From the Little Mouse book)
Robin! Robin!
(Whistling) Winston! (Winston was the family cat when he lived
with Anna)
She had this run on sentence from Rain Man that I thought would
drive me nuts!
Thelma Songs:
Oprah – not sure which one’s
The theme song from The Flintstones
The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music
You Are My Sunshine
Roxanne, turn off the red light from Sting
Thelma Sounds with words:
Cock a doodle doo
The trumpet charge
My cell phone ring tone
She laughed just like Marcia
She had attitude just like me, Hummmm, sheeee, oh noooooooo
Hundreds of whistles, always followed by the same words
Crying, when Anna’s daughter passed away, Anna would sob and cry
and call out “Oh God, why me, why me” and Thelma mimicked her
exactly
Mmm mmmm gerrrrrr scary bear!
Little Stories About Thelma
Just recently I found the secret to getting Thelma to eat more
than just seeds and nuts – I have to warm her food! She loved
vegetables, oatmeal, sweet potatoes with pellets, corn, oh how she
loved corn, peas (yuk but she loved them so I fixed them for her),
broccoli, bell pepper, and grapes, but they had to be room
temperature.
She loved to go camping too. I would take her out in the motor
home to Lake Mead and we would just relax, chill out and enjoy
nature. When I no longer had the motor home, we would go on day
trip and she loved being out and about.
And boxes, she could take down an Apple Jacks box in
minutes.
I got into the habit as I walked in the door from work, first
thing I would open Thelma’s door and she would get on my finger
and I would take her into the bedroom with me as I told her “I
gotta change out of my working feathers and put on my ni-ni
feathers” and tell her about my day. She always listened and loved
our routine. If I had to pee when I got home and didn’t stop to
get her, I would hear “hey, hey what about me”.
I read a lot about peoples fids (feathered kids) who give their
parronts (human mom or dad) a hard time at bedtime, not Thelma, at
7 PM she would start Hello, hi, Hello, then by 7:10 PM it would be
ni-ni, NI-NI, and if I was still too busy to put her to bed, she
would get down off her day/play cage and march to her bedroom, get
in her bed cage, pull the door shut, sigh, then pull out all the
stops by yelling I LOVE YOU. Of course I would have to go in, give
her some love and kisses and tickles, cover her cage and she was
out like a light. Never a minute of problem at bedtime. Some
nights we would sit on the futon and I would read to her from: The
Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear
children’s book.
I am an early riser, normally up about 5:30 – 6:00 but she got up
about 7 AM. Only one time did I forget to get her up and what do I
hear? A tiny voice calling, “hello” “hello” she almost never
screamed! Except on Saturday morning when the gardeners came and
she had to get their attention she would scream until I put her on
her tree.
One of our rituals was taking a shower together at least 3 times a
week in the summer and about every 2 weeks in the winter. She had
a perch in the shower that she would stand on and turn around so
the water would mist her all over, and of course, she tried to
drink the warm water. After I dried off I would get her, wrap her
in a towel for about a split second then set her on the sink to be
blown dried. She loved the hair dryer!
And the vacuum, it was another “ride” for her; silly girl tried to
attack it and then decided it was fun to go for a ride on it.
Thelma knew she wasn’t allowed in the kitchen (when I was cooking
she was locked in her cage by the kitchen so she could see me but
not get in) and she was so funny trying to sneak in. She would get
down from her cage, pretend like she was walking over to me and if
I didn’t get up to get her, she would turn, run towards the
kitchen, look over her shoulder to be sure she could make it and
head straight for the bakers rack to climb up. She loved this
game, beating me to the kitchen and I usually let her win.
The Scholz family made Christmas a special time for Thelma, every
year she got dirt dirts (paper towel cores) and nuts of all kinds
from Marcia, home-made toys from Marcia’s sister Sarah, treats
from Marcia’s other daughter Krista, and cards in the mail!
Marcia’s family was our family and we both love them so much. I
know they are hurting as much as I am and I am so sorry you are
feeling this loss too. I will forever be grateful that Marcia was
with me when Thelma passed away.
My friend Nancy made sure that every Mothers Day (going back to
when I had Oreo) I had a card from my girl. And Thelma loved
Nancy’s husband, or should I say she loved his shoe laces!
Thank you Pet Co for allowing Thelma to enjoy the spirit of
Christmas on Santa’s knee!
I remember the first time she had peanut butter – her little face
said “what the heck is that” then the light bulb went off in her
little brain and she recognized the flavor and so about once a
month she would get a wee bit and lick it off my finger. The look
on her face was so priceless.
Thelma had lots of houses – there was her day cage:
Her motor-home cage:
Her car travel cage:
Her night time cage, in her own bedroom:
She had a perch in the kitchen by the slider so she could watch
the outside birds
She had a tree in the living room to watch the gardeners and the
neighbors
She had a bungee stand that bounced her up and down
And going for walks – yes, she had 3 strollers, the original
stroller I gave to a friend’s son because, well doesn’t every bird
need a stroller? The other one was the “Old Lady Shopping Cart”
you know, square wire basket thing on wheels that I put boards in
so she could ride high in the cart. She loved to see what was
going on and being low, she couldn’t see. Her newest stroller was
a little “smart car” stroller – mama’s favorite - yep, I was the
neighborhood crazy bird lady.
She had a playpen because I needed it to keep all her toys
together and she loved playing in it because it gave her access to
my desk and keyboard which she loved to walk across just to see me
get freaked out! Yes, she laughed at me trying to get to her
before she got to it. I usually won this game!
She had – ok, so she had the entire house to play freely in!
Crazy girl loved to sit on the laundry basket and watch the
washing go round and round and round (front loading type). I am
amazed she never fell over. It was also her favorite room to sing
in as it amplified her voice.
I worried that Thelma would be lonely during the day while I was
at work so I would leave the Animal Planet on when I left for work
but one day I came home and found her crying and an alligator was
eating a poodle – NO MORE Animal Planet, not sure if it was better
or not, but I started leaving Sponge Bob who wears Square Pants on
while I was gone. She would watch TV for hours and what was crazy
was that she would laugh at the appropriate times! Yes, sometimes
I watched them with her.
For my 50th birthday, my friend Nancy (from Upland) and I went on
a trip to the east coast and Canada, and there I got my first
tattoo, of Thelma, of course! On that trip she stayed with another
friend of mine who was a coffee drinker and wouldn’t you know it,
Thelma would dive head first into her coffee mug for a drink. Not
being a coffee drinker, I of course, immediately ran out and
bought a Mr. Coffee maker so I could make her coffee. That lasted
about a week when I read how bad coffee was for her so after
that only about 1 time a year I will make her a teaspoon of
instant coffee from a box I bought in 2006. While on that
trip, she got postcards from me every 2 days, I instructed Diana
to read them to her, and she said she did.
Thelma came to work with me a couple of times but it was so
distracting because I wanted to hold her and play with her, so it
rarely happened and I wish I did it more. More time, and now,
there is no more time.
Love every minute you have with your loved ones, be them human or
animal. The day Thelma went from being a “bird” to my little girl,
I will never forget. It was about 3 months after she came to live
with me forever that I was sitting on the floor with my legs
stretched out in front of me and she was on the tree behind me and
she got down, walked over and took my hot pink slipper off my
right foot, tossed it in the air, rolled on her back and laughed!
My baby! My girl! My life!
THUMPER IKE MIKE, 10/25/2008 08/26/11
09/8/11
MY BEST FRIENDS ALWAYS I MISS YOU ALL VERY MUCH DAD
Tigger of Ogdensburg, 2009 -
11/29/2014
Tigger Tigs was the beloved friend of many- especially Mark, Mary,
Laura and Bill. He was his own man, yet made everyone whose life
he touched a little happier... just by appearing and sharing his
time with you. He was such a handsome cat, with a playful
temperament. He didn't want to live inside, so his pawrents make
him a kitty paradise, a heated garage with a cat entry- he had the
best of both worlds.
Sadly, he was struck and killed by a car last night, and our world
changed forever. The world lost an angel, but now heaven's stars
shine just a bit brighter.
We love you Tigger, and will never ever forget you, handsome man.
T.J. Ty Junior, 10-30-2000 -
06-13-2014
To the big boy, that was always a good boys. He always loved
watching the bunny rabbits as well as protect them. Never a
stranger to food HE LOVED it! He always had a way of making a big
thump when he would lay down. loved his kennel, his own little
retreat. He was always happy to greet people at the door and
always the first one of the dogs. He reminded us of a BABY bear
with a beaver nose. He was one of our 4 special border collies. He
enjoyed being the one to take the Frisbee away from the other dog
that retrieved it. He loved his tree stump, to hide behind and
dash out and get the Frisbee. He loved licking Don's feet
and Don loved it too. Your on your way now T.J Scout and Cyrus are
waiting for ya. Have fun run free and fast and don't look back. We
will be seeing you down that path in the near future. Love Mom and
Dad ;)
Toby, June 23, 2013 - April 30, 2014
My dear little Toby, you were my precious little baby bear, I will
love you and miss you forever. You were the best puppy I
ever had. You departed so unexpectedly; and left a gigantic hole
in my heart. Little Theo is so sad, and does not understand what
happened to his big brother. Til we meet again at the
Rainbow Bridge. Bye my Sweetiepie.
Toby, sometime in March... - July 2nd
2014
Our dearest baby Toby...
We miss you so much... there is a void in my/our hearts that will
never be filled.. I had a soul bond with you that others could not
explain but it was witnessed and felt... I first saw you at age 17
and knew you were meant to be my baby... I had you for 18 loving
years and you helped me through so much. You would know when i was
upset and would lick my tears, put your forehead to mine and purr
reassuringly, letting me know that everything was going to be
ok... I have never had a cat like you in my life and i ache
without you here. You have seen me through deaths, breakups,
moving, school, travel, marriage, etc. You have been with me
through almost everything life can bring.. You were my rock, my
comfort, my beautiful baby. I don't know how to go through
this life without you. Your brother misses you, your daddy
misses you, and your mom's(my)heart aches with such pain... Those
who knew you loved you, and those who didn't, well, they knew how
much we loved you and really feel for us and our loss.. I miss
your meow, i miss hearing you bring me your stuffed babies.. I
miss your cuddles, your beautiful face and loving embrace.. You
are my little soul mate.. I hope when my time comes you will be
waiting for me and your daddy.. and i hope you will be there to
greet your brother and be with him when it is his time. Until
then, please be with us when you can. I believe your spirit
lives on and i hope you still feel at home with us. If you
are happy wherever you are, then please wait for us when our time
is up.. I still need you... so much.. please be with me when you
can be... I will love you forever.. You are part of my past, my
present and future.. in loving spirit. I wait for you to come to
me in dreams... I need to know you are ok, and that you know how
much you are loved.. I am in tears as i write this as i love love
love you so much and miss you terribly.. I will keep you with me
forever, this, i promise... You were always my angel on earth, and
now i hope you are my angel in heaven, watching over me/us and
will be waiting until i can hold you in my arms again.. I love you
equal to or more than the humans in my life.. forever my baby... I
love you. We love you. Always..
Token, 07-08-2009 - 10-23-2014
I had the most wonderful gift to give to my daughter just 5 short
years ago. Little did I know that I was the one who was given the
best gift of all...my Angel, Token. He was my bodyguard and my
best friend. He was so sweet, so scared but so brave. He loved our
evenings together alone almost as much as I did. He waited at the
door for me every time I left. He is waiting on me now...I have to
believe that.
A little over a month ago I came home from a late night at the
office. I was exhausted and in a bad mood. I walked inside and
noticed that he wasn't there. The last time that that happened, he
was asleep in the dryer that I closed earlier that day. My poor
baby lol. I always made sure to check the dryer before I left for
work after that and sometimes I still do. That night he was in the
back corner of the closet in my office. I thought he had found a
comfy spot and said "Hey Mommy's Baby Boy" and went into my room
to change clothes. I came out almost 1/2 hour later and he was by
my bedroom door. I noticed that his back left paw was bent over
into itself. Like it was broken. I was terrified and tried to stay
calm. All I could think was "did he Jump up somewhere and fall?"
"How could he have possibly hurt his foot?" "Did someone break in
and he fought them off?" Anything and everything went thru my
mind...everything except for one thing...Saddle Thrombus. My poor
Angel had had a bad heart and I never even knew it. He had slowly
developed a clot that stuck in the main artery before it stemmed
to supply blood to his sweet little legs. I had no earthly idea
that just 2 days later I would be telling the one constant in my
life "Goodbye my sweet boy. You are perfect. You have done so
well, Baby doll. Mommy will be okay. I don't regret one thing. I
love you..." And holding him as he passed away. It was the hardest
most terrifying and traumatic decision I have ever and I hope WILL
ever make to send him to freedom from the pain that had
encompassed his little body.
I have an Angel. His name is Token. And all I can do is wait and
try to live through the enormous void that is a hole in the center
of my heart and hope beyond hope that I will hold my baby again
one day. Please, Lord, Please let me hold him again.
Thanks.
Trin, 02/14/2001 - 10/21/2014
I'll love you forever Trin.
Trooper Shadowed Birch Russell's
Trooper, 4/23/12 - 9/2/14
So short was Troopers life Coco and I will miss you and will
always be in our heart. This quote was sent to me from a very
special person. My beloved friend, I have sent you on a journey to
a land free of pain not because I did not love you but because I
loved you too much to force you to stay. Trooper you came into my
life and filled a void and gave me so much while you were here.
May you meet with Smokey Heidi and Toby. I love you so much
and my heart will always be filled with how dedicated you were and
always willing to fulfill challenges. love you
Trooper, April 23, 2012 - September 2,
2014
My beloved Trooper,I have sent you on a journey to a land free
from pain not because I did not love you but because I loved you
to much to force you to stay. You gave me spirit to move
on,dedicated and always by my side. Working hard to always please
in the challenges you were presented. You filled a void in
my life and now your memories will fill my heart forever. Love you
and miss you so very much.
Twilight Girl, 12/11/2013
My beautiful little girl. You were with me such a short time but
will be forever in my heart. You are with my Igmun.
Tyke, 12/4/1998 - 12/20/2014
MOST BELOVED TYKE
YOU...
......a very, very special dog
..... a certified therapy dog who visited hospitals, nursing
homes,and institutions for severely retarded children
......a warm being who consoled the families of the 9/11 victims
......a witness of a sad and historic event when each 9/11 family
was given a box of soil (taken from the 9/11 site) along with a
folded American flag.
US....
......very sad beings who are missing their
MOST BELOVED TYKE
Tyke, we love you very much and you will always be in our hearts.
Mommy & Daddy
