Letter from Garfield at Rainbow Bridge

To be opened on my passing….

To my dearest Mum

When you open this letter, I know you will be very sad because it will mean that I am no longer with you in bodily form. My spirit, that quintessential part that made me what I am, will live on, I know, in your heart and memories.

I can’t tell you not to be sad for I know that will be an impossible thing for you, as our lives have been passionately and faithfully entwined these past twenty years, when you first walked into the Pet Shop and brought Biggles and I home as 8-week-old kittens.  Even then, your innate sense of fairness meant you brought us both home, not leaving one of us behind to an unknown fate.

I remember your deep sorrow when Biggles died but you made sure that we all had plenty of cuddles because we were grieving too, and you knew that we needed to feel secure despite your pain.

No cat could have had a more loving person to take care of him; no cat could have asked for more than you gave me. The last few years of my life were very difficult for me to live, but you were there for me, giving me insulin when I needed it, baths when I needed them, and those frequent meals to make sure my glucose levels remained steady. I remember with a mixture of fondness and embarrassment you accompanying me up the garden with a torch at night watching me go to the toilet and writing it in your diary to tell Emma, the next time we went for acupuncture. Only you would do something like for me.

There would have been some owners who would not have cared the way that you did for me; they would have discarded their sick cat out on the streets to fend for itself in its final moments of life but not you. There would have been those who would have carted their sick cat to the vet to be euthanized because it would be too much trouble to look after, but not you.

You fought hard for me, as did Kevin and Emma, the vets I saw on a regular basis, and you gave me many more years of happiness than I thought I might have had – had you not cared for me in the way that you did.

So Mum, I know reading this letter will be difficult for you. And I know that Timmy will need lots of cuddles too because he’ll miss me. He’s been such a good friend to me all these years – I hope that one of the other Daily Mewsers will take care of him in his twilight years the way he did for me – perhaps Ollie will – knowing him, he’ll bring him a mouse to play with!!

Remember, that I haven’t gone far although you can’t see me. I’ll find Biggles, Joey, Ellie, Charlie and Max and we’ll wait patiently until we’re all together again.

You have been a Mum in a Million – no cat could ask for more.

With all my love

Garfie

xxxxxx

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