News
Dec 14 2009
In memory of Henri – a personal note from Sue
I said goodby to Henri on Saturday. My sons surprised me with Henri 15 years ago last Mother’s Day. He was the sweetest little kitten and they brought him home with the help of their grandmother, Hope, for me to have. I had been without a cat for several years after my 18 year old cat, Ralph, had died, and they felt it was time for me to have a kitty again.
Henri was a very beautiful cat, and he was very particular about who he cared for. He was good at letting everyone know how he felt, and you definitely had to earn your respect from him. He was always with me, though, and we spent many hours snuggled on the couch over the years. As the need to have little strays sharing our home in the beginning of the rescue work became necessary, he became more tolerant, as if he understood that I was trying to help his own kind.
The last month has been a slow decline in his health, but even so, he was up and greeting volunteers as they came in to get supplies for the shelter. Everyone would pet him on the head and say hi, and he would then go back and lay down – it was his job to greet.
My heart was heavy Saturday while we spent our last hour together. Someone recently said to me that they wished they didn’t have a heart, because it hurts when it breaks. But, oh, the blessings that come from the love of an animal far outweigh the sadness of their passing. He was a wonderful cat, and as my husband says, an icon. He will always be remembered.
