Dogs of the North The Pack Paddy

In Memoriam

Thanks to our friend Trish Forrest for creating this wonderful image to honour the memory of our little girl.

This is one adoption that was clearly meant to be. I had sent Sisko and Leah to live in Minneapolis with Duffy so that it would be easier to sell my house in Stittsville. Each time I had a showing, having to leave the house with Kira and Chief was not a problem but cats would really complicate matters. In light of this relocation, someone was clearly working behind the scenes when this little lady turned up on my doorstep the same day I accepted on offer on my house. It was an evening in May 2002 when I drove into my driveway. There beside the entrance to the garage was a tiny little calico kitty. Occasionally I would see stray cats on my property or along one of the country roads, but usually they would run away if I approached them. I drove right up beside her and amazingly she did not run. I got out of the car and she started to move away but when I squatted down and called to her, she immediately started meowing and came over to me.

Throughout her first night in the house she slept on my chest - almost suffocating me! She was starved for attention and just so happpy to be with someone. When I awakened in the morning, I was horrified to find patches of blood on the duvet cover. I took her straight to the vet and I left her there overnight for the full suite of tests. The good news was that all of these came back negative. We also found out that she was neither microchipped nor spayed. A scan of the local notice boards, newspapers, and stores, revealed no notices for a lost cat matching her description, and so it was clear that she was ours. We were already smitten with her and we glad to keep her. She did not bleed at all during her stay with the vet and they believed that the blood was due to a miscarriage. I brought her home and she immediately left a few spots of blood on the duvet (I had just washed it). However no more blood was seen after that.

We named her "Paddy" after a dear friend of ours and a work colleague of mine. Paddy the human worked in Human Resources and her title was "Director of Human Resources" so we used to joke about Paddy the cat having the title "Director of Feline Resources." The photos on this page were taken soon after I took her in and she was very thin. We estimated she had been out on the streets for a few weeks. She very quickly put on weight and settled in as the only cat in the household along with Chief and Kira whom she tolerated at first but quickly came to love. She was very adaptable - she was joined months later by the six other kitties with their relocation from Minneapolis to Ottawa. Paddy was at first not impressed and for a long time she was kept separated from them. We were worried she might never get on with other cats. However she soon integrated and in particular she got on famously with her good buddy Sisko. They were often seen hanging out together and sparring with one another (or "bopping" as we call it) - an activity most of the other cats did not really appreciate.

Paddy had a personality far bigger than her size. She was the smallest of our seven cats but she always made her presence known. She talked a lot and was always running around following us everywhere. I joked that her recall was the best in the house - better than any of the dogs. No matter where she was, if you called her name, she would come running. Every evening she would sleep right next to my pillow, often getting under the covers to cuddle for a little while. We had this little routine where she would poke me with her paw to lift up the cover. If I wasn't already sleeping on my side facing her, I would have to reposition myself. Then I would lift the cover up but she would just sit there so I'd put the cover down and then she would poke it again as if to say "OK I'm ready now" and then she would snuggle right up next to my chest. She loved to be carried around. Despite being the smallest cat in the house, she was easily the boldest and was always eager to explore new places. Paddy was a wonderful ambassador and loved to greet and talk to visitors that came to the house.

Paddy loved to scare her dad by walking along the railing in the foyer of our house. The drop on one side is ten feet and she did indeed fall down once but of course she landed on her feet and was fine. She loved to jump up there and walk back and forth and then pretend to slip and almost fall off. I would always grab her and carry her away muttering how she was scaring the heck out of me. I often called her "Pocket Pad" because she was so tiny. She loved her name and learned it very quickly and I would say it alot to her, often saying "Pad, Pad, Pad" or "Paddy, Paddy, Paddy" in her ear and she would purr like crazy. We would often remark just what a wonderful little kitty she was and just how lucky we were to have her.

She loved toys. We suspect she never had any toys before we came to us. She would often go and grab one of her toys and walk around the house with the toy in her mouth and she would be talking all the while. Her favourite word was "mWAH!!!" and she said it just like that in response to a great many things.

Her passing was so sudden and unexpected in the late afternoon on December 21, 2005. I was at work and Paddy was at home with all her feline and canine siblings and Duffy. She was doing that thing she loved to do - rubbing her head in Duffy's hair - walking back and forth and just purring and talking. Duffy left the room and soon after there was a scream from Paddy and she was dead moments later, on the floor at the foot of the bed. Duffy tried to revive her but our little girl was already gone. The next morning we held a little service for her so we could all say our goodbyes again and then we took her to the vet. It turned out she had heart disease - specifically restrictive cardiomyopathy. She could not have been more than four or five years old. At the time we were dealing with all kinds of other medical problems with our other animals. Melanchthon is getting on in years now and is dealing with a lot of arthritis and the effects of a stroke. We had a big scare with Chief when a cancerous tumour was found and removed (fortunately there is apparently only a 10% chance of the cancer reappearing). Chief's seizures have also gotten more frequent. Paddy was the last animal we thought would have left us. She was youngest of twelve animals in the house and was always in good health. She was always running around and so full of life. Because she was always everywhere in the house, it was so immediately obvious when she was gone.

All we can do now is remember what a great life she had while she was with us and the joy she brought to everyone who met her. She was the first kitty that I ever rescued and she and I were so close - I liked to say that was because she knew I had saved her. To honour her memory, I suspect we will soon adopt another little kitty but of course we will never forget our little Paddy.

Here is the text from the service we held for her in our home:

Farewell and Godspeed for Paddy

Scripture

Psalm 84.3:

Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.

Prayer:

Lord of all creation, we thank you for giving us the gift of Paddy. She was a remarkable little cat, who came to Adrian on a cold and wet night, seeking the shelter and love of a home. She brought us such joy!

She loved her home and reveled in the joy of being alive. Each day was a new adventure for Paddy. She never passed up a cuddle or a chance to play or participate in any opportunity set before her. She never left any nook or cranny unexplored.

She taught us so much. Most of all, she taught us that life is precious and should be lived for all its worth. In her passing, she is teaching us that life is far too short, and that we should never take for granted those who share it with us.

Help us in our sadness and in our grief. Help us understand why she left us so soon. Move us to love and care even more for the creatures you give us and for each other.

In the Scriptures, you tell us that your heart is touched by even a sparrow that passes from this life to the next. Give us peace in knowing that you, who cares even for the smallest of birds, will keep a sweet cat like Paddy warm and safe, far away from the wet and cold.

Amen

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