For Bandit
Almost four years ago you came to us
The only black and white kitten
Amongst your orange and white littermates
It was obvious, even then
You were the smallest one of them all
One by one
Your brothers and sisters
Found their furever home
And departed for new lives
Until you, the last one, remained
You didn’t lack for companionship
You were friends with all the other foster cats
Even though they were bigger than you
You embraced Saren the dog
And sought her gentle affections
You were so easily amused
Chasing the red dot from a laser pen
You loved sleeping
At the very top level of the cat tree
Or on top of a pile of laundry
There was never an empty box
That you didn’t try out first
And claim as your personal space
It was amazing how well you fit
All curled up in the big water bowl when it was empty!
We brought you to several adoption events
Despite Ohhs and Ahhs
There always seemed to be more lookers
Than serious potential adoptors
Every time, at the end of the day
You came home with us
We said, someday when the time was right
The right person, family or home
Would be there for you
It really didn’t matter to you
You were quite happy with us
And considered us your home
And we loved you as one of our own
He that created all creatures great and small
Wisely knew better than we did
You were exactly where He wanted you to be
With the exact people He wanted you to be with
For your time on this earth
Was predestined to be short
The holidays were somewhat muted
By the shadow of your sudden illness
Between us and the veterinarian
We tried our best to help you get well
Bravely you tried to forge on living
But your body and spunk were fading
To our great sorrow, all was not enough
I was there at the vet’s office with you
Tears freely falling down my cheeks
As I tenderly caressed your face with my hands
I think you already knew it was time to go
For in these last precious moments
You would not stop rubbing your face against my hands
You made sure I could feel your purrs
Telling me everythng would be okay
I know you felt my tears
When I kissed you goodbye
I gently cradled your face
And held your green eyes with mine
As the veterinarian set you free
So that the last thing you saw as you drifted to the beyond
Was how much you were loved
© L. Kupfer ~
Born sometime in 4-2007
Crossed 1-4-2011
