Your True Tales
February 2005 – Page 25

Snowy Says Goodbye
by Diane

My white cat, Snowy, just died last month after a 17½ year life of being my beloved pet. She was the perfect cat. Personable, friendly to all, never brushing up against ankles, never jumping on tables or countertops, carrying balls back in her mouth and dropping them at my feet, laying on her back with her paws up and looking at us because she knew it would make us smile. She became arthritic in her last three years, and painstakingly would climb stairs, making all four feet meet on each step before trying another. She would answer back with almost a chirp when asked a question; she was never a meower or loud. Snowy loved me, and always wanted to be around me. She'd greet me at the door, she would sit on the couch and wait for me to turn the computer off at night, and when she'd hear the click as I turned it off, she'd stand and wait for me to carry her to bed with me. She'd lay in my bed as I petted her, but when I fell asleep, she would jump down, and sleep on the upstairs landing, as if guarding our two bedrooms while we slept.

A week after her death, I went to bed and soon had the comforters only at my ankles and feet, as it was warm in the house. After a few minutes, something that felt like a dryer softener sheet quickly passed across both my exposed knees. I thought, "I must have a knee-hi nylon on this bed, and it must have just fallen from the stacked comforter onto my knees and then the bed." I looked, and there was nothing, just the sheet. I knew it was Snowy.

On the 11th day after Snowy died, I was home alone, in the family room on the computer, sitting about 9 feet from the kitchen. The kitchen has a tiled floor, and Snowy used to eat in there. After a while, I heard what sounded exactly like the sound Snowy made when she'd drop her dry cat food out of her dish, when eating. In fact, it sounded like it came from the area of where her dish used to be. It was very loud as it slightly bounced onto the floor. About 2 minutes later, I again heard the sound of cat food dropping on the tile floor. This continued every 2-3 minutes for about ½ hour. During this time, I went in the kitchen, looked around, and there was nothing on the floor. (And we have never had a mouse in the house, and have no other pets.) I have to admit I became unnerved, kind of spooked. There was nothing on the countertops or table, no where anything could be dropping from--or to. Then there was finally silence for about 5 minutes. I finally gathered the courage and said out loud"I love you, Snowy." Just as I finished saying it, the sound of 10 or so cat food pellets hitting the floor broke the silence...all at once. Then silence again. This had never happened before, and has not happened in the two weeks following this incident.

I truly believe Snowy wanted to make her presence known and to say goodbye. There is simply no other explanation. But, I know now, without a doubt, that "My Old Friend" will be waiting for me when I pass on from this life, and I will see her again.

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