With a very heavy heart, I share the sad news that our senior cat, Tiger, has passed away. Much love from our furfamily to you and yours, and a most sincere thank you for the love, likes, shares, and well-wishes you’ve given to Tiger and his crafty cat exploits over the years. Snuggle your furbabies a little closer, have fun together, and spoil them rotten.
Saying Farewell to our Mane Man Tiger
Tiger passed away after sixteen years of companionship and adventure. He was a scrawny little rescue kitten when we first met, complete with fleas. Poor little guy. He made eye contact and that was it. I couldn’t leave him to fate. He was meant to be mine. We travelled the country together as I moved through Canada on different work assignments, before taking the long journey to a new path in Australia and later on to New Zealand. From rescue kitty to international moagie of mystery!
Oli and Tiger were young when we merged households. They reached a happy coexistence surprisingly quick, with easy-going Oli acquiescing to Tiger’s occasional stealing of his favourite blankies and other nesting places. It took a great deal longer for a much older Tiger to accept playful puppy Humphrey, but he eventually warmed up and resumed stealing the best nests. Cat boss. As the end neared, the dogs know and guarded Tiger on rotating watch. Brother till the end.
Creating Memories, Mementos, and More
In addition to the creative ideas in Tiger’s archives here on the blog for having fun with your favourite felines, there are a few special projects that I’m glad I did well before Tiger fell ill, There are also some regrets for opportunities missed and things we never got to do. Here are Tiger’s final creative inspirations for our readers.
Creative Keepsakes
Tucked away safely in our moving boxes (the materials to build the new home office are coming later this month) are Tiger’s clay paw prints and my needle felted fur-filled heart. I’m so very glad that I have both. They’re both easy crafts, although paw prints require a little patience (and plenty of treats!) and needle felting requires special materials.
Photographs
One of the easiest and most accessible creative activities for you and your cat is to amp up your photo collection. If you’ve been following the blog or our social media, you’ll know that I love taking photos; however, I wish I had more of Tiger. Especially of the two of us together. I have very few photos with me actually in them – a dislike of being in front of the camera is one of many traits Tiger and I shared. Make time to capture moments and memories through all the stages of your life together. And enjoy the outtakes and bloopers along the way!
As much as my heart hurt, I’m also glad that I have a few final photos from our time with Tiger. His illness progressed quickly, so most of these are deeply personal, with a frail little Tiger and sad teary humans, but these are still precious. There were also small moments of beauty and love in our sadness, like how the dogs could sense his illness and took to keeping watch over Tiger. Those sad memories I cherish, too. I may, at some point, share a longer post on loss, but taking final photos has proved very helpful in the grieving process.
With Love and Gratitude
Much love from our furfamily to you and yours, and a most sincere thank you for the love, likes, shares, and well-wishes you’ve given to Tiger and his crafty cat exploits over the years.
