And then the cat came back
This is not the first blog I've had, and it probably won't be my last. But, it's where I am right now.
It's a continuation of my former blog, Krunchy Knits. I stopped writing it around the time that my missing cat Pepper came back from his great adventure and the only way to start this blog, is with his story.
So, three years ago this September, my family was hit a triple blow: we lost my Mum to the big C and both of our beloved family pets, Ripley and Pepper. As a person who finds solace in the presence of a furry friend, losing these two little friends hit me very hard.
Pepper was the first to leave; he just vanished. A few days later, we lost Mum to cancer and about a month after that, Ripley, our cat of 16 years, just seemed to give up, dying of old age.:
But back to Pepper's story...
We got Pepper when my Mum started chemotherapy as treatment for lung cancer. He was a comfort and a distraction for me and my boys at the start of Mum's tough road ahead. He was a kitten full of curiosity and pure kitten energy. He quickly grew attached to my eldest son and our old girl Ripley. Pepps was a lovely boy, but always a little wild. He loved to snuggle, especially on our pillows, but he was the scourge of the backyard and a terror to chipmunks on the ground and birds in the trees.
Every night in the summer, Pepper would go out and come home at around 2am. On the night before we needed to drive down to Toronto to say goodbye to Mum, who we lost to cancer a few days later. He went out for his regular prowl (up over the roof no less), but did not return. Despite our efforts to search for him during an incredibly tough time for me and my family, we did not find him and he did not find his way home. He was less than a year and a half old, still a kitten really, but he was gone.
Time passed and Pepper and Ripley were replaced by Fred, a rescue cat, and Lucy, a rambunctious kitten. We loved our new kitties, however, there was always an uncertainty as to what ever happened to Pepper; there was no closure. Months went by, and then a year. It took me a good year and half to finally let go. And then, out of the blue, there was a sighting. One year and ten months later, a cat that looked an awful lot like Pepper was found. It took a good couple of days to catch him, but once we did, a trip to the vet's confirmed it was our boy! He had traveled about 7km from home and had been taken care of for two long, cold winters by a lovely lady who had mistaken him for her neighbour's cat. He's been home with us for almost a year and a half now, and has settled in quite nicely. He still sleeps by my head, on my pillow, most nights, and despite some tension between him and the other cats, he's happy to be home and we are happy to have him back with us.
So that's his story. I wish I knew what it was that he was up to while he was gone and what chased him away (most likely the neighbouring bully cat). If only he could tell us. He will forever be the cat who came back.
So why name the blog after him? The cat came back means a new beginning. A fresh start. Sometimes things take time to happen, but we are so relieved and happy when they do. Just like when Pepper came home. This blog is a new beginning for me as I try to focus more on what makes me happy: weaving, and knitting, and dyeing, and pretty much anything to do with yarn and wool. I hope to be able to share this love of the fibre arts with you.
It's a continuation of my former blog, Krunchy Knits. I stopped writing it around the time that my missing cat Pepper came back from his great adventure and the only way to start this blog, is with his story.
So, three years ago this September, my family was hit a triple blow: we lost my Mum to the big C and both of our beloved family pets, Ripley and Pepper. As a person who finds solace in the presence of a furry friend, losing these two little friends hit me very hard.
Pepper was the first to leave; he just vanished. A few days later, we lost Mum to cancer and about a month after that, Ripley, our cat of 16 years, just seemed to give up, dying of old age.:
But back to Pepper's story...
We got Pepper when my Mum started chemotherapy as treatment for lung cancer. He was a comfort and a distraction for me and my boys at the start of Mum's tough road ahead. He was a kitten full of curiosity and pure kitten energy. He quickly grew attached to my eldest son and our old girl Ripley. Pepps was a lovely boy, but always a little wild. He loved to snuggle, especially on our pillows, but he was the scourge of the backyard and a terror to chipmunks on the ground and birds in the trees.Every night in the summer, Pepper would go out and come home at around 2am. On the night before we needed to drive down to Toronto to say goodbye to Mum, who we lost to cancer a few days later. He went out for his regular prowl (up over the roof no less), but did not return. Despite our efforts to search for him during an incredibly tough time for me and my family, we did not find him and he did not find his way home. He was less than a year and a half old, still a kitten really, but he was gone.
Time passed and Pepper and Ripley were replaced by Fred, a rescue cat, and Lucy, a rambunctious kitten. We loved our new kitties, however, there was always an uncertainty as to what ever happened to Pepper; there was no closure. Months went by, and then a year. It took me a good year and half to finally let go. And then, out of the blue, there was a sighting. One year and ten months later, a cat that looked an awful lot like Pepper was found. It took a good couple of days to catch him, but once we did, a trip to the vet's confirmed it was our boy! He had traveled about 7km from home and had been taken care of for two long, cold winters by a lovely lady who had mistaken him for her neighbour's cat. He's been home with us for almost a year and a half now, and has settled in quite nicely. He still sleeps by my head, on my pillow, most nights, and despite some tension between him and the other cats, he's happy to be home and we are happy to have him back with us.
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