Ashland's Rainbow
Nov 26 '08 (Updated Dec 12 '08)
The Bottom Line Love your pets while they are here, you never know when they will have to go to the Bridge!
****I just added a picture of Ashland and her Rainbow to my profile page.****
Ashland was perhaps the most amazing little kitty ever. She came to us from http://www.craigslist.com. I was scrolling through that website's pet section one day, and I saw an ad titled, "soon to be orphaned kittens"!! I had to read the ad, the title HAD to be a typo!!
No, no typo! Some idiot of all idiots had gotten 2 sister litter mates a year ago. She found out soon that she was allergic to cats. She tried to give the girls away, but no one wanted them. Then one of the girls got pregnant. Instead of taking the girls to any of the local shelters, the idiot figured she would keep them both until the babies were born.
She did just that. Then when the babies were just a few days old, she took them from their mother and gave them away to neighbors to be bottle fed!! I read the ad on Craigslist, for the kittens she couldn't give away, and I told her the rescue wanted them ALL, she had to get ALL the kittens back, all 6 of them. I would take both of the adult girls, and ALL of the babies.
When I got the kitties, there were the 2 adult girls, and only 4 kittens. One of the kittens was given to someone who was "having fun" feeding it a bottle, and wouldn't give it back. Another had just passed away. The 4 I did get were not doing well. I rushed the 2 adults and 4 kittens to the rescue's vet. We named the mother Paisley, and her sister was Dallas. The kittens, 2 boys and 2 girls, were named John Day, Ashland, Aurora, and Eugene. In case you missed it, they are all cities in Oregon! Hey, you have to get creative with names with so many critters passing through!!
Eugene and Ashland were extremely weak and tiny, while John Day and Aurora seemed to be okay. We left Dallas at the vet to be spayed the next day, and took everyone else home with us. Paisley did not want to mother the kittens, but she did what she could. Eugene refused to nurse, so we had to feed him, and try to convince him his mother really was the better option!
Then there was Ashland! Ashland nursed like a champ from Paisley, but she wasn't growing. We gave Ashland all sorts of extra food, vitamins, and supplements, yet she was not growing! She was the cutest little tabby with a white chest, and the cutest little milk dipped tail! At least that is what everyone said, Ashland's tail looked like it was dipped in milk since only the very tip was white.
At 6 weeks of age Ashland was only the weight and size of a 2 week old kitten. She was as active and feisty as any kitten you have ever seen! Right around 6 weeks of age she figured out how to get out of the big dog crate we had them in. My husband thought I had forgotten to put her back in, and I blamed him...until we watched Ash escape! She squeezed out of the space between bars, less than 2 inches apart! It was the absolute funniest thing ever! Well, until we blocked the bars, and she then went bar to bar trying to figure out why she suddenly couldn't get out!!
Ashland and Eugene were both around the same size, with Eugene being just slightly larger. John Day and Aurora grew at a relatively normal pace, and they were soon spayed and neutered and adopted out. Then when Ash and Eugene were around 9 weeks old, Eugene suddenly fell ill. He passed away on our way to the emergency vet. We found out that Eugene had a heart defect, and he just wasn't strong enough. Upon losing Eugene, I decided we needed to keep Ashland.
My goal with Ashland was to have her be a therapy cat. Her small size and her perfect personality made her the ideal kitty for a therapy cat! I bought her a ferret harness, as the kitten harnesses were all WAY too big for her. I began to take her to Petsmart with us every other weekend when we took the dogs. Ashland quickly had her own fan club!
Everyone loved Ashland. Store employees would take Ashland on a tour around the the store during breaks. Ashland loved going to see the birds. She would sit in someone's arms, and just stare. She liked watching the chinchillas too, but they were bigger! Sometimes Ashland would just get carried around and passed around from person to person. I had to hunt her down when we left.
Ashland played with everyone here, feline and canine alike. Eric, our 2 year old male cat was incredible with Ash! Eric weighs a whopping 13 pounds, and watching him play with 4 pound Ashland was fun! Eric would "run" after Ashland, then let her chase him. Watching Eric run with Ashland was much like watching an adult run with a small child, that exaggerated slo-mo run!
Ashland did not like the foster kittens around the house! She'd hiss and snarl at them, yet she was fascinated by them. She couldn't resist watching them, but she couldn't stand them being close to her!
Ashland could often be found curled up with River, our 7 pound Pomeranian Chihuahua mix. River and Ashland had a special bond from the beginning! Remember when I said Paisley didn't like mothering? Well, we would let River get in the cage and care for the kittens while Paisley had her own time. Paisley welcomed River's help! Never once did Paisley hiss or snarl at River, unlike any other momma cat! I don't know if Paisley just trusted and liked River, or if she just didn't care! Regardless, Ashland always felt safe with River nearby!
Then last Thursday, November 20, 2008, Ashland began showing signs of the distemper virus that was raging through the rescue, and in the end, our house! Ashland's little body, even vaccinated, was just too weak to fight the disease. Poor baby had the most pitiful look in her little eyes.
We took her to our vet, Dr Ken Genova, and asked him what he felt. He examined Ashland, and told us her temperature was high, and her blood pressure extremely low. Until this whole distemper thing, I didn't even know a cat's blood pressure could be read! Anyway, the odds of Ashland surviving were extremely low. We didn't want her last days spent with her being too weak to move, and her tiny body wrought with bloody diarrhea. We wanted her to be at peace and to know she was and will always be loved! We said our goodbyes to this little angel, and we tasked her with some jobs at the Rainbow Bridge. There were fosters we had lost that she had to say hello to, and most importantly she had to find her sister, Maria. Maria was our Cairn terrier who passed away in 2001. We told Ashland she had to help Maria love all the fosters at the Bridge!
We said a very tearful goodbye to Ashland, and with Dr. Genova's aide, we let Ash go. We are not the types to mourn over a body, so once Ashland's body was lovingly removed from the room, we sat there and chatted about all her funny antics! When we were ready, we left the office.
On the way home, we stopped at a store. Lee went in while I sat in the car. When he came out, he told me to turn around. It was a rainy day, and behind us was the brightest rainbow either of us had ever seen! I immediately cried out that it was Ashland's Rainbow, and I took several pictures with my phone's camera! We then got back into the car, and by the time we pulled out of the parking place, the rainbow had disappeared!
I really believe that God sent us Ashland's Rainbow to tell us that the worse was over.
I go pick up Ashland's ashes tomorrow. Her bodily remains will be in a little box that will sit on a shelf. It won't be Ashland, she won't be there! Ashland will be here in this little story, and she will forever be in the heart of anyone and everyone who ever met her!
Ashland was truly a special little kitten! She left her mark on this world in the 5 short months she was here!
Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...
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Epinions.com ID:
trthomp
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Member: Terri
Location: Portland Area, Oregon
Reviews written: 189
Trusted by: 77 members
About Me:
God's idea of natural exfoliation is kitty kisses!!
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