Monday, November 16, 2015

Good bye, sweet Julius

Tonight we said good-bye to our dear cat Julius...


He wandered up to our house in Nova Scotia in 2000, and never left!


He had been suffering from renal failure and had also gone blind, but that didn't deter him.


But when I came in from barn chores this evening, he refused supper and I could tell something was very wrong.



I always knew he would tell me when it was time to go, and he did. We rushed him off to the emergency vet. His heart and respiration rates were very rapid and the vet thought he might have thrown an embolism. She said he would not last through the night. I wasn't surprised. I knew when we left the house that we would not be bringing him back with us.

He went peacefully with Gordon and I stroking his soft fur. It was just his time.

He had a great life and travelled across Canada twice in our car. Born in Nova Scotia, he also lived in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario!


One of his cross-country treks. He's with his friend Mashka now.



He was always a placid, happy coming. Even going blind didn't seem to deter him.


He loved to snuggle up in warm places...


...and tolerated belly rubs!

He inspired my art...



And was just plain cute!






And very, very...


...fluffy! Which is why we often called him...


...Mr. Fluffy!


He was pretty easy to love!





And it won't be the same without him. 

On the way home from the vet's tonight, we saw a shooting star. It passed through the constellation Orion... the hunter. We used to call Julius a mighty hunter. 

I think that flash in the night was him was telling us good-bye.


Sleep well, buddy. We are so glad you wandered into our lives, and we will miss you very much.

94 comments:

  1. Im so sorry for your loss and thank you for sharing all the lovely pictures of Julius.

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  2. I'm always so sad to hear of our pets leaving us. You have my sympathy.

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    1. Thanks Cro... I take comfort from the fact he had a pretty good long life.

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  3. So sorry to hear about your lovely boy. What a wonderful life he had full of love.

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    1. He was a real character. THank you! xox

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  4. I am so sorry to hear about Julius sudden passing. Being such a fluffy& sweet natured mancat, it is easy to understand how he claimed a prominent place in your hearts. Thank you for sharing all the wonderful photos of your sweet boy. He certainly was a photogenic. The artwork that Julius inspired and served as muse for will be a lasting reminder of just how special cat he was. I want to extend my sincere condolences to you & Gordon for your loss.

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    1. THank you Ellen, what a lovely comment. Means so much to me!!

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  5. So sorry for your loss, sending lots of hugs. Sounds like he had a wonderful life with you.

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    1. He gave us so much love and happiness. THank you.

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  6. In the sink... So lovely ...so sorry

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    1. He was quite the sink cat! Thank you John.

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  7. Julius was such a good looking cat and his kind nature shone through even in pictures. He reminds me of our cat Munchkin. How wonderful that he found you and spent those years and adventures with you. I am so very sorry that he has had to leave you. Our time with them is always too short. I know how much that you will miss him. x

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    1. LeeAnn, thank you for your lovely words. oxox

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  8. Natalie, my heart is broken for you and Gordon. Julius was a wonderful cat. I always had a soft spot for him as he looked exactly like our first cat Linus. You both are in my thoughts and prayers.

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    1. Thank you so much for thinking of us!! xox

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  9. I'll miss that sweet boy. I remember when you and G were travelling, I found him alone on a sofa and pulled up beside him. He and I had quite a snuggle. He seemed lonely and I felt I had helped him get through a bit of a tough time. And we connected! He seemed to like me after that...except he bit me once, but in my mind it was a love nip. I loved Julius and I'm sorry he's gone. He was a fluffy, sweet, orange boy. I'm so happy he came into your lives. And that you gave him a great home. Bye sweet Julius. Please play with Cinnamon and Domino and Tamarind in kitty heaven!

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    1. I think you had quite a soft spot for him, and he loved you too. xoxox

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  10. All of us who have had to say goodbye to such a sweet part of our lives send you our condolences.

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    1. Sigh... all of us pet owners have to deal with it, THanks, Marty. xoxo

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  11. Sending you hugs and love. You, Gordon, and Julius were all very lucky to have each other.

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    1. Thanks Mitchell. Big hugs. xox

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  12. So very sorry for your loss. He was very wise to have chosen you. Thank you for the lovely pictures of a beautiful soul.

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    1. THank you for all your kindness. The goats send their love!

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  13. Sorry for your loss .

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  14. I'm so sorry. We'll miss Julius so much. You and Gordon gave him years of love and good care, so his time on Earth was happy.

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    1. We have so many great stories about him too. Just loved him to bits.

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    1. I'm glad we had him for 15 years, but it went by so fast!

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  16. Oh, I'm so sorry. It's never easy. What a great cat..handsome beyond words. How fortunate you both were for finding each other. Love the story.

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    1. THanks Betsy. He touched our lives in a big way, that's for sure.

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  17. I'm sorry for your loss! He had a great life with you.

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  18. Goodbye Julius...loved you from afar
    Jane xxx

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    1. I love all my cats but he was our senior guy and so special. SIgh... thank you Jane. xox

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  19. Sweet, handsome, Julius. Peace dear boy.

    He had a wonderful life with you and plenty of love. Wishing you well.....

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    1. THank you for your kind words. xoxo

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  20. Sweet kitty boy and now a wonderful memory forever. Hugs to you!

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    1. A star in the sky! Thanks so much.

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  21. Frolic in catnip heaven, little guy. You gave so much, touched lots of lives, and will always have a special place in our hearts. Lots of love to your humans. We are thinking of them.





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    1. Our Nova Scotia kitty! THank you, both of you. Kisses to Dutch and Hermann. xoxox

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  22. Crying with you both. Love the photo diary. Hugs and heart-healing zen to you and Gordon.

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    1. Thanks so much. It has been hard without him. xoxo

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  23. So sad to hear about Julius...always shed a few tears for the kitties that go to the Rainbow Bridge. He obviously had a wonderful home and was loved.

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    1. Thank you Terri... that's lovely. :)

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  24. What a great life you gave him and how lucky you were to have him!

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    1. We feel lucky. Thanks so much. xoxo

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  25. what a gentle soul.....we are very very sorry and sending you a lot of purrs

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  26. I absolutely adore the light in this photo /IMG_7554.jpg it makes it so very special..

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  27. I'm so sorry Natalie, beautiful memories x

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  28. So sorry you had to say goodbye to sweet gorgeous Julius!
    Rest easy in heaven sweet boy!

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    1. THank you so much. I know you've had your own kitty losses to deal with! xox

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  29. What a wonderful life he had with you. And he was living and enjoying his life right to the very end, something we wish for our beloved animals and ourselves as well. I firmly believe he gave you a sign that all was well and he was free of pain and suffering. His old and weary body was cast aside and his life force is now at one with the universe. I will light our special candle for Julius. It says "Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you. I loved you so...'twas Heaven here with you". I.P.Richardson.
    I wonder if it was he that directed the little black cat to your home knowing he had to leave you?

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    1. I wondered about the black cat too... Mimi has fit in like she's always been here. Thank you for the beautiful words and quote. It's making me cry again. You always leave me such great comments, Kari. Thank you. xox

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  30. re: I think that flash in the night was him was telling us good-bye. oh, yeah, no doubt, and he was also saying i'm OK, i love you and thank you for my wonderful farm life. --suz in ohio

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  31. Aww bless him. The shooting star was a gift for you :-)

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    1. THat's how I'm looking at it. Thank you. :) xox

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  32. I am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy. I agree that he was saying goodbye, what a wonderful way to do it.

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    1. He was a smart little guy. He was tired and he let me know. Thank you so much.

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  33. We are so sorry for your loss of Julius. He'll always be in your heart. The art work is gorgeous that you did of him. Sending gentle headbutts, purrs and prayers to you, Gordon and all the critters of the farm to help with the loss.

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    1. So comforting. Thank you!! xoxo

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  34. What a gorgeous guy. We're so sorry. Purrs....

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  35. The Ornj ones are so Very Special. Many hugs and soft purrs coming your way from all of us. xx

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    1. We miss the Fluffalicious one so much... thank you Trish. oxo

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  36. Tears in my eyes... Reminds me of our dear Doussia who was put asleep because of her renal failure, also. So sad! Only solace: he had a happy live with you!

    looloo

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    1. Thank you LooLoo... they steal our hearts, then they break them.

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  37. What a beautiful tribute to your dear orange boy. We know all too well the hole that is in your home. You were all lucky to have shared life together. Purrs.

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    1. We miss him so. Thank you Ann!! oxox

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  38. What a dear, sweet, beautiful boy. My very deepest sympathy for your loss. We had an all white kitty,Vinny, who moved in on us the first year in our present house. He was with us for 15 years before he too succumbed to kidney failure. He used to try to round us up at bedtime and would snug right in for the night. Animals are such gifts in our lives.

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    1. Oh boy, you know how I'm feeling then. Thanks so much, Cheryl. You are very kind.

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  39. I am so deeply, deeply sorry. What a handsome boy he was. You were blessed to have 15 years with him, and if he had to "wander" to anyone's home, he could NOT have picked a better one. Sending you both much love and my deepest sympathy xoxoxo

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    1. Thanks for your very kind words, Caren!!

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  40. I had to wait a day or so before comments, I just couldn't get through the whole thing with out crying. I don't like to play favourites, and you have so many lovely beasties.... but I've got a serious soft spot for the orange boys... and Julius was just so regal and just so... perfect.
    But he had a wonderful love-filled life, and you just can't ask for more than that.

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    1. I had to wait over a week to reply to them... I still can't think about him without welling up. THanks so much for your kind words, Valerie. oxox

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  41. I'm so sorry for your loss. What a sweet boy he was. He was so lucky to have your love and care for fifteen years...and you were fortunate to have found such a special kitty.

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    1. We felt so lucky to have him. He was one of a kind. Definitely an iconic cat for us. THank you!!

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  42. It is the heartache of owning pets, and your post has left me crying remember when we had to say good-bye to our beloved Bailey. Warm thoughts, dear friend, XOXO

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    1. I so wish they lived longer. Thank you so much, Susan! xox

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  43. Ah. Ouch. Rest in peace, sweet Julius.

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    1. My consolation is that he had a good life, and let me know he was ready to go. SIgh.

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  44. I'm so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful cat he was.

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    1. Thank you Jennifer. He was such a good boy.

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  45. I'm so sorry. These photos of your boy made me smile. What a sweet character.
    Sending you our thoughts.

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  46. I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful tribute to a magnificent cat!

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  47. He was a really good boy. I think cats choose us, not the other way around.

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  48. That's a beautiful tribute to Julius, Natalie. He was such a beautiful boy. I hope he meets Kane in heaven and they become friends. Heaven knows Kane didn't take to any of them here. lol. Thanks for your comforting comments today. Hugs, Deb

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!