Who would have thought that when my friend Jerry said those words to me, 12 years ago, that my beloved little cat Binky would come into my life. I had lost my first-ever cat, Sara, and Jerry knew I was hurting...even though it had been months. "Let's just go see what kind of cats they have at the animal shelter here," Jerry said. Reluctantly, I agreed. At least I could pet a few of them, I thought. It was a small shelter...only about 4 or 5 cats in the cat room. One was a grey and white tortise, with beautiful green eyes. I asked about her. The staff all thought she was a nice cat. They didn't have much information about her. She had been surrendered after only about a month with another family, due to "not getting along well with other cats." She seemed nice, as I held her, but still I wasn't sure.....
On the 2 hour drive home, I thought about nothing else but that cat. Little did I know she had worked her way right into my heart. As soon as I arrived back in my city, I called the animal shelter, and told them I was coming back up the next day to pick up Binky. They were thrilled. Binky didn't say one "meow" on the drive back home. Just rode quietly in her cat-carrier. "I wonder why she is so quiet," I thought. I carried her in my apartment and the moment I opened the door of her carrier, she came right out and onto my lap. She instantly began showering my face with kisses, and was rubbing her face against mine. She wasn't interested in exploring her new home at all...just wanted to be with me.
So began a wonderful 12 year love & life with my little Binky. She was the sweetest, most affectionate kitty. Everyone that met her, loved her. She could instantly "wrap you around her paw." She loved snuggling with me in the morning, in the recliner, and laying in my lap. She always knew when there was clean laundry in the laundry basket...just perfect for her to sleep on... and who was I to argue?! :) She loved to put her paws on either side of my neck, and do her "kneading." And she was a talker, who loved to hear her own self talk. Binky loved to be up on my lap at night, and when I would "click off" the TV, she knew that was her signal to jump off and go get in her bed for the night.
When my Father was sick, she brought him so much comfort. He would always be so happy to see Binky jump up on his bed. I lost my Father 3 months ago, and now, today, my beloved little Binky has gone to join him. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer 4 weeks ago. A very aggressive form. We tried Prednisone for a while, which made her a little more comfortable. But,as time passed, I knew she was suffering. She wouldn't eat anymore, and was spending a lot of time under the bed. She didn't purr much anymore, and her face didn't look content. The drive to the vet today, was so difficult. It was cold, windy, and there were snow flurries in the air. As I sat in the parking lot of the Vet clinic, with little Binky, in the back, in her carrier, I wondered if I could really do this. In that moment, I looked up at the gray sky. Strangely enough, the sun had come out. All the rest of the sky was still gray, except for that one little area where the sun had poked through. I knew it was Dad telling me he will be with her, keeping her company, along with all the other animals in the Rainbow Bridge.
Have a safe journey, my little friend. You deserve all the wonderful things that are waiting for you, in your afterlife. Thank you for being such a wonderful cat, for all our 12 years together. I will always love you. I will always miss you. You'll always be with me, my little baby girl, my little baby Binky.