Rest in Peace, Mittens

Mittens final journey is complete. His ashes came home with us today. To be such a huge presence in our lives for 15 years, his ashes were so tiny. Maybe 1/4 of a sandwich baggie worth. We got the perfect urn for him. We always laughed and said that despite the fact that he was a scaredy cat, he thought he was absolutely a god. That we should worship him and, really, so should everyone else.

The urn we found is an Egyptian goddess that looks like a cat. Bastet, goddess of (amongst many other things) joy. Fitting, I do believe. 

The urn

I hadn't cried in several days, but did so last night when we brought his ashes home. I put them in his urn, and I just carried it around for a little while. I don't know why, but it was so hard to put that urn down. So, I just carried it over to the door and we stood and watched the snow. It was rather odd, but I think that was what I had to do so say goodbye this one last time. I talked to him for a little while and told him the story about when he was just a kitten and went flying out our front door and sunk right up over his head in the snow. That broke him of running outside for about 10 years. I know he wasn't there, couldn't hear it and wouldn't have understood it if he did hear it, but it felt good to tell him a little story about a time that made me smile. 

Finally, I put him down on the library table that is under our TV. My original plan was to put him in the curio cabinet. But, for right now, I need to see the small reminder of him. So, in the living room he remains. 

Rest in Peace, Mittens.

April 1996-December 21, 2010