By Liz, hoping the worst of winter might be over….?
Since all you readers are like our family, I thought you might not mind if I used today’s post as a tribute to a friend. Some of you may know that I lost my little Pumpkin cat last week. It wasn’t a shock, as he’d been sick for some time and on a steady decline over the past few months. Still, it’s never easy.
I didn’t want to do a sad post. Instead, I thought I’d share his life through pictures, starting with his baby pics. Wasn’t he just the cutest?
Pumpkin and his three littermates 
were left in someone’s driveway on my mother’s street. She found them and called me, but not before these two ran and hid in a bush. Guess who had to fish them out??
I totally knew he was my kitty soulmate from the moment I laid eyes on him. He and his sister Gypsy spent a lot of time in my bathroom when they first came home, so they could be away from the other cats.
That might have been where he picked up his love for water and showers. I always knew where to find him – waiting in the tub for someone to turn the water on. He wasn’t happy unless he was soaking wet. 
Or eating. Eating was his second favorite activity. At one point, he weighed 21 pounds…and he was always on a diet. Which he didn’t love.
But he loved most everything else. Pumpkin was known for his crazy loud purr. He purred all the time, night and day, asleep and awake. Sometimes it was so loud it woke you up. I always took comfort in the sound of his little motorboat.
He also bonded with one of my other cats, Rico. He thought she was his surrogate mother. She cleaned him a few times a day and he could always be found by her side. 
Pumpkin was almost 17 when he passed away, and I know he lived a long and happy life. I also know I’ll miss him forever.
Readers, share a favorite picture of a fury pal from your past that makes you smile. Even if you have to take a picture of an old picture and post that! (Like what I did with the baby pics.) I’d love to see them!
Oh, Liz. So sorry to read this. Those tiny paws, they leave huge pawprints on our hearts! I don’t know how to post pix here so I’ll just say Starlight, Missy, Fred, Smokey, Pirate, and Elvis, all of whom are at the rainbow bridge, are happily playing with Pumpkin now.
My Sam looks much like your Pumpkin, but Sam is (best guess) 20 and NOT in the mood to be chased by the laptop for a photo.
Aww, Liz, I guess I missed the news of Pumpkin’s death. What a lovely tribute! Our Christabel has similar coloring. If I knew how to put a picture in the comments I would include my Birdy, who died last summer. Hugs.
Such a sweet tribute to Pumpkin! I’m so sorry for your loss! Losing a fur baby is so hard, but pictures and sweet memories help.
We certainly sympathize with how you fell, as we had an orange tabby and she’s been gone almost 11 years. She had health issues and died just before her 13th birthday. We still miss her. I had a blue merle Sheltie and he’s been gone 18 years and I still miss him.
Sorry, I meant to say we sympathize with how you feel, sorry.
If I knew how to post one (and I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t know how) I’d give you a picture of my darling Blue, who left us two years ago. He was sixteen.
So sorry to hear about the loss of Pumpkin. So hard to lose a beloved pet. They are family.
Sorry to hear about Pumpkin; this is a lovely post about him. What a personality!
I wish I could post a picture of my dog here. We rescued her from a high kill shelter 7 years ago, where she was surrendered when her owner’s abuse was reported. She is a pitt bull mix, and the sweetest, friendliest, most laid back cuddle monster I’ve ever had the pleasure of living with.
Haha you guys – sorry about that, I’m so used to saying on Facebook to post photos! I don’t think you can here….so just tell me about your babies 🙂
So very sorry for your loss in your precious kitty. Aren’t we blessed with memories!
I posted a photo on the Facebook page of a pet that was very dear to us in more than one reason. It’s not that good a photo, but back then we didn’t have the advantage of great cameras or being able to see if a photo turned out before developing like they do now.
I’ve had two sweet cats in my life — Snoopy and Lucy. Hugs to you.
Pumpkin looks like a cutie. Sorry for your loss.
Our dog, Casey, died back in 2011. We still miss him. He was good with both my kids as babies, but adored The Girl (people always ask if he ever bit my kids and I say “No, but my daughter bit him once.”).
Aw, what a lovely tribute. I have lost several cats over the years, all special in their own way. Hugs to you and all of Pumpkin’s surviving fur-siblings.
It is hard to lose a beloved pet/friend. We had a black lab for 17 years and didn’t want any more pets when we lost him. But six months later, Sabrina walked into our lives. I don’t know how to post a pic here, but I’ve had my rescue babies since they were a week old. Their mother brought them to me when she smelled the soup I was making. We kept her and two of her three babies. Mama Sabrina died 2 years ago at age 20. My two sweethearts will be 22 years old in May. My boy, Tony, is having a hard time and he is also in a decline. He has asthma and arthritis that he has a hard time with. His sister, Teddi, is doing pretty well. Thinking of you and Pumpkin.
My Malachi cat sounds like the grey and white version of pumpkin—loves water, loves to eat and has the loudest purr ever. He’s 16 now and in bad health—I cherish every day I have with him. I don’t know how to post a picture with wordpress or I surely would.
Thank you for telling us about Pumpkin, especially those adorable kitten pictures!We have five cats, plus a stray that we feed outdoors, same color as Pumpkin. Yet there are two of the many cats I’ve had before that still make me smile – or miss them. While all have left pawprints on my heart, Miss Calli (who hated coming in when weather was bad, refused to be an indoor girl) and Sproutie (a rescued stray who, when I first picked her up, panicked and stuck her claw through my lip! I still miss her. I think of them as running in the meadow, chasing butterflies. Pumpkin is there, too – they are waiting for us!
Oh, Liz, I am so sorry for your loss! I have a cat and a dog allergy so my pet friends have been fish and birds. I lost my beloved African Grey Parrot, Miss Kim, several years ago but I still find myslef looking to say good morning to her when I enter the kitchen or to reassure her I will be back soon when I head out on errands. I can’t help but think she is still somehow perched on my shoulder while I work at my desk or do the dishes.
Pumpkin was so lucky you saved him! It’s so hard to say goodbye to one of our fur babies — they each own a piece of your heart. I’m going to try to paste a picture of our Mini Australian Shepherd, Sophie when she was a puppy – can you tell by her face that she is a total Diva?
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Oh how did I miss that you lost your sweet Pumpkin. He was sure lucky to have been saved by you. I love the saying that every time we lose one of our furbabies they take a piece of our hearts, but leave a piece of theirs behind and every time we love another they bring a piece back in so that one day our hearts are full of their love. (or something like that). i am sure you have seen photos of Tyler on facebook (Betty Tyler) so I will spare you another one here. I do not have cats anymore, but they played a major part in my life. Deedy my 32 pound panther, Papillion my sweet baby that woke me up every day for school and let me sleep on the weekends, Tom Cat the biggest cat ever that shared my bassinet. So many, many others that will always be in my heart.
Our son’s cat Monkey loves water and can often be found in the bathroom or kitchen trying to turn on the spigots.
Like you, I’ve immortalized our pets. Our late cocker Mackenzie is currently doing duty as the Fee Snugg’s Scottish terrier, Mackie.
The orange tabbies are the best! We had one (from a no-kill shelter) for 15 years, and I still miss him. We named him Felix, and we called him Happy-Cat. When he went, he went quickly: I let him out one morning to sit in the sun on the porch, and the next time I looked, he was gone (I suspect a stroke–he hadn’t ever been sick). But we didn’t wait too long to replace him with two orange tabby siblings.
Liz, I’m so sorry to hear about your Pumpkin. What a beauty! He was so lucky that you (and your mom) found and loved him. I’ve never heard of a cat who liked water the way he did! Sending hugs, Shari
So sorry Liz, I can’t imagine the pain of losing a family pet. I have 4 fur babies, Lola is a poodle mix who we rescued 6 years ago. She is the queen. Mister is a Maine coon mix, he is 5, we took him in when his owners were evicted. Momo is a tuxedo cat, just about a year and a half. She is our silly kitty, she is a literal scaredy cat! Everything scares her and she talks all the time. Our newest member was brought to us on Christmas eve, he is Chewy, a terrier pug mix. Our family is quite full, but, there is always room for “just one more.”
Hugs to you and all your fur family. Lisa
Thanks everyone, for the kind thoughts and stories. I think Pumpkin must be having a grand time up there, meeting new friends and reconnecting with his old ones. Hugs to you all.
Liz, our kitties must have crossed the rainbow bridge together. We lost our 15-year old Kaboodle last week. We have lost other kitties in the past and it is always so hard. We have two other very good, nice kitties with us now, but Kaboodle was special. Hugs to you for your loss.