Yoda

October 1997 – December 9, 2000

I had been searching for a solid black kitten which to begin with is unusual except I wanted a “witch cat”. Strange as it may seem there were none to be found even at the local shelter. One day looking through the newspaper I saw an ad for a litter of free kittens. I called and asked if they had any solid black ones. They did … one. I told them I would be there within the hour please don’t give him away. I hurried as fast as I could to get there and get this kitten. He was the cutest, funniest little guy ever. He had this unusual ability to move his ear in every direction but totally independent of each other. Because of those funky little ears I decided to call him Yoda.

For the next 13 years we were inseperable. He was my absolute love. Even when I let him go outside all I had to do was yell his name and he would come running as fast as any cat could run. We had such a wonderful life together. One day in 1999 I was at my computer and my boyfriend was in the room sitting at his computer. Yoda came in and was rubbing on my legs and feet as he always did but this day he was meowing incessantly. Robert told him to shut up. I said without thinking “leave him alone, he’s dying”. It was then that I realized that even though he had no outward symptoms, I understood perfectly what he was saying and that my beautiful boy would not be with me much longer.

In April of 2000 I moved from Tulsa Oklahoma to Flagstaff Arizona. Life moved on and we moved with it. But as fall came and winter approached, Yoda started losing weight. I took him to the vet and they told me he had fluid around his heart. They could remove it but it would come back faster each time because he also had inoperable lymphatic cancer. Winter came and my baby boy grew weaker and weaker. No more could be done. I had to make the decision to have the vet come to the house. I would not have Yoda die in a place where he was afraid. The day was set … December 9. The day before my birthday. I couldn’t do this on my birthday and I couldn’t make Yoda wait two more days. He was in pain and could no longer even get himself into the litter box.

December 9, 2000.

The vet gave him a sedative which he fought so hard. A second dose. Still he would not relax and get sleepy the way he was supposed to. The vet advised giving the final drug since Yoda was fighting the sedative so very hard. I allowed it. As I held him in my arms, he looked into my eyes and cried out one last time as his life slipped away. My heart still breaks when I think how much he wanted to live even though he could no longer control his body. I took his body to the crematory and made them allow me to lay him in the incinerator. I couldn’t bear to have any one else handle him.

This year, 2016 I had a releasing ceremony. I released Yoda, Leo, and Aries ashes into Oak Creek near Sedona Arizona. There are no more dead cats in my life only living powerful souls that survive still.

Yoda is a powerful incredible soul and I am eternally grateful that he picked me to spend this lifetime with. Bless you beautiful baby man.

I’ll see you again soon !!

Aries and Leo

Leo Feline Foundation

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Yoda

October 1997 – December 9, 2000