It has taken me a while to write about Snowy and decided it was time I put it on paper. I hope you girls will remember Snowy. Snowy was born in the October holidays 2001 on a farm in the outskirts of Aberdeen, your grandparents had decided to give Mummy and Daddy a kitten for Christmas as we had been looking for one and then Grandma heard about someone who had one kitten looking for a home. In 2001 Aberdeen experienced a white Christmas and as a result Snowy never arrived to our flat in time and it felt like weeks and not days when we waited for the snow to melt enough for us to get our kitten. So if you ever wonder why we named him Snowy, now you know, it was because we really wanted him in our lives just like we wanted the two of you.
Snowy was a fun kitten, he was cuddly, inquisitive, friendly and stubborn. Snowy used to enjoy a few hours outside and if we went to the corner shop he would follow us and sit outside waiting. He used to come with us to visit Grandma and Grandad, here he became best friends with their dog Corrie. He used to follow Corrie around the house trying to catch her tale. On days when Corrie came to visit us Snowy came for a walk with us and used to play hide and seek with Corrie in the high grass. I guess it is one of those relationships you have to experience between a cat and a dog to really appreciate it.
In 2002, we moved house and as we travelled Snowy took up his place on the passenger side dashboard watching as we were driving across town to our first home. Shortly after I received yet another lively Christmas present, his sister Mara, a Norwegian Forest Cat all the way from Sussex. Mara and Snowy shortly became best friends, just like the two of you are such good sisters to each other.
When Grace arrived in 2005 our cats had settled nicely into our family and they were not sure who this individual was and took a while to warm to you both. Snowy had started to sleep in Grace’s bed and enjoyed getting a cuddle as soon as she was under her covers.
Over the years Snowy has given us so much love and so much affection. He has been a cat with the biggest character. People often say that cats are not loyal and would follow who feed them, they say they are not the pet to wag their tale when you get home from work. Well, I will say that they were all wrong and that they have not been blessed with a cat like Snowy in their lives. We have been so lucky to have met him and have him in our lives.
Snowy wanted to be everyone’s friend, he must be one of the friendliest cats around. When Grace was a baby I used to go for walks and Snowy would follow us, if we ran into a dog, he would stop and wait for the dog to come over and say hello. If the dog allowed it he would walk nicely alongside. He made friends with every cat around and on several occasions I have watched him laying just a metre away from birds watching them jump around in our grass eating bird seeds. I even had neighbours telling me stories of how he came for walks with them when out pushing their daughter in the pram.
Snowy just could not meow, he had a little squeak and every day when we arrived home from work he used to come running to us with his little squeak and rubbing up against us. It was his way of wagging a tale.
I could go on telling you stories of how he would wake us up with a pat on our face when he wanted a cuddle, how he wanted to give us kisses, how upset he was when we left him to go on holiday. If I were to write about all the special little things Snowy did I would keep on writing tomorrow.
Sadly this summer we noticed that Snowy was not himself, he was hiding away, he seemed to struggle walking up the stairs… so I took him to the vet. After a couple of visits to the vets it was discovered that he had an infection. Despite being put on antibiotics he sadly gave up his fight and we had to say goodbye to Snowy.
We have a little stone in the garden in memory of Snowy and it is a place we can go when we want to think of him and remember him. Both of you often speak about him and how you miss him. You both share our love for animals and I hope this continue when you grow up. I hope you are always going to remember Snowy.
I have added some photos of Snowy from last summer, this summer and for the weeks we were crossing our fingers hoping he would recover.
I have added some photos of Snowy from last summer, this summer and for the weeks we were crossing our fingers hoping he would recover.
This month I am linking to my friend Donna and her letter to Daisy.
