Heaven Got a Great Dog

Another pal has made the trip Over the Rainbow Bridge. Sterling the greyhound lost his battle with cancer yesterday. Sterling belongs to my good kitty friend from Twitter, Blueberry.


Sterling fought a brave battle for three years, undergoing chemo and amputation. It didn't slow him down though! He was a happy dog, smiling and running, just like nothing had ever happened. Don't believe me? Here's proof in a video he posted to YouTube.



His family threw a big party for him to celebrate his being cancer free that Mom actually got to attend virtually because they live-streamed it. They even had a camera set up so that his human could look in on the dogs from work. Sometimes Mom would look at them too!


Unfortunately, all three dogs in that fun video above-Sterling and his fursibs Rynn and Lyra-are now at the Rainbow Bridge due to cancer. Mom always felt something special for Sterling, not just because she loves his human and Blueberry so much, but because she lost her big dog Oscar to the same kind of cancer. Sterling gave her hope that doggies really could beat cancer even though she lost her dog-love to it. Even after Sterling's cancer came back last month, Mom was hopeful he would beat it again. I guess it wasn't meant to be.


Mom and I are sending much love to Blueberry and his family during this sad time. I'll miss hearing about Sterling and seeing the pictures Blueberry would post. I'll always remember him as a good, good dog.

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If you hate cancer as much as Mom does, you might be interested in this webchat she will be attending next week. OncoLink.org is hosting the webchat next Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM Eastern. The chat, When A Beloved Pet Has Cancer, will be held from the Oncology Department at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and will focus on cancer in pets.

Thankful Thursday: So Much Love Surrounds Me

Usually I dedicate my Thursday posts to promoting a homeless pet, but this week is different. This week my Thursday post is all about gratitude.


Things were very hard for Mom & Dad when I made my journey to the Rainbow Bridge. Their grief was overwhelming for a while. It turns out, Mom & Dad weren't the only ones who thought I was special.


First, some of the other volunteers paid for my cremation at Wayside Waifs. Mom & Dad had to give up their anniversary trip & open an account with Care Credit to pay for my V-E-T bills, so this was very helpful. It was one less thing for them to worry about and eased the financial burden.


Then, Mom got a phone call from Barb at Wayside. She was calling to let her know that another pawsome volunteer, Michelle Cour, had donated something special to the shelter in my name.

It was a cat exercise wheel! How cool is that?! Not only was it donated in my name, but they added a plaque to let everyone know.

Mom loves the idea that my name will live on at Wayside Waifs where we first met. Not to mention how many kitties will get to run on the wheel!

Mom also got a letter in mail letting her know that an anonymous donor made a contribution to Wayside Waifs in Sebastian's name. She has no idea who did it, but it made her smile.


I've gotten so many nice tweets, Facebook messages, and cards that let me know people really loved me, even when they didn't know me in person.


Mom always felt a special bond with me and left me with a special message whispered in my ear during my last moments on Earth to let me know she felt it. All of the lovely messages and acts of kindness reaffirms for Mom what she believed: there was something special about me, something that couldn't quite be explained. Maybe I was an old soul, maybe I could feel others' emotions or maybe I could express love better with my eyes than some can with words. All I know for sure is that other people get it and that makes Mom extremely happy.


And I'm thankful for every happy moment Mom has.

Wordless Wednesday: Feather Heaven

Whaddya Mean You Don't Like Salmon??

Pals, I haven't wanted to say anything cuz I'm giving little Harvey time to settle in and I don't want to hurt Mom's feelings or anything, but that cat is WEIRD.


He doesn't eat treats.


Nothing. Not crunchy treats, not soft ones, not even my all time fave, dried salmon. There is something seriously wrong with that feline.


Mom has offered him several different treats, but all he wants is his kibble. She will put a few treats by his bowl and they will sit there for days. He might eat one, he might not. Mom has to throw them away if he ignores them long enough.

Do you see that? That's a piece of salmon in his dish.

He doesn't even want to eat people food. Just kibble. And boy does he scarf that stuff down! I hope Mom doesn't think it's her fault, he's clearly defective. I guess not all kitties can be as smart as me though.

He's completely ignoring the salmon. I would have gobbled it up and begged for more!

I gotta run. I hear there's some salmon in tonight's OTRB buffet.

Featured Furry: George

Here we go again. Mom has a new shelter love. His name is George and he's a one-year-old brown tabby. He is also FIV positive, so he's special needs and harder to find a forever home for.


For a refresher on FIV, click over to a great article by Best Friends Animal Society.


Mom fell in love with George when she saw the white stripe down his nose.

He's kind of skinny and looks like he's had a rough go of it, but that doesn't make him any less handsome in Mom's eyes.

George is very sweet and didn't hesitate to get in Mom's lap for a long cuddle session. It was just what she needed since my new Earth brofur, Harvey, isn't a cuddly kitty. She sat with him on her lap for the longest time, both of them content to just sit there.

George is also a talkative kitty and said "Hello" as soon as she walked in his room.

George would make a great pal to have around the house. He'll follow you around, keep you company, and be a top-notch lap cat! He'll need to be the only cat in the home or go to a home with other FIV positive cats. He'll also need to be kept strictly indoors and his health must be a priority.


If you think you're the right match for George, go spend some time with him at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City and see for yourself how wonderful he is!

Wordless Wednesday: How Long Do I Have To Put Up With This?

Mama was going to post this the Wednesday before I went OTRB, but since I was in the hospital she decided to wait, thinking I would be home soon and she could post it then. The picture was taken the day before I got sick. I was healthy and feeling good, hanging on the deck with Mom and Dad. Mom's niece came to visit and brought her two kids. This is Kent petting me. I wasn't thrilled about it, but I laid there and let him touch me. All the time I was looking at Mom, letting her know I was NOT happy!

Who Is Trone?

You've probably seen the posts I've done recently about cool information that Mom got at BlogPaws from Trone Brand Energy. At this point you're probably wondering, "Who is this Trone company?" Well, I'll fill you in!


Trone Brand Energy is one of the largest independent brand communication agencies in the Southeast. They are located in High Point, North Carolina. Trone Brand Energy is a full service marketing firm providing many services including: social media, advertising, design, public relations, and event marketing. They work a great deal with pet-related companies. You are probably familiar many of the companies they worth with. My favorite is GREENIES (but whose isn't?). They also work with PetArmor, Pedigree, Royal Canin, and Nutro, among others.


You can get to know more about Trone Brand Energy by checking out their website at www.tronebrandenergy.com or connecting with them on their Facebook and Twitter pages. You can also see what Trone Brand Energy is doing to work with pet bloggers by checking out Petvocate.com.


Trone Brand Energy is a great company to get to know. I hope you take the time to connect with them!


Mom was compensated by Trone to help them spread the word about the information they gathered. Honestly, this was super-good info and Mom is happy to share it for free!