From Heartache to 'Spirit' A Beloved Cat Story of Love, Loss, and New Beginnings

 

We had "Free" and "Spaz," our cats, for several years from friends of ours who had to leave the state. My daughter, Kelly, fell in love with "Free" and they were inseparable. Free was a long-haired orange tabby, while Spaz was a short-haired orange tabby.

Free was full of personality. He let Kelly dress him up and would do somersaults running down the hallway. He had a unique way of talking to Kelly that he wouldn’t do with any of us. He was also a great hunter, catching the gopher we’d been trying to get for years.

Spaz was more skittish, like a feral cat, but affectionate on his terms, not ours. He eventually passed away from old age. When Free's time came at the age of 19, he died in Kelly’s arms, leaving her heartbroken. She cried for months, asking God to give her another cat just like him.

Eight months later, Kelly accompanied me to the grocery store, a rare outing for her. As we exited the store, we encountered a woman holding a container with the faint cries of kittens inside.

 

Kelly's eyes held sadness but also a glimmer of hope as she looked at me. I jokingly remarked, "What are the chances there will be a long-haired orange tabby in there?" Nevertheless, Kelly urged me to take a look. To our disbelief, there weren't just one, but three long-haired orange tabbies inside – two females and one male, all with adorable white paws and chests, just like Free’s.

We couldn’t believe our luck! But, honestly, God answered Kelly's prayers,  I called my husband to get the 'ok,' and he couldn’t say no to his daughter. Kelly knew what she wanted to name her newfound forever friend. She would name him "Spirit".

Six months later, my husband discovered a short-haired orange tabby hiding in our backyard. After coaxing him out with food and sweet talk, the kitten warmed up to us. Naturally, we decided to keep him. Where did he come from? Long story short, his sides had a pattern resembling a pumpkin. We should have named him Pumpkin, but my son insisted on Fritz. It turned out there were kittens at my husband's workplace with the same pattern, leading us to believe Fritz hitched a ride home in my husband's car engine. We estimated he was about 3-4 months old. Fritz shares traits with both Free and Spaz, part feral and part affectionate.

It's been four years now, and these two cats never fail to make us laugh with their antics. Kelly can dress up Spirit, and he communicates with her uniquely, just like Free did. Fritz, though still skittish at times, acts as a protector and a bit of a bully towards our dog. Despite his quirks, he's just as loving as Spaz.

Our cat family feels complete once again.

 

Credit: Susan McGinn

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