This is the perfect place for Sarah, thank you Donna. Thank you Lori for posting such a beautiful collage. It brings me a sense of peace to know we have her spirit here with us. Eat a lot of berries, sweet bear. I will see you in my dreams.

carolyn

Hi everyone ~

Lori ! Donna is right , this is a wonderful place for Sarah to be remembered ! Thank you for the lovely collage you did of her. Sarah you will always be in our thoughts . Her life was taken too soon.

Nicely done Lori! I can't express here what I feel about this deed. Poor wee thing will be remembered, and I hope the publicity will have effect on some folk.

Lori - Thank you for adding a collage of Sarah's short life to our Rainbow Bridge thread.
This is very sad, my heart goes out to the researchers who had the opportunity to walk in the woods with her.

"Quote from Dr. Rogers and Sue Mansield...
""Sarah was a gentle, trusting, and trustworthy bear with the calm personality that allows a person to accompany her and be ignored.""

If anyone would like to read the full story on Sarah....
click here forum/viewtopic.php?topic=105356#105356

Rest in peace sweet Sarah...

You're welcome everyone for the collage and Donna gets all thanks for the idea of posting it here. I'm just numb today and terrified of whats to come between now and October 17 when 'hunting' is over.

Berry Heaven sweet Sarah

Diane, algonquinlover, Lori, Sandra, Diana, IrishEyes, Vicki and Carolyn,,

Thank you all for your kind words and loving thoughts. I know you all have wanted to hear about Sage, and I feel ready now to share his life with you. He has been in my life for 18 years, so the grief has been a bit tough. I know we were truly blessed to have him in our lives for so long.

I originally grew up in South Florida after moving there when I was 11. My husband and I never had children by choice, but started our feline family 21 years ago with two siblings 6 weeks of age named Navarre, an orange & white tabby, and his sister Isabeau pure white with gray stripes on her head and tail. Navarre became the patriarch of our growing family, and past away in his sleep 2 years ago at the tender age of 19, leaving 16 housemate cats.

Sage was found the day after a category 5 hurricane Andrew hit Dade County. It was the worst hurricane disaster until Katrina. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Andrew We lived in Palm Beach County and were hit with the outer feed bands (high winds). Sage was only approximately 8 weeks old, and one of my Vet's tech's found him with a front right broken leg. She took him to work, and they did surgery on him right away. They had to put 2 pins in to help his bones to mend. He was definitely a survivor. I was told just after 3 days from surgery he was climbing the cage.

He became the office cat, and they called him BL, for broken leg. After about a month, I came in with one of my cats for a yearly, and saw Sage chasing, scrambling and climbing all over the receptionist. Well I have to tell you it was love at first sight. My Vet, knowing what a good cat Mom I was gave me the best sales pitch I have ever heard as to why I should adopt him. All I can say is I didn't have a chance. I came home with 2 cats that day, and Sage became our 5th addition to our family.

He was always a little stocky, and I knew he was going to be a big boy one day. In fact his top weight was 18 lbs. even though he should have only been 15lbs. My husband nicknamed him Big Bottom. Sage was very playful, loving and my gentle giant. When we adopted #6, Jasper, his most favorite playmate was old Big Bottom. He towered over the little guy, and knew his size could pose a problem, so he was ever so gentle when he played with him. Over the years Sage had adopted my nephew as his favorite relative. He use to pat him on his butt like a dog, and he loved every second of it. Always coming back for more. As Sage reached his teen years he found other quieter things to amuse him, like playing poker. My Mom and Dad traveled yearly, and after we moved to Alabama, they would stop at our place for a month or two. They loved playing cards, and Sage was fascinated with the shuffling and dealing. He would lay on the table and always pawed at the cards. Well after a while they just started to deal him in every few hands or so, and more often than not he would beat their every hand. I'm sure it was embellishment on my parents part, but they loved him ever so much. In fact at my Mom's request, we buried him with the Ace of Spades.

Sage had been dealing with chronic kidney failure for the last two years since Navarre passed of the same thing. He went from 11 lbs. to 7. He was a trooper right up to the end, still jumping to the kitchen counter, bathing, and loving. When he got real finicky about his food especially the last week, I knew he was telling me it was his time. After having a long discussion with my Mom as well as telling Sage it was alright if he wanted to give up the fight, the next morning I found him sleeping right at the front door. He NEVER did that. I think he was telling me he was ready to go. We took him to the vet that afternoon.

As he closed his eyes for the final time, laying there in my arms, it was like he just went to sleep, and looked more peaceful and relaxed than he had in a long time. My vet took him to the back room to remove the catheter, and while he was back there they printed out the Rainbow Bridge poem on beautiful paper with Sage's name, birth & death dates at the top, and inked one of Sage's paws, and made an impression on the bottom of the page. It was a lovely gesture. I will be making a special frame and photo for it.

I gently placed Sage in a box and my husband and I said our final goodbyes up on Quarter Mountain, in Toney AL. A friend of ours owns the top of the mountain, 30 acres, and has allowed us to make a small memory garden in the woods where we have been burying our loved ones for the last 8 years. Sage is number five of our beloved cats to be laid to rest there.

I now have 1 large dog and 15 cats who have been ever so diligent in giving me love or space as I have needed it the last couple of weeks. They are so smart in sensing the loss, not only for us, but for them as well. Our home seems emptier without Sage in it. Now Jasper has become the patriarch at his tender age of 16. I hope he is up to the task, 'cause he has some big shoes to fill.

Thank you all for reading my post. This site truly helps the heart to heal. The very last picture was taken of Sage the morning of. All I see in those beautiful green eyes of his is the loving warmth he gave to me each and every day. I will miss him very much.

Amy

Click on images to make larger.

awwwww {{{{{{{{{Amy}}}}}}}}}} thanks so much for sharing your love story with Sage

I'm so sorry my friend and I hope you can find comfort in all the fun memories that are in your heart

Lori - Thank you so much for the beautiful collage. I have made it my new desk top picture. You are so sweet as always.