In Memory – Misty, Rainy, and Breezy

I have been blessed to have three pets before Stan, Ollie and Lucy and those were my girls – Misty, Rainy, and Breezy who have been so much a part of my life.

Misty….

Misty 1991

The year is 1987. My niece, Honara, has always been a great advocate for animals in our extended family. I was visiting her mother, my sister, who had just gotten a puppy at Honara’s urging. Sammy was so darn cute and I wanted a puppy just like Sammy.  Honara said, “Auntie, there is one puppy left from the litter that Sammy came from and I think you should get it.” At the time I lived in an apartment condo and I was on the third floor. I wrestled with how could I do this…and then I also thought that the years were going by and I really wanted a pup. So…..this puppy came home to live with me. She was a mix – primarily Bordie Collie and Cocker Spaniel. This dog opened new worlds to me. She was such a good companion and she introduced me to so many new dog park friends. And she raised my…our…kitten Rainy. She died a natural death at what seemed an early age to me of 12. My sister’s dog died a year later. Still miss my girl Misty!!

Rainy….In 1989, when Misty was a little over 2, this little black kitten showed up where I worked in West Berkeley. Bill had been suggesting for years that I get a cat…but I always cringed because I thought I didn’t like cats. But this little black kitten showed up at another one of those times in my life when I was working too many hours…and I worried about my dog Misty being alone too much. The next thing I knew this cute kitten came home with me. I remember spending most of the evening in the bathroom with Misty and the kitten who I had named Christopher. By the time we all went to sleep the dog and kitten were calming down. When I went to work the next day…I wondered what I had done…would my kitten survive the day with my dog. Not only did she survive but those two became best friends. A few days after “Christopher” came home to live with us, I took her to the vet. To my surprise I learned that she was a girl…and I don’t know why I should have been so surprised because I had no previous knowledge of cats…I was relying on someone else’s information. Anyway, Christoper quickly became Rainy. (Misty and Rainy) And Rainy was the best “first” cat. She was such a pleasure for 17 years and I still miss her after 3 years of her being gone.

Rainy 1991

Breezy….

Breezy 2006

and in 1998 Breezy arrived.  She was truly a surprise. I often referred to her as my flu delirium puppy. This beautiful golden puppy was hit by a car in front of my retail store front. We who were working in the commerical neighborhood block heard the thud and then the pup crying. Several of us ran out and rescued this dog. We took her to the vet and some $ later she was a ward of that retail neighborhood. We advertised for the owner but to no avail. One of us took her home…and then she was off to her family’s for Christmas…so this pup (the vet estimated her age to be 6 months) came home with me for what was to be a short time.  Yet in my heart, I knew that she would probably stay. And she did! When I brought her home….it was like Halloween. My dog and cat were not happy. I had never heard  my cat Rainy howl and I certainly had never seen  her arch back! And my dog Misty was more than a little mad. Then I got the flu which got really bad…. I just kept enduring….  I had three pets who were not all that happy and I was really very sick. By March all seemed to be more settled….although my two dogs never really loved each other…they learned to endure. When Misty left us in 1999, I could see that Breezy really missed her.Then Rainy left us in 2006.  Breezy had a couple of years of being the only pet…and while she would have been happier with another pet companion…by this time she was an older dog and she was also an alpha dog. So Breezy got a lot of attention in her last couple of years. In October 2008 she was diagnosed with a cancer that was quick…about six weeks from diagnosis to her leaving us. I miss that girl!

And so now – 2009…the new animal saga has begun. Stan and Ollie – the brother kittens…..and Lucy-the girl pup.