Big Beautiful Love

 

September 9, 2026 ~ The sun came up that morning even though it wasn’t supposed to.

Because you see, the world had changed overnight. The energy in our little family shifted, never to have the same vibrance.

At 1:25 am Wednesday, September 9, I was awakened by sorrowful meowing and unusual breathing. I soon realized it was Kukki, our 9 year old ginger cat. We immediately scooped him up and were on the road to the ER, 10 minutes down the road. He moaned occasionally and then was silent.

I didn’t realize it then, but that must have been when he passed away. Five minutes from the ER.

Once inside he was whisked to the back, only to have an ER Vet appear moments later. “I’m so sorry, Kukki has passed. There is no pulse, no heart beat.”

We were absolutely stunned. Words were not coming out, tears were welling up and shock was setting in. My first lucid thought was ~ How do we tell Drew??  Our 10.5 year old granddaughter bonded with Kukki when she was barely two years old. And although she only visited him a handful of times over the years she absolutely loved that boy. So much so that when she and her parents drove away last June she burst into tears because she didn’t want to leave Kukki.

Maybe she knew something… I had a strange premonition a month or two ago that some day the day will come that we will have to tell Drew that Kukki is no longer with us. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.

We adopted Kukki when he was a year old and he was already 20 pounds.

 

At 9 he weighed in at 24 pounds. He was a big orange bundle of fur.

Kukki was one of a kind ~ a true ginger boy. Funny, curious, mischievous, bossy, affectionate, loving, involved, resilient. He was the poster boy for red tabbies. He was a goofball and did goofy things. He was like the cop on the beat when one of his siblings would have a scuffle. Always there in the middle of things. He was kind of the Gladys Kravitz, the nosy neighbor, of the cat world. 

He was a lover boy. He often sat on Charlie’s lap when he was working. 

He liked to hop on my lap in the evenings and early mornings. 

He sat by the deck door, often next to Kazz, just watching the squirrels and birds come and go.

He had some favorite places to hide from the world – his Taco Truck, cat bed, tunnel, shark, pineapple... you get the idea.

A couple of years ago he was diagnosed with Megacolon. He took his twice daily meds like a champ. He would sit on my lap, wrapped in a towel and open wide for the oral liquids that kept his body working.  

With frequent visits to our Vet Clinic he became a staff favorite. Once when coming of anesthesia he tried to open his kennel door to hop out. In addition he attempted to open the door of his neighbor's kennel. I was sitting in the lobby when I heard a Vet Tech sternly say, "Kukki! No!"

Every cat who has graced our life leaves a special mark. Kukki was such a huge presence, both literally and figuratively. His personality was as big and bold and beautiful as his physical appearance. To know Kukki was to know love... to smile every time he passed by.

Wrapped in a soft velour blanket, he was placed in my arms for a final goodbye. I felt the weight of his body... as heavy as the weight on my heart. He looked so peaceful. Like he had a full belly and was happily sleeping it off.

To say he changed our lives is an understatement. His leaving so suddenly and unexpectedly has been devastating. We have to accept that he is at peace now and his mission is complete.

But I will miss you the rest of my days, my sweet boy.