Sad Day

Yesterday was a very sad day,and today our hearts are still heavy.

Rick found Moxie on the side of the road.He had been hit by a car.

We knew he had to still be around,as Rick found his collar a couple of days ago. Apparently,when we went out front to meet Zach off the bus,Rick looked up the road and saw something laying on the side of it,in front of our neighbors house (thankfully,I didn't see anything).

When we went into the house,Rick told me that he had Brother B had to make a run a run up to town hall. I didn't question it. When they got back,Rick sadly informed me that Moxie had been hit. He and Brother B went up the road to check if Rick's suspicions were confirmed,and they were. They picked Moxie up,placed him in a bag,and put him in the back of the truck. He must've been hit sometime during the day yesterday,because he was not there early in the AM. Rick asked if I wanted to tell Zach,or if I wanted him to,and I told him that I would do it ( Zach had been asking if Moxie had come back every day after he got home from school). Zach was very sad,as was I- cried, I couldn't help it. Moxie,if you remember,was just a kitten when we found him hiding in our tree length wood pile. He was very,very skittish,and I spent hours holding him next to me,wrapped in a towel ( so he couldn't scratch me),so he could get used to us. I would pat him and talk to him. For a while,he managed to find a hole in our bathroom closet and was staying behind the wall. We were finally able to persuade him to come out and we covered up the hole. He became a very loving cat.

He would curl up with me at night and I would pat him and scratch his belly,which he loved. He would just purr away. It was quite funny when he would sit with his hind legs in front of him,like a human,and wash his big belly. He would curl up with the other cats and the dogs,and he would play with our gray cat,Smokey all the time.

Poor Smokey was lost for a while after Moxie left. He walked around the house,meowing,looking for his buddy. It was so sad.

Rick and Zach brought Moxie into the woods,and found a lovely spot for him to rest. Zach said a few words and cried a bit. He then said he wanted to make a marker for his grave,so they came home and made one. ( Rick told me this later). Poor Rick felt so very bad,and responsible. I told him that anyone could've opened the door for the dogs and Moxie would have scooted out-there was no fault involved. He felt bad too,for Zach-Zach had placed Moxie's collar in his pocket as a memento-and it just tore Rick up. He shed some tears for his son's hurt,and for our precious Little Mo.

So we are a very sad family today. My heart is still very heavy,and I am very down. I know,some folks don't understand getting that upset "over a cat",but they are not cat lovers like we are. Our animals are family,and we cuddle with them all the time ( cats and dogs). Moxie was my little buddy. He is sorely missed.