remind me of Leo and trigger tears. Yesterday, we had a brief rain that left puddles in the driveway...I saw the puddles, thought of how much Leo liked to drink from the driveway puddles, sometimes going from puddle to puddle as if conducting a taste test, and bam, waterworks of my own. I mentioned that I boxed up most of Leo's things a few days after he passed (and took another week to actually take the box to the attic), but I also kept a few things to give to other kitties. My good church friend feeds strays; she got four cans of cat food that my aunt had actually brought me from the dog warden's, where she volunteers (they get a surprising amount of cat food donated, even though they have never actually sheltered a cat). Bff's sister got the Whiska's cat milk I'd bought when Leo wasn't eating but was still drinking (he completely refused it) plus a packet of broth--they have a senior kitty who occasionally doesn't drink enough. She also took the appetite stimulant ointment in case Senior Kitty isn't eating enough. Bff's friend "B"--the one who saved Leo from her porch and is always taking care of other neighborhood kitties--got more cans of cat food from the shelter plus an unopened bottle of ear cleaner. Bff herself kept some pet dry shampoo, the de-matting comb that worked wonders on Leo's coat (bff's kitty Grigio--Italian for "gray"--has some matting issues himself), and the freeze dried chicken treats I bought Leo at Christmas. As he was a HUGE fan of chicken, I thought the freeze-dried chicken treats would be a hit...they weren't. He ate them but reluctantly; he much preferred fresh chicken. Grigio OTOH goes NUTS whenever he sees the package of freeze dried chicken treats.
And that's another thing...I got used to leaving a chicken breast or pork chop unseasoned when I make chicken or pork chops so Leo would have fresh meat he could safely nibble on. It's weird to season ALL the meat now...and not have Leo begging for a bite as I'm preparing the meat. I used to give him scraps of chicken fat...he loved that. Now I just toss the extra fat.
Again, I appreciate you asking!