Catharine Honeyman

Even though I assumed this was going to happen at some point in the nearish
future, I am so sorry to hear this news. But thank you very much for
letting us know.

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

"Juls" wrote in message
m...
It is with great sadness that I share the news: Catharine Honeyman died
last night.

For those of you who were around back in February 2002, you will
remember the story of Jack and Catharine. For those of you who are new,
please allow me to share it once again.

The full story, with pictures, is at http://www.ect.org/dj

Catharine was a frequent poster to this newgroup, and she had a
devastating case of breast cancer. The doctors only gave her months to
live, and her primary concern was that the cat she loved so much, Jack,
would find a safe and loving home. She posted here, hoping to find
someone in Seattle, where she lived. I said I would adopt Jack if we
could find a way to get him from Seattle to the St. Louis area, where I
lived.

It snowballed so quickly that within a couple of days, the plan was
underway! Megan of this group found a wonderful company called Pro Pet
Transports, who agreed to a price break because the story touched them
as well, and the wonderful, generous cat lovers from this group
immediately began to call the company with donations. Almost as quickly
as the plan started, the "Jack Fund" was filled.

I will never forget the love and generosity from so many in this
newgroup.

Jack was fostered with Beth, and then began his trip east. Jack truly
became this newgroup's cat. Everyone loved Jack.

I had a senior cat named Dmitri, and I just knew he would love Jack. We
weren't too sure how Jack would feel about Dmitri, though. He had been
a feral rescue in Seattle, and now he was traveling across America to a
strange and new home...with a resident cat.

I followed the program of keeping them in separate rooms for two weeks
and giving them one another's sleeping towels to get used to the
scents, but within days, Jack had escaped his room and made his own
introduction.

They have been best friends from that point on, and if you saw them
together, you would swear they were litter mates. It's as if they were
always a team. The boys, the twins, the BOOKENDS.

Today, Jack and Dmitri are as much a pair as Laurel and Hardy. They do
everything together: sleep, eat (even sharing plates, just because they
like to do it), play and watch the birds from their window. Sometimes
it's as if they are joined at the hip. And mutual groomfests are a
daily event. (It still often brings a tear to my eye to watch them lick
each other with so much love...these two boys just ADORE one another!)

Catharine loved Jack enough to make sure that he had a new home before
she left this earth. She left behind so many people who loved and
admired her, and she brought awareness of living with cancer while
keeping your sense of humor and a sense of grace.

But to me, the most important thing is that she knew Jack was happy and
that he had a safe and loving home. She loved him so much that she made
sure he had that.

I know there are many who would have wanted to know that Catharine's
journey on earth has come to an end, and to join me in remembering what
a wonderful, generous woman she was.

In Catharine's memory, I would like to ask that the next time you adopt
a cat, please consider adopting an older cat. That should be part of
Catharine's legacy, to remember the cats that are hard to place and to
give them loving homes.

Once again, I thank the wonderful people of this newsgroup who so
generously opened their hearts and their wallets to find Jack a new
home. I will always be so thankful. Jack and Dmitri are so happy
together!

With sadness, but surrounded by cat love,

Juls, Jack and Dmitri

p.s. Jack knew that Catharine was dying. I know that may sound strange,
but he knew...and he let me know. That's how I found out. He has never
stopped loving her.

"Juls" wrote in message
m...
snipped
I really believe that somehow Jack knew and was grieving yesterday when
he came to me like that. I know some will find it strange and
fantastic, and I can't blame anyone for that. If I hadn't experienced
his crying and clinging and his overwhelming sadness, I wouldn't think
it possible either.

Yes, it's strange & fantastic, but otoh, I can believe it. Because...

Normally, my first cat never, ever slept *on* me - always next to me.
However there were just 3 times in her 17 years when she slept _on_ me, &
each time it turned out that when I later woke up I was nauseous & had to
throw up - had contracted a stomach bug, but hadn't realized it when I'd
gone to bed, feeling fine. However, she apparently already knew I was sick,
before I had any physical symptoms.

So... animals (well, at least cats, IME) may sometimes have an extra sense -
or two, is my conclusion. And therefore I can imagine that Jack may very
well have sensed the event of Catharine's death.

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

Had it not been for that, I likely wouldn't have checked the group for
another couple of months.

Juls

"Juls" wrote in message
m...
snipped
I really believe that somehow Jack knew and was grieving yesterday when
he came to me like that. I know some will find it strange and
fantastic, and I can't blame anyone for that. If I hadn't experienced
his crying and clinging and his overwhelming sadness, I wouldn't think
it possible either.

Yes, it's strange & fantastic, but otoh, I can believe it. Because...

Normally, my first cat never, ever slept *on* me - always next to me.
However there were just 3 times in her 17 years when she slept _on_ me, &
each time it turned out that when I later woke up I was nauseous & had to
throw up - had contracted a stomach bug, but hadn't realized it when I'd
gone to bed, feeling fine. However, she apparently already knew I was sick,
before I had any physical symptoms.

So... animals (well, at least cats, IME) may sometimes have an extra sense -
or two, is my conclusion. And therefore I can imagine that Jack may very
well have sensed the event of Catharine's death.

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

Had it not been for that, I likely wouldn't have checked the group for
another couple of months.

Juls

This is kind of off topic, but maybe it's not really. In one of the
Chicken Soup books, I read this story long ago, and it's always touched
me. I'm going to post it here just because I love it so:

Puppies For Sale

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read ³Puppies For
Sale.² Signs like that have a way of attracting small children, and
sure enough, a little boy appeared under the store owner¹s sign. ³How
much are you going to sell the puppies for?² he asked.

The store owner replied, ³Anywhere from $30 to $50.²

The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. ³I
have $2.37,² he said. ³Can I please look at them?²

The store owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady,
who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny tiny balls
of fur. One puppy was lagging considerable behind. Immediately the
little boy singled out the lagging limping puppy and said, ³What¹s
wrong with that little dog?²

The store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little
puppy and had discovered it didn¹t have a hip socket. It would always
limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited. ³That¹s
the little puppy that I want to buy.²

The store owner said, ³No, you don¹t want to buy that little dog. If
you really want him, I¹ll just give him to you.²

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store
owner¹s eyes, pointing his finger and said, ³I don¹t want you to give
him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other
dogs and I¹ll pay full price. In fact I¹ll give you $2.37 now, and 50
cents a month until I have him paid for.

The store owner countered, ³You really don¹t want to buy this little
dog. He is never going to be able to jump and play with you like the
other puppies.²

To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to
reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal
brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, ³Well, I
don¹t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who
understands!²

By Dan Clark
from Chicken Soup for the Soul

This is kind of off topic, but maybe it's not really. In one of the
Chicken Soup books, I read this story long ago, and it's always touched
me. I'm going to post it here just because I love it so:

Puppies For Sale

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read ³Puppies For
Sale.² Signs like that have a way of attracting small children, and
sure enough, a little boy appeared under the store owner¹s sign. ³How
much are you going to sell the puppies for?² he asked.

The store owner replied, ³Anywhere from $30 to $50.²

The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. ³I
have $2.37,² he said. ³Can I please look at them?²

The store owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady,
who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny tiny balls
of fur. One puppy was lagging considerable behind. Immediately the
little boy singled out the lagging limping puppy and said, ³What¹s
wrong with that little dog?²

The store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little
puppy and had discovered it didn¹t have a hip socket. It would always
limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited. ³That¹s
the little puppy that I want to buy.²

The store owner said, ³No, you don¹t want to buy that little dog. If
you really want him, I¹ll just give him to you.²

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store
owner¹s eyes, pointing his finger and said, ³I don¹t want you to give
him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other
dogs and I¹ll pay full price. In fact I¹ll give you $2.37 now, and 50
cents a month until I have him paid for.

The store owner countered, ³You really don¹t want to buy this little
dog. He is never going to be able to jump and play with you like the
other puppies.²

To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to
reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal
brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, ³Well, I
don¹t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who
understands!²

By Dan Clark
from Chicken Soup for the Soul

From: Juls


It is with great sadness that I share the news: Catharine Honeyman died
last night.

Oh, Juls, I'm so sorry to hear this

Hugs to you, Jack and Dmitri

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: Juls


It is with great sadness that I share the news: Catharine Honeyman died
last night.

Oh, Juls, I'm so sorry to hear this

Hugs to you, Jack and Dmitri

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

"Juls" wrote in message
m...
It is with great sadness that I share the news: Catharine Honeyman died
last night.


I am so sorry to hear that. I thought of Catharine and Jack often. I had
assumed that because she had moved to Hawaii she was doing much better, so
this is quite a shock.

There was a woman who posted more recently (within the last year or two)
from Canada (Red Deer, I think) who was looking to place her cat(s?)
temporarily while she got out of an abusive relationship. Does anyone know
what happened with her?

rona
--
"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and they will
**** upon your computer."
--Bruce Graham

"Juls" wrote in message
m...
It is with great sadness that I share the news: Catharine Honeyman died
last night.


I am so sorry to hear that. I thought of Catharine and Jack often. I had
assumed that because she had moved to Hawaii she was doing much better, so
this is quite a shock.

There was a woman who posted more recently (within the last year or two)
from Canada (Red Deer, I think) who was looking to place her cat(s?)
temporarily while she got out of an abusive relationship. Does anyone know
what happened with her?

rona
--
"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and they will
**** upon your computer."
--Bruce Graham

in article , Juls at
wrote on 4/21/04 12:29 PM:

It is with great sadness that I share the news: Catharine Honeyman died
last night.

For those of you who were around back in February 2002, you will
remember the story of Jack and Catharine. For those of you who are new,
please allow me to share it once again.

The full story, with pictures, is at http://www.ect.org/dj

Catharine was a frequent poster to this newgroup, and she had a
devastating case of breast cancer. The doctors only gave her months to
live, and her primary concern was that the cat she loved so much, Jack,
would find a safe and loving home. She posted here, hoping to find
someone in Seattle, where she lived. I said I would adopt Jack if we
could find a way to get him from Seattle to the St. Louis area, where I
lived.

It snowballed so quickly that within a couple of days, the plan was
underway! Megan of this group found a wonderful company called Pro Pet
Transports, who agreed to a price break because the story touched them
as well, and the wonderful, generous cat lovers from this group
immediately began to call the company with donations. Almost as quickly
as the plan started, the "Jack Fund" was filled.

I will never forget the love and generosity from so many in this
newgroup.

Jack was fostered with Beth, and then began his trip east. Jack truly
became this newgroup's cat. Everyone loved Jack.

I had a senior cat named Dmitri, and I just knew he would love Jack. We
weren't too sure how Jack would feel about Dmitri, though. He had been
a feral rescue in Seattle, and now he was traveling across America to a
strange and new home...with a resident cat.

I followed the program of keeping them in separate rooms for two weeks
and giving them one another's sleeping towels to get used to the
scents, but within days, Jack had escaped his room and made his own
introduction.

They have been best friends from that point on, and if you saw them
together, you would swear they were litter mates. It's as if they were
always a team. The boys, the twins, the BOOKENDS.

Today, Jack and Dmitri are as much a pair as Laurel and Hardy. They do
everything together: sleep, eat (even sharing plates, just because they
like to do it), play and watch the birds from their window. Sometimes
it's as if they are joined at the hip. And mutual groomfests are a
daily event. (It still often brings a tear to my eye to watch them lick
each other with so much love...these two boys just ADORE one another!)

Catharine loved Jack enough to make sure that he had a new home before
she left this earth. She left behind so many people who loved and
admired her, and she brought awareness of living with cancer while
keeping your sense of humor and a sense of grace.

But to me, the most important thing is that she knew Jack was happy and
that he had a safe and loving home. She loved him so much that she made
sure he had that.

I know there are many who would have wanted to know that Catharine's
journey on earth has come to an end, and to join me in remembering what
a wonderful, generous woman she was.

In Catharine's memory, I would like to ask that the next time you adopt
a cat, please consider adopting an older cat. That should be part of
Catharine's legacy, to remember the cats that are hard to place and to
give them loving homes.

Once again, I thank the wonderful people of this newsgroup who so
generously opened their hearts and their wallets to find Jack a new
home. I will always be so thankful. Jack and Dmitri are so happy
together!

With sadness, but surrounded by cat love,

Juls, Jack and Dmitri

p.s. Jack knew that Catharine was dying. I know that may sound strange,
but he knew...and he let me know. That's how I found out. He has never
stopped loving her.

I'm so sorry to hear this. Thank you for letting us know.

Karen