Pookie's Page

Dear Reader,

It is with a terrible sense of sadness and loss that we must tell you that Pookie has passed away.

Pookie was always much more than a pet...he was a huge part of our family. Everyone who met him fell in love with his gentle nature. He was a great comfort to us over the many years we were privileged to spend with him...through good times and bad, Pookie was there for us and we were there for him.

He had an inquisitive and playful nature, often taking us for little walks around the garden or chasing a grass stalk we would drag behind us. He had a series of little rituals which he shared with us every day; I can remember the many nights I arrived home after exhausting days at work and Pookie was always there to great me - all I had to do was open the car door and he would hop up onto my lap, welcoming me home with a look or a brief "mew".

He was affectionately nicknamed "fang" by a colleague of Tosh's who looked after him for a brief period and the nickname seemed to stick.

He had a thing for ladders and many times when I was in the attic searching for some piece of bric-a-brac or another, I would feel a little warm body rub against my legs and look round to see him watching me curiously, before trotting down to the back of the attic to investigate some nook or cranny.

Sometimes, Pookie would head out into the nearby woodlands, where I'm sure he lived out all the "tiger in the long grass" fantasies that most cats enjoy. Then he would come trotting back into the house and hop up on a favoured chair or lap and settle down to sleep, purring constantly. Every now and then, he would stretch out full length on the living room floor, in what we comically called his "heraldic lion pose". In the mornings, I would often feel a little paw gently touch my face and as soon as I stirred Pookie was off the bed and waiting for me on the landing, ready to race me down the stairs.

Pookie was very intuitive; when I was busy working, he would settle down in the office with me, or hop up on the window sill or desk. Whenever I was ill, he would curl up beside me on the bed and keep me company. Occasionally he would stalk the birds or squirrels in the garden and when I spotted him through the kitchen window and tapped the glass, Pookie would shoot one of his famous "I'm not doing anything" looks at me, before strolling nonchalantly away.

Recently, he developed health problems, which mounted one on top of the other, yet even in his darkest hour, he still sought our company and we are thankful that we were with him right to the end. His death has left an enormous hole in our lives, which can never be filled. But we console ourselves that he is free from the pain and suffering.

Thank you for giving us so much joy and happiness little bud...I know we will meet again in the next life...

Poem for Pookie

Morning light across the place
a gentle paw upon her face
pillows trod upon the bed
racing downstairs to be fed.

Summer mornings, roses bloom
fuzzy paw-prints through the room
cat-flap rattling, empty bowl
flowers' fragrance, on the prowl.

A small dark shadow in the glass
investigating shrubs and grass
climbing panelled fence and trellis
in one smooth bound, I did feel jealous.

Car door open? he's inside!
under bushes he would hide
straight up ladders the moment they
were ever used and there he'd stay.

Through brambles, woods and flowers he
would live out tiger's fantasy
stalking prey and pouncing at
an unsuspecting mouse or rat

Still and quiet feline form
on a spot where it was warm
on summer days and winter nights
snuggled up when it felt right.

Winter cold and feeling crap
he sat purring on her lap
from deepest dark till morning light
he made sure she was all right.

From kitten eyes until the end
he remained her loyal friend
in love and trust did he depart
but he's still with her in her heart

Now autumn leaves lie on the lawn
and cover places he'd adorn
or flowers that he once had kissed
he has passed and he is missed.