TINKERBELLE REMEMBERS: An Unexpected Call

The Finding of a Therapy Cat: a series about Tinkerbelle, Registered Pet Partner Therapy Cat (retired) and our journey together.

By Mollie Hunt

Part 16: An Unexpected Call

Now that Tinkerbelle had been promoted to Pet Partners rating of “Complex,” she was in even greater demand. One day a call came out of the blue from the family of a woman who was actively dying. The woman loved cats, had them all her life until she was required to move into the hospice house. He final wish, to touch a cat one more time.

I quickly got Tink bathed, brushed, and ready. When we arrived, the woman, Maddie, was uncommunicative. She was surrounded by her family who were talking in low tones. Some were crying. The blinds were drawn; they were waiting for the end.

I set Tinkerbelle beside Maddie and told the frail woman I’d brought her a cat. I guided her cold hand to Tinkerbelle’s warm fur, where it lay for the remainder of the visit. The woman never woke, nor did she move, but her breathing seemed a bit less stressed. I’ll never know if she felt Tinkerbelle’s presence at all.

The family, however, was another story. I saw the difference Tinkerbelle made in them right away. They began to talk about cats gone by. The stories became anecdotes, and even a little laughter was heard. Someone opened the blinds. Outside the January sunshine shone like silver.

About Tinkerbelle:
Tink served for four years as a registered Pet Partner Therapy Cat, visiting assisted living facilities and hospice patients. Tink is now retired and living the quiet life. Check out her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TinkerbelleTheTherapyCat/

About Mollie Hunt:
Mollie is the author of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip. Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, and the Cat Writers’ Association. This year she won a CWA Muse Medallion for her 3-part blogpost series, “Life Stages”.

Like Lynley, Mollie is a grateful shelter volunteer. She is a longtime volunteer for the Oregon Humane Society where she socializes sad, fearful, and behavior-challenged cats. She also fosters sick and elderly cats in her home. In 2014, she had the privilege to work with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy on a particularly thought-provoking case.

You can find Mollie on her Website: http://www.lecatts.wordpress.com/, her Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt, and her Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/.

Sign up for her Extremely Informal Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/c0fOTn.

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20 thoughts on “TINKERBELLE REMEMBERS: An Unexpected Call

  1. acflory says:

    How lovely. I’m a mad cat-lady too and the story of Tinkerbelle and Maddie really touched my heart. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, My cat Pippi looks almost identical to Tinkerbelle except her long coat has a slight reddish tinge. -hugs from both of us-

  2. Pingback: TINKERBELLE REMEMBERS: An Unexpected Call - Katzenworld Shop

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