In Memory of Remy 1/3/2023 – 2/20/2024
Some cats come into our lives for a short time, but the imprint their little paws leave on our hearts lasts a lifetime. Remy is one such cat.
She was found wandering the streets of Tyler, TX by a good Samaritan who fell in love with this spicy tux’s bunny butt and spunky attitude. She had hopes of keeping her, but Remy wound up testing positive for feline leukemia. She knew that if she took her to the shelter there was a good chance she’d be euthanized, and she knew Remy deserved a chance. We are so grateful she gave her that chance, because it brought her to us.
Remy came to Shadow Cats in June of 2023 with preloaded likes, dislikes, and controversial opinions. She didn’t require input, our girl knew exactly what she wanted, when she wanted it, and for how long she did! Sweet and playful, this girl captured our hearts immediately. She reveled in attention and plentiful playtime while in isolation, but when she was released into the wild of Cookie’s Place we quickly learned that her smackin’ paws were rated E for Everyone. Remy was as spicy as she was beautiful (which was very, I mean, have you seen those big eyes?) so we had to formulate another plan for our manxy monarch.
To the break room, Remy came! For several months, Remy graced us with her presence at lunch hour and made a fabulous office assistant to Sarah. Remy had a habit of walking across the keyboard, so she ended up penning some very important meeting notes a few times and even posted a few on Slack, our staff message board.
“yuhj. ‘[]i987u78o.” – Remy, November 2nd, 2023
“0203.” – Remy, December 28th, 2023
A visionary with a talented paw and the innate ability to inspire the masses. What a champion.
Remy always kept the break room lively, keeping us on our toes and guessing. She kept up the ruse for some time that she had no interest in human food, only to one night devour a handful of sugary treats unbeknownst to us and then spent the next several hours bouncing off the walls. All according to her greater plan, we’re sure. We let our guard down!
When we would have our holiday potlucks, she would feast her eyes as we set the table, though after the whole sugar incident we were sure she would be feasting on far more if allowed so we had to set her in the office. She would slip her little paw under the door in protest, surely trying to reach the doorknob to open it…if only her reach were a little longer! A valiant effort, Remy.
Remy’s antics delighted us, sometimes horrified us, but mostly amused us. Having her in the break room was a true pleasure, and over time, her sweet nature unraveled. She had been prone to biting, but with time, dedication, and an appreciation of her limits, Remy knew to communicate more gently, giving a gentle warning lick to let you know she was low on kitty minutes. She loved people and loved napping. You’d go to pick her up and she’d stretch her arms out above her head, purring in anticipation of being lifted and held. She even grew to like giving kisses on the nose or the cheek. And she had the sweetest sleeping face, of which we have innumerable pictures. Oh, what a sweet and special girl Remy was.
With her strides in kitty communication, we eventually began wondering if it would be worth it to try her with the other cats again. Annex was a better fit, we figured, a little quieter than the rowdiness of Cookie’s Place. It was bittersweet to lose her presence in the office, but we all watched on like proud parents as Remy learned to live with the other cats, a first for her. She grew to love sunning out on the catio in a cat tree and loved the sink, especially drinking from it though she’d settle for laying in it when the water wasn’t on. Our hearts were full, watching her bunny hop and get up to her usual mischief.
Sadly, leukemia’s timer had been set on our girl—it destroyed red blood cells faster than her body could produce them, and the time came to say goodbye. Surrounded by love for her, laughter at so many precious memories, and a deep sadness at her loss, our tears fell around her. With many kisses and pets, we imparted our love to Remy, sending her on her journey over the rainbow bridge with a full heart and belly, with warmth, with memories to last a lifetime.
“How lucky am I, to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?”
Goodbyes are always hard, but in a painful goodbye, there is proof of love housed forever in our hearts. The love, the bonds created, and the trust built make the pain more than worth it. We will carry memories of Remy in our hearts forever, grinning as we reminisce about her mischief, warmed by her love and the sweet smile of her sleeping face. Though our time with Remy was short, we know that no amount of time would’ve ever felt enough. We rejoice in the time we were allowed to bask in the honesty of her, in her spunky attitude, in those sweet, gentle moments when she allowed vulnerability after trust had been won, the ease of love we felt toward her. Remy was a year old, she had just celebrated her 1st birthday.
We love you, Remy. We always will.
Thank you to her sponsors, Ali C and Victoria S. Thank you to the amazing staff that cared for this special girl every day and helped her blossom into her truest self. Thank you to the volunteers that loved her, to anyone that looked at this sweet manx girl and thought, “What a cute bunny butt.”
Remy had 2 Sponsors
Ali Cardon
Victoria Spray