Heart and Soul

A while back a friend said to me, "Everyday I try to be the man that my cats think I am".

It's not hard to understand why we love our pets so deeply. They give us so much and ask for so little in return. And if we let them, I believe that they make us better people.

Sugar was my heart kitty - our connection was very physical. Wherever I was, Sugar was right next to me. Whether I came in the front or the back door, she was there to greet me. When I worked on the computer, she was on the counter next to me. If I laid down on the sofa, she curled up on top of me. She slept next to me at night. When she went to the Rainbow Bridge, her physical absence was huge and a piece of my heart went with her.


Chai was my emotional anchor - my shelter from the storms of life. No matter how bad things were, stroking her silky fur, looking into her blue eyes, and hearing her purr made it better. She was a balm for my pain - a beautiful and serene presence, always there intuitively giving me what I needed. When she made her journey, a piece of my soul went with her.

If you know anything about me, you know that I have a deep love and devotion for all of my cats. Did I love Chai and Sugar more than my other kitties? No, I don't think so.

But each cat is different and so is the relationship. In Chai's case, the connection was a bond between souls. With Sugar, it was a bond between hearts.

Have Chai and Sugar made me a better person? I like to think so. Sugar inspired me to start Sugar Rub!, an organization to raise awareness about feline mammary cancer. And Chai motivates me to raise funds for the Murphee and Sugar Angel Foundation, so we can help others with seriously ill pets.

And they both taught me one of life's greatest lessons. Stay present and live for the moment. Things can change in the blink of an eye.

One word can change everything.

A Monthly Sugar Rub! Could Save Your Pet's Life

We all know we're supposed to do a monthly breast exam on ourselves, but did you know that your pet needs one too? Feline mammary cancer is very aggressive and 90% of mammary tumors are malignant. For dogs, the odds are a little better at 50%.

Waiting for that annual vet visit could be far too late for your furkid. I found Sugar's first mammary tumor. I also found her second tumor just three weeks after her veterinarian had examined her. 

This was recently posted on the Sugar Rub! Facebook page: "Miri's lumps (one slightly larger than the other) were found by us 2 weeks ago. We brought her to the vet. It's because of Sugar Rub! that we found them." Miri had surgery and now has a chance to beat mammary cancer because her owners give their pets a Sugar Rub! every month.

So pick a day of the month to do your pet's Sugar Rub (breast exam) and circle it on your calendar. Not sure how to do a breast exam on your pet? Check out this page on our website. 

And when you finish your pet's breast exam, do one on yourself - humans get breast cancer too.

Dear Sugar,

One year ago today, I held you in my arms for the last time.

We had a great last day together. I smelled your fur and listened to your soft meow. I felt your purr as you laid on top of me.  I scratched your chin and your whiskers brushed against my cheeks. You ate your favorite foods and you laid in the sweet grass under the geranium in  the backyard. You gave me lots of "sugar" and I kissed you at least a million times. We put a lot of love into that day.


And then, the time came and you  flew to the Rainbow Bridge, where there is no pain, no cancer, only love and light. As your spirit left your body, I stroked your fur and told you over and over, "I love you".

Some things have changed since you left. I have a new job, and I drive a new car.

We have two new kitties in our family. And Sugar, they are boy cats! Yes, boy cats! I think you would like them and I know they would love you.

Chai is no longer with us here on Earth, but then you know that. I know that your paws were the first to take hers as she left my arms and crossed the Rainbow Bridge in February.

Little Bit is the new counter kitty. Who knew? I know you're whispering in her ear because she does so many of the things that you used to do as she sits beside me every morning and evening. She walks across the keyboard and nudges my hand as I use the mouse, just like you did.

The princess trees in the backyard have grown even taller. And now a lovely windchime with your name on it hangs in one them among the beautiful purple flowers. It was a gift from dear friends who love you and miss you too. When I hear its lovely chime I know it's you letting me know that you are flying by on your angel wings.







The lavender bed is gone. It has been replaced by a catnip garden where memorial stones for Chai and you rest, side by side.



But one thing has not changed, my Sweet Brave Warrior. I love you today as much as I loved you a year ago. You are always with me, my heart kitty, because Love Wins. I think of you and I miss you every day.

Your legacy here on Earth continues. The Sugar Rub Feline Mammary Cancer Fund at Penn Vet is at over 50% of our goal and growing. I hope to see the study start next year.

Through Sugar Rub!, you are saving lives. Miracle's mom found her mammary tumor because she gives her kitties monthly Sugar Rubs. More than one kitty has been spayed before first heat, because her parent read on the Sugar Rub! Facebook page that it lowers the likelihood of mammary cancer by 90%.

In October, I will walk 39 miles in New York, in your memory. Your aunties and I will walk together in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk to end breast cancer and raise awareness that pets get breast cancer too. And once again, you will walk with me.






Although you no long live with us here on Earth, you are still doing extraordinary things, Sugar. You and your valiant fight against breast cancer have not been forgotten.

I love you Sugar Bear, now and forever. Give Misty and Chai a cheek rub from me OK?

XX
Mama J

In Loving Memory of Sugar

9/27/2001 - 5/22/2014

Loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. 

May is Pet Cancer Awareness Month

This is a fact of which I am painfully aware. We helped our Sweet Sugar to the Rainbow Bridge last May due to lung cancer that had spread from her mammary cancer. And just three months ago, our beloved Chai made her journey after an eighteen month battle with lymphoma.

In my humble opinion, every month is pet cancer awareness month. In fact every day is pet cancer awareness day. Because cancer doesn't wait until any particular month to strike. As pet parents, the more we know about the cancers that can affect our pets, the better equipped we are to recognize the signs and take action. 

Taking action does not necessarily mean surgery or chemotherapy. In fact it might mean nothing more than providing palliative care and giving the final gift of release from pain when it is time for your pet to cross the Rainbow Bridge.

But just like with us, the earlier you catch cancer, the better the odds of fighting it. As a pet parent who has fought the C Monster with everything I had, I encourage you to know the signs and be proactive in noticing them:

• Give your pet a monthly Sugar Rub! to check for mammary tumors. 
• Do an overall head to tail exam each month to feel for any lumps or bumps.
• Do a visual examination - see anything suspicious on his/her skin, ears or nose? Notice any discharge or unusual odors from his/her nose, mouth or other body area? Are there any wounds that aren't healing?
• Tune in to his/her physical activity - has it changed? Is s/he coughing or having difficulty breathing?
• Has your pet lost weight? Weigh him/her monthly and record it in a notebook.

And what if you find something? Does it mean your pet has cancer? Maybe. But maybe not. All of these signs could be something else. And God help you, I hope it is something else. But you won't know if you don't get it checked out. Waiting won't make it better and you just might miss an opportunity to help your pet beat cancer.

60 Miles!!!!!!

It's Day 3. 40 miles done. 20 to go! Terry & I are feeling great! W00t!!

Put a fork in it cuz Day 2 is DONE!