Rio

 

On Saturday, February 3^rd, our beloved kitty, Rio passed away. She was no ordinary cat, however, and the grief we are all feeling is quite intense. We’ve been lucky to have a few great cats over the years. The type of cats that aren’t just cats, but have their own unique personalities that make them something special. In the past we had K.J. and Mosi, and we still have Stryker, and Rio was one of these special family members.

When she passed, we think she was about 14, and we were lucky enough to have her enrich our lives for ten years. When our girls were younger, Rio would often sit with them while they were playing school or store, acting like she was just one of the girls playing along with them. She would even let them push her around in a little plastic shopping cart. As we all got older, she would sit with us while we played games, like she was waiting for her turn.

When Rebecca was especially sick, Rio would stay in the room with her, trying to take care of her. We always called her Nurse Rio because she really thought she was helping to take care of her, and the truth is, her love really did help. She was just such a good little girl.

When I would be working, she would often lay on the back of my chair, and when she wanted attention, she would tap on my shoulder. I don’t know where she learned this, but she would often tap on us when she wanted something. I’ve never had a cat that did this, and this was just one of the many things that made her so special.

She would often sit with me and Lex as we watched Clone Wars or Bad Batch, never wanting anything more than to love on us and be loved.

She was never the type of cat to get in trouble. She didn’t bite or scratch, she didn’t get into stuff, she just wanted to love and to be loved, and she was loved so much. As Rebecca has said, there is a Rio sized hole in all of our hearts, and we’re all struggling to try to come to terms with this loss.

I know there are people out there that will say she was just a cat, but animals aren’t duplicitous like humans. Their love is so pure, and Rio was an extra special little feline. There has never been a cat like her before, and there will never be another one like her.