Dorian Earl Gray

Name: Dorian Earl Gray

Date of Passing: 07/07/2023

Message to Dorian: Dorian was a kind soul. He was always so sweet and affectionate. Everyone who met him fell immediately in love with him. He never failed to make a good impression. I never had to worry about him like that as he was always my handsome little gentleman. Although, when no one was looking he was a bit of a troublemaker. He was terribly persistent and loved to nibble on all sorts of goodies whenever we were distracted. No cup or plate could be left unattended with him around. He knew all too well that yummy things were abound when the cups and plates came out. He lived to eat and was never more excited than during mealtime. He would run circles around the kitchen table in anticipation. He would get so excited that he would even bonk his little head on the legs of the chairs but it never seemed to phase him. That was something special about Dorian. He possessed this inner strength that was just remarkable. He could endure anything even in sickness. He fought so hard through his troubles and held on for as long as he could. He was a fighter through and through. While this lifetime was intent for him to struggle he endured and he remained the sweetest cat you've ever known. In my opinion, he was too good for this world. I can only hope and wish that he will be duly rewarded in the next lifetime. May it be a wondrous and fulfilling adventure where he knows no pain or suffering. We love you Dorian. So very much. Our hearts ache in your absence but we revel in the good memories and we look forward to the day in which we are reunited in the next phase of this existence. Rest well, my love.

"From the beginning, Dorian was a sweet cat and a gentle soul. I've had the privilege to be a part of his life off and on throughout and can truly say he only made my time on earth better. He's had good times and hard ones, but he was well-loved throughout. " - Jess Andersen (Best Friend)

"I have always been a firm believer that the time you've known someone does not measure your relationship but rather the experiences you've shared with them does. Although I may not have been a part of Dorian's life for very long I fondly remember him keeping an eye on me while I soaked in the tub, waking up to him snuggled next to me in bed or how he would get feisty and nip at me when we'd play (he always had a wild streak in him) Dorian had huge eyes and an even bigger heart - I'm so grateful to have had him in my life and he will be missed but never forgotten." - Eddie Lopez (Fiancé)

Tell us about Dorian: I was still fairly new to Chicago and after spending my first year in a dorm downtown I was finally moving into a condo in the Ukrainian Village on my own. I would eventually have roommates but they weren't going to move in until the end of Summer so I was going to be living there all by myself for a little while. I wasn't too keen on being alone so I thought it would be lovely to go and find myself a companion. I asked my best friend Jess to come with me to The Anti-Cruelty Society to support me as I adopted my first cat and that is how I met Dorian. I entered the first room where cats roam free and as soon as I did this handsome gray cat walked right over and through my legs while nuzzling up against me and then wandering off in the opposite direction. I was so tickled by this that even as we looked around some more I couldn't stop thinking about him. It turned out that his name was Snuggles and when the time came to write down a name that's all I could hear in my head. It was almost as if someone or something was whispering in my ear encouraging me to adopt him. Once I signed the papers we took him home on the bus which was quite an interesting experience. I felt like everyone was looking at us a bit oddly, or perhaps just out of curiosity, but we were young and that was just how we got around back then. Once we got him home it took no time at all for him to get acclimated. He seemed very content with his new surroundings. I was pleasantly surprised at how calm and comfortable he was considering the sudden change in environment. He was just content to lounge around in his new domain. That stretch of time became the Summer of Dorian. He had the whole condo to himself before we had new roommates, a new boyfriend, and two additional cats. I fear there were too many personalities under one roof from that point forward but he always took it in stride and remained the sweet, affectionate little man I met all those years ago at The Anti-Cruelty Society.

Dorian received his name per a suggestion from my best friend Jess. He was a gray cat and incredibly handsome so Dorian Gray seemed like a perfect name for him. We also worked at a tea shop at the time, and with Earl Grey being one of my favorite teas, that would fittingly become his middle name. Dorian Earl Gray.