Shelly
Date of Passing: 11/10/2025
Message to Shelly: Shelly loved her family, and her family loved her. As the weather turns cold, we miss seeing you sitting over the vent waiting for us to wake up. We miss inviting you to curl up under the covers. We miss your eager jump, wide eyes, and evening round of kneading biscuits before joining us for sleep.
When we return from work now, we miss your quick greeting and loud demand for food. We miss watching you eat every meal as the feast above all feasts. We miss our time with you slumbering in our laps after dinner.
Above all, we miss your love. I miss holding you with your little paws wrapped around my neck. Mom misses you looking around to make sure she was with you. Thank you for choosing us as your family. Our hearts will always have your pawprints.
Tell us about Shelly: On November 10, 2025, I lost my sweet and loving kitty, Shelly. Love filled her life. She loved food, the sun, and her family. I was blessed to have her as my cat.
Shelly’s life crossed mine when I was an animal shelter volunteer. I was at the shelter to find out how much love a cat can give. Shelly came to the shelter to find a loving home. We both got much more than we expected. The other volunteers had a saying, “The cat chooses the person.” One day, I sat down with my legs crossed, and Shelly came out and climbed into my lap. That began our eight-year journey of love.
Shelly took much delight in food. Thus, she was most loyal to the deliverer of food who was Mom. Shelly also loitered around the pantry and refrigerator where her food was stored. When she came down to eat, she always took the shortest path, her fur grazing corners as she trotted to her food bowl. Shelly learned that patting faces with her paws was the best way to wake people up. Human food also enticed her including expected favorites such as roasted chicken and unusual interests such as tomato sauce, chips, and bread. Nothing would get in the way between Shelly and food.
Shelly enjoyed basking in the sun. She would migrate across the house to follow the sunlight streaming into the house. When the sun was out, Shelly would nap in the grass, her fur capturing dusky rainbows in the sunlight. In her later days, I joked that she came from the same place as Superman because the sun kept her healthy just like how the sun gives Superman his powers.
Shelly loved being around her family. She always took the opportunity to climb into a lap. After she ate, she would watch and wait for me to sit on a sofa. When I sat down, she would eagerly trot across the room to jump in my lap. Her favorite toy was a bright colored feather toy that she begged us to play with. I would pull the toy between stacked cushions to imitate prey squeezing into holes or drag the toy over seats to imitate prey jumping over obstacles. If Shelly was looking for Mom, she would visit each room and meow until she got a response. When her family was near, Shelly felt safe and loved.
Shelly was a lover. She was the gentlest kitty who never swiped or bit people forcefully, preferring to hide or yell to express her displeasure. She clung to life to take in all the love she could give and get. Even up to the last hour, she tilted her head for a chin scratch and napped in the sun. She was the best, and her time with us was always too short. Shelly will be forever missed and forever loved.