SITE NEWS: 18/10/2012 - 28/10/2012: Remembering Max

It's just over a week since the day I have always dreaded, particularly in recent years. Our beautiful cat friend Max left our lives last week, and losing him after all these years has hit me harder than I thought possible. I didn't even have any music on for the whole week after he had gone. Everyone who knows me knows that when the music stops, something's seriously wrong. For the first time ever my CDs and records laid completely untouched for a week. Even before I knew he'd gone I didn't have any music on that day, as soon as I'd got out of bed I just sensed that it was a bad day. Losing a pet is always sad, but it is absolutely devastating to say goodbye to a very special pet who has been with me for over 19 years, through my journey from a child into a fully grown 28 year old man. Not just a cat but my best friend. 

We first said hello when I was a nine year old schoolboy and we said goodbye when I was a man in my late twenties. Max wasn't just a cat. Through my miserable school days in the 90's and various heartbreaks in the 2000's, every time I'd be at my lowest that little cat would know when to arrive in my room to comfort me. His love absolutely warmed my heart during those times, and if he wasn't there with me I don't know if i'd still be here today. He was my little guardian angel. He was also with me through some good times, and he was around long enough to see both me and my brother grow up and lead new adult lives. Not many cats become such a huge part of people's lives that they have their own memorial services. Max did. 

When you lose your best friend you feel a huge empty space inside you, a space that can never be filled. But what has pulled me through this difficult and sad time? Many happy times and the heart warming feeling of knowing that my special little friend had a long, happy life with people that he loved and who loved him. 19 years. Other cats aren't as fortunate as him and many don't live for even half the amount of time he did or receive as much love and attention. He was around long enough to experience three different decades and two different centuries. He did very well indeed. Losing him has got me thinking about where our spirits go after our original lives have ended, and I can picture him reliving his entire life again, whether it's in an eternal dream or in some other spiritual world. He's young again and running wild and free once more. I loved him more than anyone could possibly imagine, and i'm going to miss him. But in many ways he's still with me and part of his legacy is the happiness he brought me. The memories I have of him will always be with me and he'll be with me in my heart forever. If everyone who leaves this earth goes somewhere else after their natural lives on earth have ended, I know he'll be there when I make my exit in many years time. 

So while I've been mourning, everything else has been put on hold. When the shock and despair had passed I began celebrating his wonderful life, and that is something which I am never going to stop celebrating in one way or another. Losing him has also changed me and made me fully appreciate the people and things I still have and love the most. So now is a good time to pick things up again and carry on with this superb website that I take so much pride in, while also making sure I can dedicate plenty of time to the other things in my life. 

Here's some songs we played to remember Max at the memorial service we held for him. We love you little man....