Storm

2007 - 2025

I laid with Storm on my chest, feeling each others heart beats, Until I didn’t feel hers anymore. When her heart stopped, a piece of me died with her.

Storm passed at 10:30AM at home, peacefully and naturally. Yet another gift Storm gave me.

How did we get here? I swore you’d live forever. I couldn’t think up any scenario in which you wouldn’t be here…
The moment you came into PJs Pets at square one, where I worked at 15, I knew you were made for me, and I was made for you. You were tiny and had the softest meow- your mouth opened but barely any sound came out. Instantly my little me-mew. The hardest thing I did was leave you there for the first 2 nights while I came up with a plan to sneak you home. I had always wanted a black kitten.. but we already had 3 cats at home; Chi-Chi, Blue and Spike. I didn’t have enough money to pay the adoption fee, so I called my friend Peter who generously agreed to get her for me.
That morning, I took my green backpack to work empty. I knew I would need to hide Storm (who I named very quickly before I even had her). I was so excited to leave work that day and absolutely petrified my parents would kill me.
I decided I would go to Peter’s house after work… to prolong the inevitable fight bringing Storm home. Which meant, we also had to get a litter box, water and food bowls and I took a baggie of kitten food from work.
Peter came and helped me with the process, and when it was done, I sprinted out of that store, Storm in my arms. Sylvia my manager, hollered “do you want a box for her?” And I replied “no. She’s a good girl. She will be fine!”. And she was. We waited for the bus as she looked around and everything there was to see. Smelling the air and purring- as she always did. On the bus, it was standing room only but some man got up and told me to sit. I expressed that I was fine to stand but he insisted and told me I’ve got a baby with me. And that’s when I realized, I had become a mom to this beautiful, pure little creature. I remember tearing up on the bus because I was just so happy.
At Peter’s house, I noticed something different about Storm. She had toes!!!! I’m pretty sure I asked Peter if he thinks she’s okay, as if extra digits would be a health concern, but I had never seen it before! But she was happy and healthy, roaming Peter’s room and eventually falling asleep on his bed. But it was getting late. My mom was pushing to come get me so at 9pm it was time to go. I loaded the litter box, dishes AND Storm into my green backpack. My heart was racing. I got into the passenger seat of my mom’s van and hoped for the best… but in typical Storm style, she let out a tiny little “mew”, which seemed to break volume barriers as my mom asked what was in my backpack. It was a long ride home and an even longer night when my dad found out. My brother wasn’t surprised though, because I had already told him my plan and that Storm was coming home.
The next morning I had driving school. I was so worried my parents were going to return her because they said I had to. I was literally sick all day waiting to get home. Thank god I came home and opened my bedroom door and there she was. The most perfect thing I had ever seen, patiently waiting for me. That’s when I knew she wasn’t going anywhere.
I brought her with me everywhere. When I showered she slept on the towels on the counter, she slept beside my pillows on my bed, she came in the car for drives. She even came into 3 for 1 glasses and sat on the chair while I tried on glasses; this was when my panic attacks were horrible. She was my everything instantly.
One time, me and mom left her home in my room while we went to McDonald’s. I had 40 betta fish at the time and we were discussing how amazing she is and how she could do no wrong… well.. we came home and I opened the door and she had knocked about 10 of them off the shelf. Water everywhere. Fish flapping. I grabbed Storm and ran to the bathroom to hide- not sure why that was my reaction. My brother and my mom figured the mess and fish situation out. All the fish survived just fine and Storm was sitting on the toilet looking like a wet rat with the most innocent face. Zero chance of me ever being mad at that.
Everyday when I’d make my bed, I had to fight around Storm… but I loved every minute of it. She knew where to move to so I could still get it made. She just wanted to be a part of it. She would patiently sit on the towel on the counter as I showered every morning. And She really took to my high pitch squeaky baby talk voice. Man did that excite her! So I always spoke to her like that. She loved when I cleaned my room. She would sit there as we listened to music, dusting. Occasionally dusting her with the swifter.
She loved her walks in the stroller and lunches in the car, particularly McDonalds cheeseburgers or pizza pizza, not that I let her do more than a tiny taste test. Christmas morning, where one time in particular, she got her favourite toy! Her bacon. But I think her all time favourite thing was sitting out on the back swing couch that Nana bought for us, watching the birds and feeling the breeze.
Storm had a very unusual life for a cat, and she loved every minute of it. She was special and deserved to have every moment as special as she was. She was by my side through thick and thin and saved me more times than I can count. There’s nothing I couldn’t do with Storm by my side.
Time can be beautiful and profound but it can be a thief and uproot beautiful foundations. It’s a blessing and a curse. I had almost 19 years with Storm and in that I am forever grateful but 18 years just isn’t enough time. 18 years feels like a blink of time. How can I remember so perfectly the moment I saw her as if it was yesterday and yet.. here we are.
It’s “just a pet” they say but they are wrong. She was a soul that intertwined with mine on a level a person could not. We were bound with the same roots.
When she left, she took half of my soul with her and half of my roots. There’s no healing but only continuing in the shadow of her loss.

Thank you Storm for being my favourite Hello and my hardest goodbye. You are my Best Friend, My first baby and my deepest love. You made me a mom. I will carry you with me, in my heart, and miss you tremendously for the rest of my life. And when the time comes that I get to go home, I will be sprinting there to you like I did when I first got you.

I love you so so so much Stormy Storm. Nana, cuddle her every day for me until I arrive 💕