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Merit, beloved feline member of the Circle of the Rustling Leaves, was given to the comforting arms of Bast on Saturday, December 10, 2005. He had earned the title of "Uncle Merit" by mentoring several generations of foster kittens over "years" in the attic at Garrison Street. As they left to new homes, he remained behind because of an apparent lingering respiratory problem. However, over time, it was discovered that his grunts and wheezes were actually his unique purrs of pleasure, and he took his place downstairs as a full-fledged member of the household. He was known for his exceptionally sweet and serene disposition, taking no sides in the occasional feline disputes, snuggling with sleeping dogs and cats alike, and generally watching over the afflicted or aggrieved. He was devoted to "his dogs", whom he would attempt to follow in their mad scrambles to the outdoors. He loved all "creature comforts" -- sleeping with his humans with his head on the bed pillows, napping with his backside scorched by a floor heater, and eating all forms of gravy on his dinner. His history before us is largely unknown, as he was taken in by Wendy late in life and would not reveal his past, in keeping with the Feline Code. He had a badly dislocated hip which could not be repaired, causing him to run like a rabbit. There were nicks in his ears from altercations in his younger days. He had a bobtail which lead to certain excretory inconveniences. And his eyes would sometimes move independently in odd directions like a cartoon cat. He was named Merit, however, because "charms strike the sight but merit wins the soul" (Alexander Pope). And he had the purest soul of any creature we have encountered -- an old soul, perhaps reincarnated in a less-than-perfect body to teach us lessons of the spirit. "By this merit, may all living things be healed" (Buddhist invocation). He will live forever in the hearts of his benefactors, Lee and Wendy, his friend Tom, his beloved dogs Pooka and Rustle and visiting dogs Tara, Ishie, and Jack, and his feline peers Henri, Chess, Kali, and Major. His ashes will be returned to the Mother Goddess at the Garrison Street Pet Cemetary, as close as possible to the dog pen. Our animals' circles of life are shorter than ours, because they spiral closer to the Goddess and the God. Blessed be, Merit. |
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