In memory of Loki

Last night around 10 p.m. I said goodbye to my sweet little Loki. I wanted to share some photos of this little kitty that really made my life a little brighter.

October 2022. This is the day we got him. We saw him at the local Petco when we were living in South Carolina over the summer multiple times and my husband said “if he’s still here next time, we’ll take him.” And one day I came home from work and saw him wandering around curiously. We believe we was about 4 and half months at this point.

Yes, this is literally me sitting on the toilet and this guy would jump up there. He did not believe in personal space.

He LOVED to play. I mean, he would pick up his toys in his mouth and carry them to us up the stairs. He ALWAYS wanted to play.

Curious about everything!

He took to Ghost pretty quickly. Eventually Ghost came around, although tolerating is probably the best way to put it.

He’s on my leg. He was very cuddly.

He just liked to be near me.

Especially while I was sitting at this table making art.

I was doodling him :)

He sometimes made it a little difficult to draw, hehe.

That sweet face.

I remember this time in South Carolina. It took me a while but I was finally starting to feel “at home”. I was in a really good grove making art and his presence made it so much more special. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we really bonded during these times.

I love this picture. I have this finished piece still hanging on my wall. Part me of wants to keep it forever because he was right there with me while I made it.

Supervising

I put a lot of heart and soul into that particular sketchbook. I actually made a Sketchbook Tour which you can watch on my youtube channel.

Dude was always chillin on my stuff.

The way he was holding onto my ring 🥹

😛Blep

nap time

Seriously, he loved to play. He would fetch this toy and bring it to us.

This is the last picture I have of him before we moved back to Texas. I’m sad to say after the move, the pictures of him (well, tbh of everything) really slowed down and I really got caught up in this new era.

This is in our new home in Texas.

So after this move, Dad said NO MORE CATS ON THE TABLE. Which I sadly agreed with. But this little piece of carpet is right under that table where I sat and made art. He still liked to be close by.

I was setting up the spare bedroom and laid down to test out the mattress. He got up there and snuggled with me.

Can you see the feather toy up in the top?

He wasn’t in the mood haha

This was taken in December 2023. One of his favorite sleeping spots is Gabriel’s bed.

This was in January of this year. He looks so normal here. But looking back, this is when he started to show signs that he was not well.

He always found cozy spots to sleep. He was sleeping a lot more these days. I thought maybe he just has a little cold and he’ll be okay.

This was a week after I took him to the vet. He had an ear infection and upper respiratory infection and was so skinny, but after a week he seemed to be so much better, and back to his normal self. He’d greet me in the mornings and come hang out.

This was a few days ago. He seemed to be very lethargic, and was having a hard time walking. I thought maybe he needed another round of meds or something. I set an appointment to see the vet but it wouldn’t be until the next week.

Yesterday he was not okay. I took him to the emergency vet clinic and they ran some tests and told me he was very sick and going downhill fast. His kidneys were failing and there were other things the doctor told me that I was not able to process. And somehow I just knew what decision had to be made. I was so thankful for the kindness and professional staff who helped me ensure Loki could make is transition into the non-physical as painless and peaceful as possible. I held him and told him how much I loved him and how grateful I was to have him until his last breath.

I made this piece of art in my sketchbook a while ago. It really hits differently looking at it now than when I made it.

While I wish so much I could have had many many more years with him, I won’t forget how special this little kitty was to our family. I feel a lot of emotions, I play a lot of things through my mind and think “What if?” but know that won’t change anything. I cried so much. Then I drew. And cried more.

At one point I thought “Is this helping? Is this what I should be doing right now?” And then went to Facebook and saw this right at 11:11.

I know when Spirit speaks to me. I get little signs like this all the time. And you know what, it made me feel better and reminded me that Loki is pain free and playing with all the toys in the non-physical realm. Some people call it Heaven. Whatever you refer to it as, I know it is where we all go and where we all came from. And our loved ones are truly never gone and they will communicate with you if you know how to listen and what to look for.

I want to make art of pets. I think I’m going to open up commissions for pet portrats. It’s something I have admired others for doing but haven’t felt confident in trying it out myself. But I know if these little doodles I did of Loki can make me smile, I know others can feel that way too.

Thank you so much to everyone who has left me comments on all socials. I’m still pretty overwhelmed with everything but I truly appreciate you all. I have so many wonderful, lovely people who have my back and root for me. I am just so grateful to you all and to the universe.