AVRUM'S BLOG is hosted and authored by me, Avrum Rosensweig, the founder and president of Ve'ahavta: The Canadian Jewish Humanitarian & Relief Committee. I am also a writer, artist and a father.
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B'shalom, Avrum (avrum@veahavta.org) 
Amrita R.I.P.
Welcome to Terri, AVRUM’S BLOG newest guest author.
Terri is a colleague at Ve’ahavta and a huge cat lover and activist. Nice job Terri. I’m sorry about your loss. _______________________________________________________________________
When I lost my cat, Amrita, you had asked me to write a small article about her, and though I had meant to, it’s been very difficult, as the loss is still very raw. However, over this last week, I thought about her a lot (in relation to my mother’s illness) and so, here you go:
Amrita passed away at the age of 19 (human) years in June 18, 2009 and had shared my life for 18 of those years. Of all the cats that I have ever had the pleasure to be owned by, she was by far and above the most gracious, compassionate and loving cat I’ve ever known. From the moment she and her daughter Mitsou (who passed away in May 2005) moved in, she was the ultimate teacher and mentor. From her, I learned patience when faced with adversity, grace under pressure and unconditional love and compassion. Whenever she was faced with a vet visit, a new housemate with attitude, loud noises (thunderstorms and apartment neighbours) or foul smells (from neighbours cooking), her first concern was to comfort her timid daughter or console another housemate (even me). Every day was greeted with joy, every night I went to sleep to her purr.
Over the years, several rescue and foster animals have found their way to my place, and she has been a “welcome wagon hostess” to each of them, whether they were furred, finned or feathered. My favourite photos are of her curled up with a guinea pig named Dharma (who was rescued from a basement in a Chinatown restaurant) and another one of her investigating a terrarium containing three baby ducklings found in a box in the park.
Amrita (which means “ambrosia” in Tibetan) was unable to walk in her last days, and we spent her last hours together with her lying on my chest, her head under my chin and us just purred together; her letting me know that she had a long, comfortable and happy life, and me telling her what a gift she had been, how appreciative I was to have known her and how much I would miss her. She died peacefully at the vet’s, while we looked in each other’s eyes.
Amrita was a living, purring mitzvah and I thank G_d every day that she chose to share her life with me.
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Terri, I’m actually surprised that I’m touched by this piece, since I’m not such a pet person. But lately I had a couple of people tell me how much their cats mean to them, partially because they seem them through so many hard times. Sorry about your loss.
Thank you for the kind words, Deena. An animal’s love is unconditional, and they convey that love to their people every day. I’m grateful every day to be on the receiving end of that love. It’s a mitzvah.