Omni came into our shelter on May 6, 2000. I will never forget the young man as he stood there and said that they had gotten homes for the other kittens, but this was the ugliest and no one wanted him. He was one of the cutest little kittens and the loudest. For the next couple of days as I sat at my desk, I could hear this kitten screaming. I asked the other girls who was making all the noise and they said this little kitten. I couldn't believe this little bitty kitty was so loud. He was only five weeks old when we got him so he was small. One of the girls got so she would take him out in the mornings and walk around doing her work carrying Omni so he wouldn't cry. He was so funny. We had a shelter kitty that we had just adopted to stay at the shelter all the time and Omni and Gunner started playing together. Gunner was like a Mama cat to Omni, cleaning him and teaching him all the things that his mother hadn't. We left Omni out during the day so he could play and everyone that came in thought he was so pretty. But he was always overlooked when the people were ready to adopt. So on June 10, we adopted Omni also to be our shelter kitty.
Omni and Gunner became the best of friends, getting into everything together. They played so hard in the mornings and as cats do slept most of the day. But they certainly were not lacking for attention. Everyone that came into the shelter were greeted by Omni and Gunner. Omni would get on the counter and as the people were filling out the paperwork he would jump on their shoulder. Most everyone thought this was really cute. He would let children carry him around sometimes upside down to our astonishment. But he never tried to get down. He never scratched them or tried to get away. He was the best ambassador that we could ever have wanted. He helped the girls do the cleaning, helped them do the feeding and sometimes he even helped them on the computer. He would come over to my desk and sit right in the middle of my paperwork. He let you know when he needed some special attention from us, and we were certainly willing to love him and pet him when he felt he needed it, and sometimes even when he didn't.
Omni became very ill in January and we were told that he had FIP. This is a fatal feline illness, and they suffer a great deal in the last stages. Everyone understood that Omni needed to be euthanized so that he would not suffer. Our hearts were breaking, we didn't want to let him go, but for his sake we could not put off what must be done. We all said our goodbyes in our own way and knew that Omni would always be in our hearts. We will always have the sweet,sweet memories of him, loving us, and our rejoicing in his love. He touched so many lives, and not just the workers, but the many many people who came in to look at the other shelter animals. He showed them what love and devotion can do for an animal, when they have a family to care for them. He touched everyone's heart that he came in contact with, and especially ours. The shelter will not be the same without him. Each morning we look for him, expecting to see him running about, but its not to be. We know in our hearts that he is in a much better place, and he is happy and free of all illness, and one day we will see him again. Omni will be waiting for us on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, where I know the minute we cross over, he will jump on our shoulders and we will all be home again, together.
Goodbye sweet Omni, until we are together again.
We are friends forever ...
we will never part....
We are friends forever...
together stays our heart....
We are friends forever....
through clouds and the light....
We are friends forever...
through the days and the nights....
We are friends forever...
forever we will be....
We are friends forever...
always you and me....
