Conference misery::feline_v1

    Oh how sad!  I'm so sorry for you.
    
    Flo

    
    
    		Wishing you Peace. 
    
    				kim and Catnip 

    OH BOB! That's awful.  I am so sad for both of you.  Its very
    hard to understand that humans make mistakes, especially when
    one we love suffers for them.  I'm sure Ruffles forgives you.
    I will had his name to the Silver Lining Memorial for this
    quarter.  I hope that offers some small consolation.
    
    With tears,
       Nancy DC

    Bob, I, too, am sorry about the passing of Ruffles.  Of course he'll
    forgive you, he loved you very much.
    
    With love and tears,
    
    Roberta and the gang
    

    Bob, so sorry to hear about Ruffles.  Try hard not to be so hard on
    yourself!  He knows how much he was loved, it was just an unfortunate
    accident.
    
    I will give Otis (his brother) a BIG hug and a kiss, when I get home
    tonight.  You can be sure that part of Ruffles' spirit lives within
    Otis.
    
    Marilyn, Tiffany and Otis
    
    P.S.  I will be picking up the pictures of him on Saturday and if you
          would like, I will send you a copy of them!
    

    
    
    	Bob-
    
    	I too send my sincere sympathy.
    
    	Try to remember the good times, which I'm sure there were many.
    	My heart goes out to you.  Hang in there.
    
    	-Dee
    

    BOB,
    
    Don't know you or Ruffles,
    
    but I do shed tears for Ruffles...........it's very hard not to blame,
    but Ruffles I do believe in my heart, was saved, by you, from a worse
    fate in death.  It was meant to be....... no matter how hard we cannot
    see it.
    
    Give yourself the time to grieve, give yourself time to heal and then
    you will have all the beautiful memories and new experiences with your
    four furry friends at home....
    
    						Paws in Prayer for you...
    
    Carol Weston
    

    Bob,
    
      All I can say is I feel your pain.  I pray that Ruffles comes to
    visit you in your dreams often.
    
    Tracey
       &
     Family = Tabatha, Tabar, Tom & Sunny

    Bob,
    
    Oh how awful for you!  Tears spring to my eyes as I write this.
    It may take you a long time to grieve and forgive yourself, but
    I'm sure Ruffles forgives you.  He will come back to you in another
    of his nine lives.
    
    You have my deepest heartfelt sympathies.
    
    Zoe & Mr. Bunny, Gershwin, Booger (the dog), & Tatiana
    

    
    Oh Bob, I'm so sorry for you in your pain.  You must do the hardest
    thing that there is to do.  You must forgive yourself, Ruffles (The
    Wonder Cat) already has.  Some things are fated, the screen blurrs
    before my eyes and I can only pray that time will help you to heal.
    
    Feline so very sad,
    
    Sue & Panther & Spot & Jerry too.
    

    Bob, the amount of sorrow you are feeling stems from the amount
    of love you felt for Ruffles.  
    
    Perhaps a small gift to a local cat shelter in memory of Ruffles
    will give you some comfort at this difficult time.

    With heartfelt sympathy,
    
    Cathy Sadler

    With our sympathies and tears,
    
    ed, Calvin, Hobbes, and Spook

    Our prayers and thoughts are with you.
    
    
    Giudi, Pippin, Gino & Stitch Too!
    

    
    
    Bob.....so sorry that this has happened.  I will keep you and
    Ruffles in my prayers.
    
    Carole

Bob,

Our sympathies and thoughts are with you, also.  I'm so sorry...

Mary & the furry foursome

    
    
    	Bob
    
    	We're so sorry to hear about Ruffles. I'm sure he doesn't
    	blame you.  Take comfort in knowing he had a wonderful life
    	while on earth and he loved you as you loved him.
    
    	JJ, Cary and the purrpots
    
    

    
    Bob,
    
    My condolences to you and the rest of your cat-family, over the
    death of poor Ruffles.  Don't berate yourself....  we all do the
    best we can, and Ruffles was more fortunate than many kitties in
    that he had a warm, loving home all his life.  
  
    Hope you aren't too sad too long,
    
    Lynn and Molly & Iago
      
      

    
            Oh, Bob, how awful!!! I clutched my chest and gasped when I
    read this, oh, I feel so bad.  You must have felt like dying too.
    
            Our prayers,  Denise and the gang of 7

    Bob,
    
    We, too, are hurting with you over the loss of your Ruffles.
    
    It was very obvious how much you loved him--he knew it too.
    
    Sadly, although we do the best we can in life, we are human and
    therefore make human mistakes.  Please don't blame yourself.  Very
    few people give the love and care to small creatures that you 
    gave to Ruffles and continue to give to your other kitties.  This
    makes you a very special person.  Ruffles knew that, loved you with
    all his heart and forgives you.
    
    Someone suggested giving to an animal charity.  Another way to help
    ease the pain, after a while, might be to give another homeless baby
    the love and care that you have.  
    
    Our prayers and love are with you.
    
    Barbara (Melody, Missy and Brittany)
    

    Oh, Bob,
    
         As the others have said so well, please don't blame yourself. 
    Ruffles knew how much you loved him, and I'm sure he has forgiven you,
    so now you must forgive yourself.
    
         My deepest sympathies and condolences.
    
    					- Andrea

    Bob,
    
    How awful for you and poor Ruffles.  Please don't be too hard on
    yourself.  It's a terrible thing to go through.  It may help to
    have someone to talk to (professional or otherwise) just to get
    you through this horrible time for you.
    
    Ruffles was lucky you were in his life.  The grieving won't be easy...I
    just lost my beautiful Aime 2 months ago and I'm still hurting.
    
    Many hugs from Nancy, Snuggles and Annie

    Our condolences....
    
    Michele & Nippa

  That's a real sad story. What a bummer.

  I ran over the neighbor's dog once and I know how rotten that feels.
The kids thought I was Jack the Ripper but their father was pretty good
about it. He said that the kids were as much to blame as me because the
dog was suppose to be tied up but I still felt terrible.

  Anyway, go through the grief. It will pass. Keep in mind that next
spring there will be a kitten out there with your name on it who'd love
to come and stay at your house. It doesn't feel like the right time now
but it will then.

  George

    
    	I want to thank you all for your wonderful words of support
    and sympathy.  I think I posted .0 because I wanted to castigate
    myself publicly for my mindless deed.  Your encouragement and support
    has helped me through this tremendously, and I don't feel like a
    monster anymore.
    
    	I wept as I posted the original topic, and I still feel superlative
    grief over the incident.  Your kind words have helped ease the pain
    and the guilt.  My deepest appreciation.
    
    	I don't believe I will get a replacement for Ruffles, as nothing
    and no one could ever take his place for me, but I do have the other
    four cats who keep me company, and remind me that I am the most
    important human in their lives.  With friends like them, and the
    Feliners represented here, I know my mourning will pass in time,
    and I will have years of joy with Ruffles' "siblings".
    
    	Again, many many thanks for your kindness.  You are all truly
    terriffic people to care so much.
    
    McQ
    

    bob,
    
    so sorry to hear of the accident.  if this is any consolation, what i
    read from you and the previous note from the owner who lost his cat
    this way has made me more cautious.  i am putting a note on the front
    of my dryer to "look inside for cat".  maybe others will want to do
    something similar.  if we can prevent this from happening to even one
    animal, then ruffles' death will not be in vain.
    
    peace be with you as the new year approaches.
    
    diane, stella & stanley
    

    Oh how terrible, both for you and for Ruffles.  My Deja has a habit of
    climbing into the dryer and I keep hoping that I will *always* check
    before starting it up.  I don't want to ever go through what you are
    now going through.  But as someone else has already stated *we are only
    human*.
    
    Sandi, mom to THUNDER, LIGHTNING, STORM & DEJAVU too
    
    

    	I mentioned this privately to Bob and am prompted to do so here
    because of the last few notes:  Instead of notes on the dryer to "look
    inside for cat", how about training the cat to avoid the dryer? It's a
    simple process: toss the cat in the dryer and switch it on for a second
    or so (part of one revolution). Open the door and out will come flying
    one traumatized cat who will avoid dryers henceforth!  And, it might
    save it's life some day. Don't run the dryer for more than a second or
    so or you might injure the cat. - Chris

    
    How'bout keeping the dryer door closed at all times!!!!!
    
    Bob, Our sympathies are with you also.  At least you have the other
    four to help you get over this terrible accident.
    
    Barbara, Ebony & Ivory
    

    re. .29    I do think that's best, so that's what I do.   But, I have
    found that it's a lot easier to train a pet than to train an owner...
    	- Chris (bowing to human nature)

    So sorry to hear of your loss.
    
    Kirk

    
         I am so sorry to hear of your loss.  I have often been paranoid of
    this happening to my Hobbes.  Even though I leave the dryer door
    closed, he likes to jump in there while I'm transferring clothes from
    the washer to the dryer.  Sometimes I don't see him jump in there.  I
    always check for him, but my husband may not realize he has this awful
    habbit.  It would be worth while to try and train him not to go in
    there at all.
         Again, I am very sorry to hear about your kitty.  But, he did know
    that you loved him, and the quality of his time with you is what really
    matters.  
    
      Willa, Hobbes, Bear, and Sharmin 

    We are soooooo sorry...too..
    Kate, Pookie, Happy and Precious

    I'm so sorry, Bob.
    
    Shayne.

    Bob,
    
    I am so sorry to hear about Ruffles.  I'm sure she knows that you
    loved her very much and you never would have done *anythng* to 
    hurt her.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.
    
    Jill
    

    re: .-1
    
    	Thanks so much for the sentiment, Jill.  I appreciate it.
    
    	BTW - Ruffles was a huge male.  I just had to correct you.
    
    	Again, thanks,
    
    	McQ