I have had many pets in my lifetime and I have loved them all dearly. But every once in a while, one comes along, and there is just something special about them that holds an extra special place in your heart.
Meet Ashley
She was a beauty - the queen of the house - a sweet lover - and one of the brattiest cats I've ever met! But, we had a special bond that I've never had with any other pet. She came to us in 2000 when she was about 9 months old. She wasn't fitting in at my daughter's home, so we agreed to test the waters, with the understanding that if it didn't work out with our dogs, that she would take her back and rehome her. Our dogs had never been around a cat before, and the first few days, it was a rat race with the dogs chasing the cat. Within a week, though, she established herself, and the chase reversed. From that point on, she was queen bee!
By the time I began my jewelry making journey in 2006, we were deeply bonded, and she was by my side day and night. She was also very curious, very playful, and into EVERYTHING. We had a love/hate relationship when I was working, because everything was a toy to her, and no matter how many times I took her off my desk, it was as if she was on a trampoline, and would spring right back up. After about 10 years, she finally learned "get in your chair" and would do just that (or maybe it was she was getting older and just didn't have as much fight left in her).
My memorial jewelry began with the Everlasting Prints collection, then shortly after, I added the Love Notes collection. The next most logical collection was to focus on our Precious Pets. Miss Ashley was one of my first models and we made this beautiful circle pendant.
I wanted to add a tiny paw print charm to my bracelet, but if you've ever tried to hold a cat's paw still to take an ink print or take a photo, you know, this is not an easy "feat". In addition, she had lots of toe fur, so ink prints were more fur than toe pads. So, I came up with the clever idea to put her on the scanner bed and scan her feet. And it worked perfectly!
We had an amazing 17 years together, but that dreadful day finally came when we loved her across the rainbow bridge. It was a tough loss for our family, and to this day, I still tear up remembering her. But I added the three pieces shown below to my collection and I will cherish all of them forever (shown left to right: Sterling Silver Cremation Ashes Bar Pendant, Sterling Silver Asymmetrical Heart Fur Pendant, Steel Cat Nose Impression Keychain)
Do you have a Precious Pet story? Go ahead and make our day brighter by sharing your beautiful story in the comments below.
I would love to create the perfect memorial keepsake of your precious pet! Shop the Precious Pets Collection or contact me to design a custom piece just for you.