In this current COVID era in which time doesn’t seem to evolve, but drifts endlessly from one day to the next with nary a distinction between what day of the week it is, let alone what month it is, the same does not hold true with my beloved senior cat, Zee. With him, I’m painstakingly conscious of every fast-paced tick of the clock that passes within this slow-motion world. Read more

Joy. By definition, it’s the emotion of happiness we experience, caused by something exceptionally wonderful or pleasurable to us. Losing a beloved pet is not joyous. The pain associated with the loss and the grief to follow can range from anger to denial, to depression, to a deep, overwhelming feeling of despair and sadness. Time may soften the pain, but it truly never leaves the heart. Despite that, there is joy. It’s just a matter of perspective and how you find it, and with today being Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, that’s what I’ll be focusing on. Read more

My beloved angel, Mr. Jazz – the inspiration for Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.

Hi everyone,

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day is Friday, August 28 and for those of you who might want to participate in some manner, I wanted to share the details with you.

First, as with every year, there is no pressure to participate. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, as I know it’s not always an easy day for everyone and it can be sad, especially in these trying times of late. But that said, the outpouring of compassion I see every year is so touching, as people share in the love they have for their pet(s) and it’s a time when we can all take a moment to collectively come together and comfort one another, something very much needed right now.

As I do every year, I will also be hosting the annual blog hop here. The post will go live at 12:00 a.m., EST, on August 28 with the code and linking information available then. I have also created a Facebook event page for those who might want to post a picture, share a favorite memory, upload a video, or more. Over the years, some have even held memorials or community vigils, with the day making the local news. This is the event link: https://bit.ly/RainbowBridge2020FB. Please feel free to invite others you think might want to be a part of the day.

Official Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day logo as designed by Deb Barnes.

I also have an official logo if you don’t already have it and would like to use it. Please email me at info@zeezoey.com and I’ll forward it to you. There is no requirement to use the logo – this day comes from the heart, so please do whatever you feel best for yourself. If you’ll be sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social venues, you can use the hashtag #rainbowbridgeremembranceday and if you’re crediting me for founding the day in any of your posts, please reference me as Deb Barnes of Zee and Zoey’s Cat Chronicles, author of Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond,  and founder of Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.

Thank you, everyone – my heart goes out to all of you who have loved and lost a pet. And just in case you don’t know, this is the brief history of the day: I founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (RBRD) in 2015 as a special day for pet guardians to honor the memory of those beloved pets in their life they have loved and lost, but never forgotten – whether fur, fin, feathers, scales or something else. It’s held every year on August 28, in honor of the day I had to say goodbye to my precious Ragdoll cat, Mr. Jazz, the meow author of Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond.

For those that follow this blog, you may well have thought I fell off the earth it’s been so long since I’ve posted and in many ways I have. Once this COVID pandemic really kicked in several months ago, forcing the Cat Writers’ Association to cancel their 2020 Cat Writers’ Association 26th Annual Conference and Awards Banquet that was supposed to have been held July 16 – 18, 2020, in Iselin, NJ in conjunction the CFA/Garden State Cat Show and Expo, my life took on a whole new direction. Read more

Happy Birthday to a very special and extraordinary cat.

I’m nearly 60 years old and cats have been a part of my life all of those years, probably totaling at least a couple dozen during that timeframe. And I love them all – past and present – each with their wonderfully unique personalities. I won’t say I have favorites, that’s not my style, but I can say every once in a while, one of them really stands out, having an extraordinarily special nature. Kizmet is one of those cats. He’s a cat in which the earth revolves on a very special axis – one that is exceptionally kind, tolerant, intuitive, loving, patient, and accepting. In other words, he’s what’s good and pure about this world and a cat we could learn from. Read more