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

There are a couple of facts when it comes to cats – one being, unfortunately, that there are millions of them at any given moment living in shelters in need of a good home, and two, that it’s been proven cats can decrease our depression, stress and anxiety levels, lower our blood pressure, and decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke by having them around. With our current COVID landscape, defined by stress and anxiety, and June being Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, it seems the purr-fect time to bring that feline shelter companion to your life and household. Save a cat’s life and they save yours. Seems fair to me. Read more

Zoey back in 2008 with kitten, Rolz. Happy Mother’s Day to her, too, because she’s a mom, too!

Mom. Three little letters, but three little letters that are unique in meaning to all of us. For me, I’m a mom to my sons, Chris and Joe. I’m a daughter to my mom, and a step-mom to Dan’s kids – Crystal, Michael, and Jackie, as well as a daughter-in-law to his mom. I’m also a mother-in-law to Chris’s husband, Jason, and I’m a grandma to not only their dogs Rick and Rocco, and cat Rose, but a first-time grandma to their adopted son, Calvin. And, of course, I’m a cat mom to my gang – Zee, Zoey, Mia, Peanut, Rolz, Kizmet, Jazmine, and our newest feline family member, Shadow.

Through all these roles, there have been good times and bad. Highs, lows, ups, and downs. That’s what life is – a kaleidoscope quilt built of memories and relationships. Whatever the day is for you, I hope you make the best of it. For me, I’ll be spending some masked time with my grandson and I can’t wait. Take care everyone and I hope you enjoy my Mother’s Day photos.  

Christmas with my boys – Chris and Joe.

Enjoying summer vacation with Crystal and Jackie in Key West.

Me and my beautiful mom.

Hanging out at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood a couple of years ago with my step-son Michael who was visiting from Boston. I was made fun of for being a Dolphin Fan, but we won the game the next day against the Patriots!

Me with Chris, Jason, and my grand-dogs, Rick and Rocco.

Celebrating Mother’s Day a few years ago with Dan’s mom, Dotty, along with Jackie.

One of my all-time favorite pictures that truly represents the bond between me and my cats. This was all seven before we added Shadow to the mix.

Can’t forget my newest feline sweetie to capture my heart this Mother’s Day – Shadow.

My favorite mom role? Being grandma to my first grandson, precious Calvin.

It’s a Blog Hop!