KATZENBERG
and proof that Rainbow Bridge "does" exist
  | It is with a heavy heart that today, 1/1/02, I find myself transforming this page into a memorial page. Katzenberg, at the age of 12, unexpectedly crossed the bridge the first week in December. They say "A picture is worth a million words" and that's so true because each graphic created for this page speaks volumes. The opening image tells of the bond between us more than words could ever convey. |
 
| At the end of the page you'll see an illustrated storybook with 20 enchanting images of Katzenberg as he makes his way to the Bridge. It begins at 6:00PM when his life on earth ended, and shows him crossing over and entering Rainbow Bridge with the help of the The Good Fairy Aurora. Each of these pictures, too, is worth a million words-- for they comfort me and convince me beyond the spoken word that he lives on in a better place. If you have lost a pet, I hope they will do the same for you. |
While this is a memorial page, it is also a page that celebrates the life of an affectionate, comical, intelligent, wise and loving cat who touched everyone who crossed his path. I've tried to mask the sadness and keep it lighthearted because that's the way he would have wanted it.
Katzenberg arrived in 1990 via a classified ad placed by a rescuer who found him when he was only weeks old roaming the beach in the dead of winter. I adopted him from the ad sight unseen. He was a tiny ball of fur with soulful eyes and a nose that seemed much too large for his skinny little face. As I took him from the carrier, he purred loudly , climbed up on my shoulders, and tried to put his tiny arms around my neck. Little did I know then that he would continue to do this throughout his life. It was love at first sight. He was not the most regal of cats, but he sure made up for it with his personality and endearing nature. The rescuer called him Zeke, but the second the door closed behind her I told him his name was Katzenberg. From the beginning this kitty was extraordinarily smart and delighted in watching my actions and emulating them.
I quickly learned that there was no stopping him when he was intent on accomplishing a task. Among other things, he had learned how to open sliding closet doors, raise the lid of the toilet bowl so that he could guzzle toilet water, and he was able to open almost every drawer in the house. I say "almost" because there is a huge solid oak school desk whose drawers he could not open. He constantly laid atop this desk and contorted his body in comical positions trying and crying at the same time. I told him time and again that it would never happen but he never stopped trying. Katzenberg followed me constantly and every night he slept on my head and purred loudly. He was extremely affectionate which made me love him all the more.
The years went by quickly and with each year that passed I became more attached to
him. Although this kitty loved me dearly, he had plenty of love left to shower on
others. Each time the doorbell rang he anxiously ran to the door hoping to greet an old friend, or make a new one. From the pizza delivery boy, to the UPS man, to a
neighbor that doesn't like cats, to the group of Jehova Witnesses that once rang the
bell trying to convert me... he loved them all. At the end of 1997 I began to put this
site together. Even while I sat the computer he'd jump up onto my lap, stand up facing me, and put his arms around my neck. This he did whenever I sat down anywhere. If I
stood up from the chair he'd just tighten his grip on my neck and hang on while I
walked around. I loved it, but it is not always easy to type code for webpages with a cat
hanging from your neck.
| Dad was so charmed by Katzenberg's cleverness, affection and zany personality, that after returning home from a visit here he asked me to mail him a photo so that he could do an oil painting. Here you see the photo and the finished piece of art. |   |
| In January of '98 we were approached to enter a few of the kitties in a contest by submitting an essay written from the mouth of each cat on why he or she should win. Red-Devil was eager to enter. With much coaxing from me, Katzenberg agreed to enter and write an essay too. Red-Devil, who is quite conceited, won 3rd place and was quite upset to learn that Katzenberg won 1st place. If you want to see how upset he was upon learning the news, you can visit his page. But please don't leave until you've seen the storybook of Katzenberg's Journey to Rainbow Bridge. |
  "Hey! Wait! Don't click me away just cuz I am not beautiful! I make up for it in other ways! My name is Katzenberg and to know me is to love me. Diabella says that I am the bestest cat on the whole planet. I am also the luckiest cat on the whole planet. I was born on the beach in the dead of winter. Mommy didn't want me. She took off with my siblings leaving me all alone. Probably cuz I was funny looking. A skinny lady with yellow hair rescued me and called me Zeke. She kept me for a few weeks till I regained my strength and then put me up for adoption via a newspaper ad. Diabella answered the ad and the rest is history. I am very affectionate and love humans. When people visit I like to hang on them with my paws around their neck and sing to them with my purrs. My manners are impeccable. I sit patiently on my tail and wait for Red-Devil and Count Dracula to get their share before I dine. I am very clever and have never met a drawer or closet that I couldn't open. When humans visit they always comment on how beautiful the other three are, but after spending a few minutes with us I am the one they invite onto their laps. Cuz I am such a plain looking cat it would mean so much for me to win the Miss Mae contest. To tell ya the truth, I was kinda ashamed to enter this face but Diabella gave me a pep talk and changed my mind. She said that my inner beauty shines through. I love Diabella. But what I would love even more is the honor of winning cuz that would prove to me that looks are only skin deep. Very truly yours, Katzenberg" |
It happened so suddenly. In November Katzenberg lost interest in food and started to rapidly lose weight. He never looked sick, and he never stopped being himself. I supplemented his diet with vitamins and tried many different kinds of cat food, but he had no interest in food. I took a week off at Thanksgiving to stay home and feed him around the clock. He'd take a few bites and walk away. I'd wait and put the food in front of him again, only to have him take 2 bites and squirm away when I tried to hand feed him. The vet was perplexed because according to the initial examination he looked like he was in good shape. His teeth were in excellent condition for a cat his age, he had no mouth problems, etc. By Tuesday 12/4, he was hardly able to stand on his feet. The vet did a series of tests.
The call came while I was at the office. Most of the tests were back and they did not reveal good news. His liver had stopped functioning, he had low electrolytes, and was highly anemic. I was in a state of shock and sat with Katzenberg all night, half not believing what the vet said. This cat did not look sick! He was still sleeping on my head and purring, and he still hung on my neck every chance he got. The only thing I did notice during the last few days is that he lost even more weight and at times he would stare into space with a very disoriented look. I called the vet the next day to ask him what kind of treatment was available. The final test had come back. There was a long silence on the other end of the line. After learning that nothing could be done to save him, my decision was to keep him home and let him live out whatever time he had left. The vet strongly disagreed saying that he would waste away in discomfort.
I was not strong enough to watch him breath his last breath. This would be impossible for me to do with any cat -- but with Katzenberg the thought was insane. I called my friend and neighbor, Jackie, and told her the time had come. Before leaving the house, I spent an hour combing him and telling him how much he meant to me. He always enjoyed being combed more than anything else. Everything was surreal. Jackie rang the bell, I put him in the carrier, we got into her car and drove to the vet in silence. Once there I sat down in the waiting room. She took the cat carrier from me, walked into the exam room, and closed the door behind her. Although she loved Katzenberg, there was no guilt in laying this on her. She is a nurse and witnesses death on a daily basis. I sat frozen in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity until my thoughts were interrupted by her sobs. I bolted out of the chair and opened the door to the exam room, thinking that it was over with and that Katzenberg had been taken into another room. But I opened the door too soon. Lifeless, he was still hanging on her with his arms around her neck. His body was limp and his head hung to the side. Over three weeks have passed and I still can't believe he is gone. This is the email that Jackie sent to me later that night.
"Diane:
He died a peaceful death in the arms of someone who loved him. He held me around the
neck even after he died. Thank you for the opportunity of letting me be with him
during his last moments of life. I know you can't understand this but there's
something very rewarding with helping an animal or person cross over. I told him that
there was a rainbow bridge waiting for him and he would play and be with other animals just
like him. I told him that I loved him and that he had nothing to be afraid of. He
purred as he slipped away. The vet left the room after he injected him and returned
when it was over. I never stopped talking to him. He was a very special animal. He
deserved a special good-bye. Jackie"
We later learned that it was FIP that took Katzenberg's life. The virus was passed on to him by Handsome.
