I'll be with you... even if you can't see me.

Hi there! My name is Addie Girl, though sometimes my family gets silly and calls me "Ms. Fussy-britches" or "Princess Boney Butt". I'm a brown tabby cat. I love my striped brown fur, green eyes, long tail, and BIG ears!

I was born in the desert. When I was a kitten, I almost became coyote food-- eek! Lucky for me, some nice humans picked me up and brought me to a cat rescue. It's a place where cats who don't have homes-- like me-- stay and wait for their "fur-ever" home. The rescue was nice, but I wanted a family of my own. I spent eight long years in the rescue...

But one day, I got my family! A woman and her daughter had been volunteering at the rescue, and I loved them right away. I followed them around to make sure they knew, and purred whenever they pet me. One day, they came and put me in a carrier, then in a big scary machine that rumbled. When they opened the carrier, I was in their home-- my fur-ever home!

I shared my home with four humans, four other cats, and a dog. Their home was warm and safe. I always had food, water, and a soft place to sleep. I discovered the bathroom sink and trained my humans to turn it on so I could drink straight from it! Every night, I curled up on a pillow and purred myself to sleep. I knew my family loved me.

But one day... I got really sick. I didn't want to eat or drink anything. When I walked, I stumbled and fell. I couldn't jump very well, and I was so tired. My family took me to the veterinarian, who gave them news that made them cry. I had something called cancer.

I was so, so sick. The vet didn't know if there was anything they could do to make me feel better. He told them the best option would be putting me to sleep. I was confused, but I trusted my humans to take my pain away. I purred to let them know I loved them.

My family cried and cried. I tried my best to comfort them, but I was so tired, I could barely lift my head. The vet came back in and gave me a shot. I started feeling sleepy. I fell asleep for the last time with my head in my mama's hand.

This sleep was different than normal sleep. I stopped breathing, and my heart stopped beating. But it didn't hurt, not at all. I felt so much better as I felt myself leaving my sick body. I closed my eyes and smiled. My family loved me through the end.

When I opened my eyes, I was on a big rainbow-colored bridge! All around me were fluffy meadows of clouds-- and thousands of animals, all playing with each other! A figure wrapped in white floated over to me and patted my head. I purred as the angel explained to me where I was.

"Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge, Addie."

The angel explained that when an animal dies, they go to the Rainbow Bridge. It is a magical place where we are never hungry, thirsty, tired or sick. The injured are made whole; the sick are made healthy; the unloved are loved deeply. We are free to do as we wish. No one fights or growls at the Bridge.

I've been at the Bridge for a while now, and it keeps getting better and better! I spend my days stretched out in sunbeams or playing with catnip mice, and sleep on clouds at night. I love chasing yellow butterflies and sometimes, I send one down to Earth to let my family know I'm thinking about them.I even met some of my humans's pets who are already at the Bridge. Major, Soxs, Casey, Jingles, Sparkle... Together, we wait for our family.

You see, when a human comes to Heaven, they come to the Bridge first. All the animals who ever loved them come rushing to meet them! We jump on our humans, kissing and licking their faces, wagging our tails or purring, letting them know how much we missed them.

Then we cross the Rainbow Bridge together...