July 4, 1992-Sept. 3, 2011
Cody: A Magical Tabby
Cody was truly a remarkable feline. He came into the world with a bang (approximately born on the Fourth of July) and exited the world in peace over the Labor Day weekend (September 3, 2011 at 4:05 pm). As most of you know, I rescued Cody from Animal Care and Control when he was a kitten, just several weeks old, after going to the shelter in an attempt to find a cat that a gentleman found that had been hit by a car. Unfortunately I never was able to locate that beautiful calico cat but figured that since I was there I could help some animal. Cody was hiding in a paper bag when I first saw him and since the others were promoting themselves, I decided to help him as he could have easily been overlooked by potential adopters. While in the car on the ride home, Cody meowed and I opened the cardboard carrier and he stuck his head out ready to explore his new world-just like a frontiersman in the wild west-hence the name Cody.
Even though he started out life hiding, those of you who knew Cody know that he was far from a bashiful cat. He frequently could be seen riding in the car or in his pet stroller or in a purse carrier at special events. He liked to attend these benefits to support a variety of animal welfare and animal rights groups and to show the world that although dogs are commonly seen at events, cats can do it too! He would greet visitors at the door. Many of you know he was also famous for his cat parties.
Cody brought joy to those he met and especially liked to bring smiles to the faces of persons with special challenges. He occasionally was a visitor with me to most of the places I worked throughout my careers in social services and occupational therapy including group homes, long-term care facilities, hospitals and schools. He brought comfort to me in times of need, attempted to comfort his canine sibling, Chequers, during her terminal illness of cancer (Chequers passed away naturally on February 3, 2002), and the last time I saw my mom smile was at Cody (most of you know that my beloved mother passed away on May 18 of 2010 after battling a debilitating stroke for over a year). Cody and his greyhound sibling, Grayson, shared a special bond. As Cody progressed in his illness, this bond was even more evident as they would sleep near each other.
Cody was a trooper. Diagnosed with cancer (Lymphosarcoma of the Colon) in 2007, he persevered through chemotherapy and many holistic treatments and remained in remission following his treatments for over three years. Unfortunately Cody was diagnosed with a second type of cancer (Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder) in March of this year. He was a pioneer with showing that cats could successfully be managed with a home urinary catheter. As the disease progressed, Cody became weaker and unfortunately his body was not responding well to the chemo. Cody endured a blood transfusion three weeks ago and although he became stronger afterwards and did ambulate again, he became weak again in a few weeks but not before making his cameo appearance in his pharaoh costume at Grayson’s birthday bash in late August.
Cody passed away naturally in my arms on September 3, 2011 at 4:05 pm. He will be missed immensely but we know he is in peace now and reuniting with loved ones over the Rainbow Bridge where he will continue to touch lives in a magical way.
Thank you
The family of Cody wishes to thank everyone for continued support during this challenging time. Whether you provided medical care/advise, emotional support, visited, said prayers, sent cards, positive thoughts, vibes, energy or encouraging words, it was appreciated greatly.
If you choose to do something in honor of Cody, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a small donation to your favorite animal group so Cody’s spirit lives on by helping animals. If you are not affiliated with a group, the hundreds of animals at Animal Care and Control (where I adopted Cody) would definitely benefit from even a small contribution. www.fcacc.org. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Thank you for your support!
Carrie Nutter-Novak & Family