Flat Panda Bear – The Furry Bambinos – Cleveland

Panda Bear Caban: May 16, 2007 – January 21, 2018

The Human Parents — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 14:15:47 +0000

Our lovable tuxedo cat, Panda Bear, one of the original “Furry Bambinos”, passed away a year ago today on January 21, 2018. It hit us so hard that it has taken a year to write this entry.

In Panda Bear’s last few months he had been valiantly fighting both heart disease and kidney disease. On the evening of January 20, 2018, heart disease began to win. On the morning of January 21 we found him too weak to move, and so we made that difficult decision every pet owner wants to avoid.

Now, even a year later, sadness still lingers with us, as we lost one of our best cats ever.

Panda Bear was born in May of 2007, under a porch in a Cleveland, Ohio, neighborhood with seven siblings. Shortly thereafter, they were taken in by a local rescue group. Unfortunately, the calici virus passed through the litter and Panda Bear had to have his right eye removed. One of his siblings had both eyes removed, and one of his sisters had some retinal scarring.

Panda Bear came into our lives in October of 2007. We had lost our cat Clyde to lung cancer in February 2007, and were finally ready to look for a new cat. We saw Panda Bear and his sister with the retinal scarring at Petsmart. Panda Bear jumped into Sue’s arms, and we knew he was going to be ours. We adopted him, his sister and another older cat who reminded us of Clyde. We named the sister “Meerkat”, and the older cat “Padre”. We affectionately labeled them “The Furry Bambinos”, and that’s when we started this blog.

In the beginning, the three Bambinos hung out together frequently, and most of their early life is well documented here on the blog.

When we captured this photo, it became the header for the blog for several years.

Over the years, we also took to shortening Panda Bear to “P.B.”, so in shorthand, “P.B.” was an “O.G.” (original gangsta) Bambino. Here he is working on a new blog post with Sue.

Panda Bear was impish and could get himself into trouble, but he would lovingly climb into your lap to apologize. He would follow us from room to room, and camp out and keep us company. He made friends with every human that walked in our house, and almost every foster kitten we brought through the door, too. In short, Panda Bear was the kind of cat everyone would love to have, and we were the luckiest guardians on Earth.

Panda Bear would willingly pose with toys. In this early photo of him, notice the blue nail caps. We used to use those before simply just getting better at trimming his nails.

Panda Bear loved to “help” get work done, but he would easily get distracted and start playing.

And he was the reason we stopped putting up a Christmas tree every year.

We tried to do a Halloween card one year in which we dressed all the cats up in costumes. This was the year Panda Bear was a clown.

Even as a one-eyed cat, he could catch flies, mice, and feather toys without any trouble.

He loved to jump and play. In fact, we had just finished a rousing game of “chase the feather on a string”, and he was breathing heavily when we captured this photo of him.

Panda Bear was rambunctious and impish, but he was also the most calm and chill cat we’ve ever had in our lives. He was able to get along with just about every cat and human being that came through our house.

If you know us personally and had ever visited our home, you met and came to know Panda Bear. He was one of our resident “greeter cats” when anyone came to visit.

He was always calm for his vet visits with his vets Dr. Amy and Dr. Jo at Village Veterinary Clinic, and would confidently walk around the room and allow them to poke and prod him.

When the “Coventry Cats” cat store in Cleveland Heights celebrated its 20th anniversary in May of 2008, Panda Bear went to the party. He seemed to enjoy the car ride immensely.

At the store, he had fun browsing through all the toys …

And the store owner, Sheila Blecman, gave him lots of love!

Panda Bear purchased a new Catnip Banana at the store.

In 2011, we attended a blogging conference in Virginia, and Sue attended a workshop where people could create a “flat” version of their pets. Basically, it involved taking a good photo of your pet and pasting it onto some thick foam board. The idea being you could then take your flat pet with you everywhere that real animals aren’t allowed! So, Sue made “Flat Panda Bear”.

Dr. Amy at Village Vet even played along and once gave Flat Panda Bear an exam.

He passed with flying colors!

Flat Panda travelled with us frequently, and ended up going as far west as Columbia, Missouri.

Over time, we became involved with the rescue group that saved the Bambinos. The first two fosters we took in were named Cookie and Caramel. Panda Bear loved them, and so did we, so we adopted them!

Here’s Panda Bear teaching a very young Cookie how to drink from a human’s glass:

And he would frequently wash her head.

Here he poses with a very young Cookie showing her how to sun herself in the patio door.

With the addition of Cookie and Caramel, The Furry Bambinos were now at total of five!

And everyone got along great!

Panda Bear was the explorer (escape artist). Even in winter.

This was his favorite Gizzy Quilt

We have been involved in animal rescue since 2008, and just about every foster kitten that came through our household had a chance to meet him, too. Invariably, they would warm up to Panda Bear almost immediately. We labeled our foster room the “Furry Bambino Foster Academy”, and Panda Bear was the “Guidance Counselor”.

He was the one to meet them and help them socialize as they went through the foster program. All told, Panda Bear was a Rockstar Guidance Counselor to over 150 kittens during his life. That’s how easy going and lovable he was.

He was a lap kitty, too, and he regularly would sleep next to us or near us on the bed and on sofas. When David worked at his computer or sat watching TV, Panda Bear would regularly curl up in David’s lap for scritches and snuggles. If Sue was reclining on the sofa, Panda Bear would knead her chest for almost exactly 15 minutes every night like clockwork. None of the other cats have loved us so equally and affectionately.

P.B. was talkative, too. All we had to do was exclaim “Panda Bear!“, and he would bleat out a short happy response to acknowledge his presence. Then he would flick his tail a couple of times in short, staccato movements like an orchestra conductor waving a baton. Even as he slowly lost weight and his ailments took their toll, his bleat was music to our ears.

Within our own household Panda Bear will be most missed by our other cats Sunny and Sky. They latched onto Panda Bear as shy fosters, and never let go. They followed him almost everywhere and would regularly cuddle up with him, walk beside him, and brush up against him.

Sunny was especially close to Panda Bear, often sleeping with him in the front window.

Panda Bear even made friends with the very shy, skittish, and semi-feral Samoa, who we lost back in 2015.

We can’t say it enough: we’ve lost one of our best cats ever, and we are grieving hard.

Panda Bear is survived by his sister Meerkat, his best friends Sunny, Sky, and Padre, and his step-sisters Cookie, Caramel, and Farrah Fluff.

“Panda Bear!” … we were honored to be your guardians. We loved you dearly, and miss you terribly. Rest well, dear friend. We’re so happy you’re no longer in pain and now able to run freely. We look forward to calling your name at the Rainbow Bridge someday and hearing that lovely bleat in response!

Flat Panda Bear Goes to the V-E-T

Panda Bear — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:45:02 +0000

Hello Kittehs! As you may know, Mom and Dad abandoned us a few weeks ago to meet some nasty lady named Irene. They met her at BlogPaws, which was held in Tysons Corner in Furginia.

They brought home lots of cool swag, which we are enjoying. Sunny and I also personally saw to it that we got to sample the Royal Canin crunchies. Kittehs, sometimes you have to take matters into your own teeths. We treated those bags to toothy deaths, which forced Mom to feed us the yummy crunchies inside!

BEST of all, Mom got to attend the Flat Tyler workshop.

She came home with this: (dah dah dahhh)

A Flat Panda Bear!!!

Immediately, I began plotting how to use Flat Panda Bear to my advantage. So, when the foster kittens got the sneezies, and then Sunny and I got the sneezies, and then Mom made an appointment for Sunny and me at the V-E-T, I knew just what to do.

Unfortunately, Mom was not fooled. I wound up in the PTU anyway.

It was Sunny’s First Visit to the V-E-T. Well, except for when he had his Hoohaectomy and got his ear tipped.

When Dr. Amy walked into the exam room, she saw Flat Panda Bear on the exam table. She thought it was me!

At least at first. Dr. Amy examined Flat Panda Bear’s eye with her magic eye scope thingy. I think she caught on when Flat Panda Bear didn’t have a pulse.

But she was a Good Sport about it.

I still got examined, though.

So did Sunny.

Sunny checked out the exam room thoroughly.

He really wanted to jump to the top of the cabinets.

Mom wouldn’t let him. So he checked out the sink instead.

Unfortunately, we both got shot. With Convenia. It did help get rid of our sneezies, though.

The staff loved Flat Panda Bear. He helped Mom pay the bill at the reception desk.

There was a nice woofie behind the reception desk who wanted to check out Flat Panda Bear.

Sunny did really great considering it was his first visit to the V-E-T. So did Flat Panda Bear.

Thank you Dr. Amy for making us all better!!!

P.S. Belated Trapaversary to Sunny and Sky! They got trapped last year on September 18.

BlogPaws 2011 Friends

Cookie — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:00:33 +0000

Greetings Furriends! Long time no blog! We have been having internet problems lately, but Mommy and Daddy hope that the new cable modem resolves that problem. We have been going through blogging withdrawal, especially given that the BlogPaws Conference was last week!

Mommy and Daddy had a great time at BlogPaws. They saw some furriends Mommy met last year like Carol 0f Coffee, Cats n’ Yarn and Teri of Curlz and Swirlz. Flat Panda Bear got created at the Flat Tyler session, and is featured in many photos.

Karen (AKA The Food Lady) was there too! LOVE the glasses!

Pictured below are Karen of MouseBreath (AKA The Food Lady), Mom, Nancy (Mr. R.W. Emerson’s Mommie), Flat Skeezix, Flat Mao, Flat Mr. R.W. Emerson, and Flat Panda Bear.

We love Brighton’s outfit! Teri’s shirt is really cool too!

Coco is a very pretty kitty!

Mommy and Daddy sat with the BlogPaws photographer, Brad Smith (left) for Saturday dinner. Daddy is wearing The Furry Bambinos shirt.

We Furry Bambinos stayed home, but Louisa the Foster Kitten went along. Here she is with Carol of Coffee, Cats n’ Yarn.

And the Very Handsome Moshe Moshi, one of Carol’s Naked Kidz from Coffee Cats n’ Yarn:

Louisa got to sample many laps during the conference! Louisa napped on Desiree’s lap in two different sessions!

Napping with Desiree again:

Louisa also got to be held by lots of friendly cat people. This is Rebecca, one of the BlogPaws staffers:

Claire from the Sheraton registration desk really enjoyed getting to meet Louisa.

Check out this little cutie! This is Snotface! He attended BlogPaws with his person, Stephanie.

Mom and Stephanie introduced Louisa the Foster Kitten and Snotface. Unfortunately, Louisa was not sure what to make of a ferret, and was not on her best behavior. We sincerely hope that Stephanie and Snotface were not offended.

Next, Louisa seems to be in a better mood, with Susan Getgood of Blog Her.

And here Louisa is pictured with one of the PetSmart representatives.

Mom and Dad met Caren Gittleman, of Cat Chat with Caren & Cody. Louisa enjoyed meeting Caren at the Flat Tyler workshop, where Flat Panda Bear was created, with the help of Bev Van Zant of My Flat Pet: The Adventures of Flat Tyler.

They also met Deborah Barnes, of Zee & Zoey’s Chronicle Connection blog, and author of the soon-to-be-published book “The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey”! Louisa enjoyed sitting in Deb’s lap, too.

On Sunday morning, Mom, Dad, and Flat Panda Bear chatted with Guido the Italian Cat’s Mom Judi, Dusty Rainbolt (VP Media & Communications for Adopt A Shelter and author of Cat Wrangling Made Easy, Kittens for Dummies, and others), and Janea Kelley, Webmaster of Paws and Effect.

More about BlogPaws next time! And catching up reading and commenting, too!