Julius Remembered
Julius has
been a beloved companion here at Laguna Creek for his entire life.
He has been as much a part of the hospital as the walls and doors
and his spirit will remain with us forever. He touched our lives
and he touched our hearts and we wanted to share some of our
fondest memories of him with you. If you have a memory to share,
please send us an e-mail or stop by the front office and we will
post it for others to help the healing process.
Denise (Front
Office) will never forget the time when Big Brave Julius went bird
watching out the back door. Suddenly, Julius came flying back into
the office in a panic, with a large Blue Jay hot on his tail. The
bird actually followed him inside the office!
Julie
Lindsey, long time client had this to say about Julius. " I loved
Julius. He was like the Wal-Mart Greeter and if I didn't see him, I
would wonder where he was. I will miss him on my weekly
visits."
Tresa
(Technician) recalls pulling up to the office first thing in the
morning. Julius would start talking to her the moment he saw her,
clamoring for his breakfast.
Jessica
(Technician) will always remember eating lunch while JuJu (one of
his nicknames) begged for food. She loved to hear his meow, then
would give him a piece of her turkey. Once he got so excited that
the turkey fell on his head and he was all confused and agitated
because he couldn't find it.
Food is a
popular theme among Julius tales. Stacy will never forget the time
that Julius was forbidden from treats because of his expanding
waistline. He was so determined that he should have his treats,
that he climbed onto the shelf where the treats are stored, stole
the bag and started back for his bed, carrying the bag of treats in
his mouth!
Karla
(Technician) says this, "I remember the first time I saw Julius eat
a cricket! Wow, what a hunter. He was such a big part of Laguna
Creek. I'll miss hugging him and seeing him hang around the front
counter."
A favorite
tale among employees centers on a wind-up chicken. The chicken is
supposed to drop jelly bean eggs from a chute in the backside as it
walks. We filled the chicken with food pellets and wound it up,
laughing as Julius walked behind the chicken eating the pellets.
The funniest part was when the chicken would stop and Julius would
bite the butt of the chicken, looking for more food!
Jennifer
(Front Office) smiles when she thinks of the times she would feel
something against her leg, and it would be Julius using her leg for
his faux scratching post, before jumping on the counter to lounge
in the sun or sauntering off to Score in search of a higher
education.
Former Veterinarian at Laguna Creek, Dr.
Kirsch, remembers many times thinking that I could use Julius to
show a client how easy it was to give subcutaneous fluids only to
have Julius squirm and try to bite and get away. Or the time when
she had so many charts to write that they were piling up on her
desk and the next time she came into her office, Julius had vomited
a pile of food on the records, sharing her sentiment that there
were too many charts in the way.
Julie, a student Technician says, "When I
would go to the treats to give him one, he would run to me and
purr...and then snatch it out of my hands every time! He's my
little love bug."
Client Lynette Lee-Renouf says, "My two
daughters (8 & 4 1/2) love to come to visit Julius. We would
always come to find him and pet him, as often as we could! He was
always so loving to us, and everyone who ever walked through that
front door. I've known him for over 9 years, and will miss him
dearly. Every time I drive by or come inside I will remember
Julius' kind eyes and loving spirit! I can still see him laying in
one of his favorite places."
Client Tom Huddleston called him a cat with
a purpose... The Official Greeter, now guarding Heaven's Gates,
still the Official Greeter.
