Brother Oliver Was Seeking Inspiration From The Leader

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here,

Brother Oliver and I have been making slow progress on our upcoming history of The Cult, but the task has been more difficult than we expected, especially for Brother O. This morning I found him up in Kitty Valhalla lost deep in his thoughts. He was resting his head on a very interesting choice of pillows.

Brother Oliver was lost in thought. He was resting on an interesting pillow.

I asked Brother Oliver if that was the pillow that had been sent to The Leader after his hip surgery by Disciple Andrea and her kitties and he said that it was. I asked what he was doing with it and he said, “Leader Otis loved this pillow. He played with this pillow and snuggled it all the time, so I thought maybe I could channel his spirit by meditating on it. I thought if I felt the presence of The Leader I would be inspired to better write his story.” When I asked him if he felt The Leader’s presence he said, “Not exactly, but the scent of The Leader is still detectable on the pillow. That scent is bringing back all kinds of great memories that I can use in the story!”

I left Brother Oliver to explore his budding memories, and whether he realized it or not, those memories proved that he had been successful. Leader Otis was present as Brother Oliver lay there with his head on the pillow, and as long as he held onto those memories he always would be.

So Says Brother Henry

Stickers, T-shirts, tote bags and more at the Cult of Otis Zazzle store!

Meowmorial Day 2015 Reminder

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

As Thomas mentioned at the beginning of the week, we’re trying something a little different for Meowmorial Day this year. Instead of having an observance here on the blog we are going to do it over on Facebook. Sir Thomas worked pretty hard to convince Brother O and I that this was a good idea, so I know he will be thrilled if everyone participates.

Please help make this the best Meowmorial Day yet. Thomas will be forever grateful if you do.

So head on over to the Cult of Otis Facebook page this Monday (June 1) and post your photos of stories of the kitties you have loved and lost. Let us all honor them together, and by doing so keep their memories alive.

In Otis’s Name

Brother Henry

Stickers, T-shirts, tote bags and more at the Cult of Otis Zazzle store!

In The Name Of The Queen

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

The anniversary of The Leader’s passing is now behind us, but yesterday evening my thoughts turned toward the second member of our Inner Circle who was lost in 2013. I speak, of course, of Mama Cat.

Yesterday evening, I found myself thinking of Mama Cat.

Brother Henry’s Photo Session

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here.

I’m happy to say that Brother Henry, Sir Thomas, and I all made it through Howloween without being touched by, as Brother Henry described them, any “sticky-fingered nightmares”. We did have a few close calls though, so we’ve all been kind of laying low for the past week to make sure there weren’t any sticky stragglers hanging around waiting for us to make an appearance.

Anyway, after honoring Leader Otis on the anniversary of His passing a little over a week ago, I started to really miss the photo sessions that I used to have with Him. I mean, He just knew how to work it for the camera like no one else I have ever met. I told Brother Henry how I was feeling and he said, “Well, Brother Oliver, I know I’m not as good at modeling as Leader Otis, but I’d be willing to work with you to see if we can recapture some of the magic you felt while photographing Him. Do you want to try?” I have to admit, I was pretty excited by Brother Henry’s suggestion. I said, “Yes! Let’s do it! Brother Henry, do you think you could recreate Leader Otis’s famous, mesmerizing gaze?” Brother Henry said, “I can sure try! But first, here’s a little something for the lady cats out there.” Brother Henry then made a look that I guess he thought would appeal to our feline sisters.

Brother Henry said this look was for “the lady cats”. I guess he thought they would like it.

Meowmorial Day 2011

My Disciples,

Today is Meowmorial Day.  On this day we honor the memory of the feline friends that we have loved and lost.

The most difficult part of being a cat guardian is not the challenge of keeping kitties safe, healthy and happy.  Certainly, these things are not always easy, but the motivation for guardians to take good care of their furry companions comes naturally from the love that they feel for them.  But no matter how well we kitties are cared for, the simple truth is our lifespans are much shorter than those of our human guardians, and odds are good that our guardians will live on long after our years are spent.  Living with this knowledge, and ultimately facing the day when we must finally depart is without question the hardest part of being a cat guardian.

When you truly let us into your heart, the pain of losing us is unlike any other.  This pain flows from the sudden break in a chain of affection, joy, shared challenges and genuine love stretching back in time to the point at which you became our guardian.  It hurts, and badly, but at the same time that pain is a testament to just how highly you valued your relationship with us.  For a kitty, the greatest thing we can hope for is to share our lives with a guardian who truly values us as individual beings, and who loves us so much that they feel a profound sense of loss with our passing.

Now, let us honor the memory of some very special kitties.  They have departed from this life, but the love and joy they brought to this world lives on in the hearts of the guardians who cherished and protected them.

First we honor Brindle and Misha.  Their guardian, Batya, rescued both Brindle and Misha from the shadows of a feral existence.  Misha had lived with humans in the past, which was evidenced by the fact that she had been declawed.  She was about 1.5 years old and had reverted to feral behavior when she found Batya.  When she was about six weeks old, Brindle got under the hood of Batya’s car on a cold, desert night.  She was drawn in by the warmth of the engine and had singed whiskers when Batya discovered her.  Both kitties found their forever home with Batya and lived out their lives in a protected, indoor-only environment.  They are both sorely missed.

The Cult of Otis honors Brindle, our dearly departed sister.

The Cult of Otis honors Misha, our dearly departed sister.

We would also like to honor Cinnamon, a lovely orange-and-white tabby that was adopted from the RSPCA by her guardian Annette.  Annette has written a beautiful and moving tribute to Cinnamon that can be found on her blog.  I encourage you all to read it so that you may all know and remember this special feline.  She is sorely missed.

The Cult of Otis honors Cinnamon, our dearly departed sister.

There are four other cats we would like to honor.  They are Merlin, Bomber, Sniglet and Nefer.  Linda and David, the guardians of these four cats, remember Merlin as their sweet, big boy.  He was nine years old when he passed on Memorial Day 2001.  Bomber was a huge, sweet and talkative boy that came to Linda and David as a stray when they lived in Kuwait.  He died on Labor Day in 2008.  Sniglet was a crazy, nearly feral kitty that was also adopted as a stray in Kuwait.  It took Linda three months of coaxing before Sniglet would even let her touch him.  After that, he was a sweet little boy.  He died on Mother’s Day in 2003.  Nefer, who was nicknamed “psycho kitty” due to her upset, cobra-like hissing fits when she was taken to “The Bad Place”, was a sweet, loving girl who liked to ride around on shoulders and cuddle.  She died on July 3, 2007.  All four are sorely missed.

The Cult of Otis honors Merlin, our dearly departed brother.

The Cult of Otis honors Bomber (top), Sniglet(middle) and Nefer (bottom), our dearly departed brothers and sister.

So today, remember all of the felines that you have loved and lost.  Find happiness in their memory, and don’t be afraid to embrace the pain of their loss.  Your pain really means that your kitty was well loved, and it should serve as a reminder of the amazing gift that you gave them by becoming their protector and friend.  For that, The Brothers and I honor each and every one of you.

So Sayeth Otis

Cult of Otis shirts, posters, mugs, stickers and more!