Pepper taught me a great deal, not only about the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which I want to pay forward to help others struggling with this rotten disease, he also reminded me of the power of
FAITH, LOVE, and HOPE.
He was truly unique – affectionate, intelligent, intuitive, conscientious and thoughtful. His strength admirable. No one could resist those soulful eyes .. He had you at “hello”.
I do not regret one moment of my time with him, not one. In exchange for offering him my heart and home, when he showed up at my door on a warm summer day in 2009, sick, hungry and alone, he gave me immeasurable joy, unconditional love and complete devotion.
He chose me and I was PROUD TO BE HIS PERSON.
The moment I laid eyes on him, I felt an inexplicable connection. I mean, this is a cat .. How is that possible .. But there it was. I was his. And he was mine.
Our favorite thing was our daily walk, side by side, up and down my street. My neighbors knew Pepper and greeted him by name. They all marveled at how he trotted along side me of his own free will. I always joked that he must have been a dog in his past life and he couldn’t quite get the hang of being a cat 🙂
Pepper had passed his annual check up in April of this year with flying colors! Although he had entered stage 3 FIV in August of 2011, the final stage. But in July he began to deteriorate very rapidly. He was in kidney failure and severely anemic. Despite my best efforts, without being invasive, by August of this year he was ready to let go.
‘Pepper passed away very peacefully in the comfort of my arms, wrapped in love, purring softly .. until his heart stopped beating.’
Pepper’s time with me was very HAPPY and HEALTHY and much, much longer than it would have been if it were not for the efforts and compassion of his veterinarian and his homeopath.
It was a really GREAT fight!
He touched many lives with his dogged determination and tremendous spirit.
He lives on forever in our hearts.
My FIV Boy 
Wonderful! I love your heart. My cat passed away in June and I still think about him regularly. The connections we make with our pets are wonderful and priceless. It is a true gift to have them in our lives, even if it’s but for a moment.
Your blog is beautifully done, and has a equal amount of quality information and an inspiring story… It really shows how lucky he was to find someone like you, someone who has a fighting spirit, who never gives up on those who others have written off as a lost cause. It is truly moving, and I am looking forward to your next blog.