He asked me to end his life, but despite the immense physical pain he was in, and with infinite patience, he waited for me to be ready. His final night was one of the most traumatic of my life. When all was said and done, his lifeless body resting in my arms gave a sigh of relief and gratitude. He was free, at last, while I was in a daze, sobbing uncontrollably for hours. In his immense love, he chose the day prior to my going to Peru with my group. He knew I would not be alone and that my pain would take a back seat to the necessity of taking care of my fellow travelers.

Rafayel was such a special Master and my relationship with him had been so powerful, that I could not imagine having another cat. Yet, after I returned from Peru, a series of messages started coming through different people, including Kryon through Lee Carroll, who told me that Rafayel’s return “to continue our love story” was imminent. 

A good friend of mine brought me (by force!) to a cat café in Phoenix, where all the felines were up for adoption. A black cat (then called Little Bear) welcomed me at the door, sneezing. I didn't look at him much, as I was searching for a kitten. An hour later, I hadn't felt any special connection to any of the beautiful pets. I was still too caught up in my own pain.  As we were leaving, the owner of the place, put Little Bear in my arms, saying: "Look, it's Christmas. Just take this cat. He's our favorite. He deserves a good life. See if you two click and if not, you can bring him back in a week. No need to pay now."

The first couple of weeks with Little Bear (renamed Socrates because he felt so chilled and philosophical), were very difficult. I felt I was betraying Rafayel and even though extremely sweet, Socrates did not have the same power I had been used to. He was very different from Rafayel. But the most painful part was that I soon realized he was very, very sick. He would sneeze literally globs of heavy yellow mucus every minute. I would find them all over the walls, the floor, the curtains… This prevented him from breathing properly. He would snore heavily at night and was unable to smell his food, leading to him eating almost nothing. He also had diarrhea and got in the awful habit of pooping in the bathroom sink and in the bath tub. It was BAD. I tried literally everything: changing his litter, different foods, medication, homeopathy, reiki, shamanic healing, animal communication… you name it! I consulted different veterinarians who all concluded that nothing could be done.

Digging into his history, I found out that his two short years of life had been marked by repeated abandonments, the first time when he was only one day old. Yet, his heart was so big, that at the shelter where he had stayed for 5 months, all the scared, traumatized cats came to him for comfort and  healing. He would lick them, let them sleep against him, give them all the love he hadn't even received himself and soothe their souls. After he came with me, many of the shelter cats became very depressed. It was obvious he had taken upon himself all of their fears and suffering.

He was so sweet, clearly so grateful to not have to heal anyone anymore and happy to have a quiet home with a beautiful garden, that I did not have the heart to bring him back to the shelter. The day I tried to take him to visit the friend who had united us, he quietly but fiercely resisted, thinking I was bringing him back to the “orphanage”.

At the same time, I was becoming increasingly concerned about his health and anxiously wondering how he would cope with my crazy international lifestyle and all the traveling. 

To discourage his weird pooping habits, I had the idea of placing bowls of water with floating flowers in them (I think he even helped me launch a designing trend as this is quite beautiful!). I prayed and trusted that love and peace would eventually heal his good soul and make him whole again.

My prayers were answered after I brought him to the ocean. The salt air, sunshine, green grass, eucalyptus trees and divine grace, performed the final miracle. Eight months later, one sunny morning I realized that he was only sneezing lightly once or twice a day, his eyes were not runny anymore and he could breathe. He was becoming stronger by the day. He became playful, developed a healthy appetite and even caught a bird which he ate in its entirety. He finally was a happy, healed cat.

He also turned out to be a phenomenal, willing traveler, a favorite in every airport. His sweet, affectionate personality won him many friends. 

I wondered about the messages I had received about Rafayel returning. Socrates clearly was a separate entity with a very different personality. I then realized that Rafayel had decided to remain on the other side, overlooking and protecting my life from above, yet coming to visit me on a regular basis through Socrates. I was blessed to have two amazing cats in one. Under Rafayel’s guidance, Socrates quickly became a Master Cat whose own power shone sweetly yet brightly into the world, as befitted a selfless little Virgo. 

Socrates died brutally a couple of months after his 3rd birthday. He is dearly missed. He was the beloved mascot of the Llankay-Munay-Yachay School of Shamanic Studies and my students remember him with much fondness. May he rest in peace and be surrounded by all the love he so willingly and generously gave to all during his life that unnaturally ended way too soon.