"All Kitties Are Worth Remembering"

Halos and Pawprints would like to honor 12 beloved Rainbow Bridge Angel Kitties in an annual calendar. Just your average ordinary-but-extraordinary kitties. Each month there will be a winning story & photo selected from all submissions during the month prior.

Winners will be announced on Instagram and Facebook, then placed here to honor their extraordinary sweetness & love given to their humans. Monthly winners will receive a free gift from our website and be considered for 
the TOP 3 Annual Winners.
Message us your photo entries on Instagram or Facebook.
We'll take it from there...
We would love to honor them.

"Shygirl"

The sweet calico tabby kitty inspiration behind Halos & Pawprints

Shygirl came to me as a sudden surprise rescue effort to offer her a better, warmer, safer existence in a loving home. She was somewhere between 1-2 years old. She was 'shy' for about 3 months before she allowed me to love her in a meaningful way. Once she stopped hiding and gave me her trust and her heart, there was no separating us. She was my sunshine and my moon for over a decade, through thick and thin, and through all of the constant changes in my own life as well. She went blind in her senior years. Then the time one day came when I had to let her go over the rainbow bridge when she was about 14 years old, far too soon for me. She endured a lot for me, and I owe her my life. So now, we are here trying with every effort to pay forward that love in some "pawsitive" way to honor her, and others like her. "Gone, but not ever forgotten, I love you endlessly and will miss you terribly. My life was richer and more meaningful because of you, my sweet Shygirl BooBoo Baby." (2005 - 2019 Loved by Halos & Pawprints Founder)

"Blitzen"

Unforgettable Snuggle Floof

 "My little Blitzen was a Christmas Eve rescue from a truck motor, and thankfully he had been spotted jumping up there before something bad could have happened. Saving him and bringing him home was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I had never seen such a cute kitten in all of my life, and definitely not one as fuzzy as Blitzen was! I’ve never ever felt a cat’s fur like his before. My late sister Amy had taught me how to brush him properly and I just LOVED watching Blitzen look up at her as she brushed him. I have never seen a cat look so lovingly in my life.

 Blitzen had a way of REALLY looking at me - and his eyes looked so sincere, like I could really feel LOVE from him.  I’ve had cats all of my life and I’ve just never experienced that before!

Over the course of many years I lost my sister, and other pets, but then, I had to say good-bye to Blitzen, my second-best friend in the world. He had too much fluid continuing to gather in his lungs. I stayed with him as long as I could. Then I kissed him and held him and looked into those beautiful green eyes- for the last time. My heart aches that I lost my sweet Blitzen.  But I have to think that he is still with me, in my heart.  And I have to think that one day I will once again get to hold him, kiss him and see the love reflecting back from his beautiful face. Blitzen, I love you. Forever."   (Loved 2005 - 2019 by Laura Dancer)

"Dave"

"Dave was my One True Love, he was a big fluffy friendly Maine Coon giant who was frightened of his own shadow but who loved me with all his heart. He was very chatty and would always chat back if I spoke to him, even if he was fast asleep! Every night Dave would go up to bed and sit next to my pillow while I got ready for bed, then we’d settle in together. He always slept right next to me where he felt safest. Dave destroyed at least 2 curtain poles as a kitten as he climbed up the curtains and swung from them while yowling loudly, much to our bemusement. He was super fast and was a brilliant hunter, but at heart he was a gentle soul. I had serious health issues and problems during my time with Dave, and he was the one constant in my life, together with his sister, Georgie. I loved him with a passion, I loved him as I’ve never loved another cat before or after. I love him still. He passed over the Rainbow Bridge quickly, and suddenly, in an accident. Dave was loved by everyone who met him, he had so much character and affection, and he made us laugh every day. I feel lucky beyond words to have had him in my life and I know he felt lucky to have me. There will always be a special place in my heart for my beloved boy." (Loved 2010 - 2018 by Gillian C)

"Pirate"

While she was in a store, my wife heard a wee tiny meowing and when she went to the back she saw a lady who had brought in a small box and in this box there was a little black and white kitten, so small. After discussion my wife brought her home. He was barely 15 days old and was really very small! We bottle-fed and took care of him. Ultimately, he was the largest and strongest of all our cats. He was very grateful and very complicit with us, however, his kidneys did not work well. When he was 5 years old, one evening he returned to the home, and collapsed on the ground, he could not get up again, we took him immediately to the veterinarian but he could not save Pirate. He was my cat, my soulmate ... the most adorable I had ever had. (Loved & missed by Alexandre M & Family)

"Doctor"

"Pet me, pet me right meow"

My daughter Jenny was visiting her aunt who had a bunch of kittens. Doctor was a bigger kitten and it seemed that the others would pick on him. She found out that his mama kitty was killed in an accident and this little kitten just would not leave her side. So, her aunt took him in since she already had a bunch of kittens already. And of course, Jenny brought him home. She was a big "Dr. Who" fan... and so this sweet kitten became Doctor. Needless to say, he didn't stay little long, he weighed 20 pounds. My daughter moved from the east coast to the west. I happily kept him for her when it was discovered that he wouldn't travel well. Doctor lived another decade with me, happily playing outside sometimes, his favorite happy place, as in this photo. Such a big sweet boy, he had even tried to make friends with a possum. I miss him so much. He had mothered 2 kitten to adulthood. He was the most amazing and loving cat I have ever owned, even though he technically belonged to my daughter Jenny for the first 2 years of his life. ~I hear him sometimes still "making biscuits" on his pillow, which I still have at the top of the bed with mine and my husband's pillows. (Loved 2007 - 2019 by Sandy Annette & Family)

"Phoebe"

"Always Lived Her Best Life"

Such An Inspiration 

"Italia"

~ The Bunny-Loving Kitten ~

My little angel is Italia, but we called her Ita for short. We found her in our front yard, so, she came from our bushes, but we got so lucky that we found such an amazing little baby. She was barely a few weeks old. The thing that rescued her was that we found her by hearing her little meow in our yard. Ita loved playing with the rabbits, it was her favorite playtime. But, her best friend was our big dog, which is surprising, due to how teeny tiny she was in comparison. We lost our little Ita this year, on April 16th, 2019. We had to put her down because of a rare genetic illness
but while she was here we were blessed to know her loving and very playful, outgoing personality. She is so dearly missed.     
~Owned and Loved 2019 by Maddie J. Columbia, South Carolina

"Beez"

~ A very sweet special Kitty ~

Budweiser came to me at under 6 weeks.  He was abandoned by his mom with 3 other siblings.  At the time I got him I had no idea he had CH.  He was just a tiny little guy you could fit in the palm of your hand.  He had a bigger head than his body and shook a little but I was instantly in love. Budweiser got his name when my niece was 2 and couldn't say his name, and at the time, because with his CH, he walked like he was drunk and he loved to play in Budweiser boxes, so it seemed fitting.

Budweiser Beez was loved by everyone who met him and is missed daily by us all. I couldn't think of a better way to honor his memory and to be able to share how truly special he was to everyone. 
(Owned & Loved by Sarah Holland, Akeley, Mn. 2000 - 2019)

"Sylar"

~ One Last Deserving Gig ~

This is Sylar. I loved him since March 2007 here in Tennessee, and always will. I saved him when he was 3 days old. I had to tube feed him then eventually bottle feed him. He was 12 years old when he passed away. This cat was an amazing cat. He was goofy, friendly, and was a cat model for Pet Safe. He is featured on the company's self cleaning litter box.

Sylar taught my daughter what a best friend was. He was always by her side and always protected her. He was never a shy kitty. He stole hearts of non-cat people with his great personality! It has been a devastating 2 months for my daughter and myself. One week before Christmas last year (2019) Sylar got very weak and sick. I took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with feline leukemia. I had to make that tough heartbreaking decision to let him go. So on December 18, 2019 we released him to the Rainbow Bridge. As he drifted off I told him that I loved him and I and my daughter would see him again ...his best friend gently petted him and said "I love you Sylar."

Since he's been gone it has been a struggling road. I keep his ashes in my daughter's room..by her bed, because I know that's where he would want to be. Everyday we think about him and this great cat will always be remembered and missed. (Owned & Loved by Crystal Lane & Family, 2007 - 2019)

"Lily"

~ Queen of the Baskets ~

We adopted Lily from the humane society in February of 2016. My little sister was 7 years old and had recently taken a trip to our local humane society with her Girl Scout troop you volunteer. She refused to leave without Lily. There were hundreds of cats there, including several stunning long haired cats, but my little sister saw something in Lily. We adopted Lily knowing that she had a chronic respiratory infection that she was going to have her entire life, but that didn’t stop my little sister from picking her. I was sort of skeptical of her at first, I mean, she was just a sneezy, booger filled, orange cat, right? Nope. I was so incredibly wrong. Lily took a liking to me and within weeks, we were best friends. She would sleep on my back every single night, sit out side the bathroom door and wait for me every single time I went to the bathroom, and come running to meet me at the door every time I came home. In fact, my senior year of high school, I refused to take senior pictures unless my sweet Lily could be in them. The pictures turned out beautiful and have turned into some of my most precious keepsakes. 

In 2017 her infection took a turn for the worst and she just wasn’t herself anymore. She was in pain. So in November of 2017, We took her to the vet where they told us there is nothing more they could do and that at this point, she was just suffering. 18 year old me made the tough decision to let her cross the rainbow bridge. She fell asleep in my arms. To this day, it is one of the toughest things I have ever gone through. 

Fast forward to June of 2019. I was at my aunt’s house around 9pm. I’m finishing up some outside chores and it’s very dark out. I hear some crying noise coming from across the street, in a nearby field. I walk across the busy road, jump over the ditch, and walk into the field to find the tiniest little ball of orange fluff. A sweet little orange kitten. All alone with no others around. He walks right up to me, climbed in my arms, and fell asleep. I knew then that Lily sent me that sweet kitten. She knew that she took a piece of my heart with her when she left and knew that I needed him. That sweet little ball of fluff was named Daffy Dill (like the flower, daffodil) in memory of his sister in kitty heaven.

Almost 3 years later, and I still think of her all the time. I hope they have lots of baskets, boxes, and treats in kitty heaven, sweet Lily.
(Owned and Loved by Harley Donnelly & Family, Gibsonburg, OH)

"Matisse"

This was my beautiful Matisse. I only had 4 years with my wonderful kitty. He had FIV and went downhill pretty quickly.  I first met him at the shelter where my Mom and I went to visit with the cats every week. I was told he was sent to the kitten room because he didn't get along with the other cats. His was the first sweet face I saw when I entered the room, he was laying in a kitty hammock, then it was like he unfolded and there was this enormous gorgeous cat! I had to take him home, and I did just that.
Sometimes it happens like that. We adopt a fluffy love that just owns our hearts the minute our eyes meet. FIV doesn't mean a death sentence. Oftentimes they go on to live quality lives and enrich our own lives. I know if I was sick, I would want someone to love me until the end.
Owned and loved by Gena Eve
@ophelia_is_keto - IG

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"Mickey"

We adopted Mickey when he was 8 weeks old, from a family whose cat had a litter and they needed homes. Our daughter was 2 and she loved Mickey Mouse, so she named him Mickey. He chose her as his person and she taught him to do little tricks like standing on his back legs to play with toys. He could open doors by himself which was fun to watch. He loved to lay on his back by the door in the sun and to watch the Hummingbirds feeding on the balcony. When our 2nd daughter was born, he decided she was his person too. He laid on the floor with her and followed her around everywhere. As she got older, he would sit beside her when she did homework or played on her iPad. They took lots of pictures together  They were two peas in a pod.
He became sick in March of 2019 and within a month he passed away.
My husband, my girls and I were with him until the last second. It was really hard to say goodbye but we have so many good memories of him. We smile when we think of him and our youngest daughter sleeps with his pillow.
He will always be with us.
We love you Micker Boy😻❤️🌈🐾
Owned and Loved by Kimberlee Schenck & Family
March 7th 2005-April 5th 2019 

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THIS COMPLETES OUR YEAR OF HONORING OUR BELOVED ANGEL KITTIES. WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYONE WHO SHARED THEIR SWEET BABIES WITH US ALL.

BECAUSE... # ALL KITTIES ARE WORTH REMEMBERING

NEXT COMES THE ANNUAL GRAND PRIZE WINNERS 

ANNOUNCED Sunday, July 19th

1ST - 2ND - AND 3RD PLACE CASH PRIZES AWARDED.

YOUR CHANCE TO VOTE STARTS NOW
Check us out on Facebook and Instagram the week of Sunday July 12th