St. David’s Day – Alfie the Chepstow Cat
As it is St.David’s Day what better way to celebrate than to remind ourselves of Alfie the Chepstow Cat. It is a beautiful story about the love and joy that a cat brought to an entire town.
Alfie was a black cat who lived with his family in the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales. He used to sit on the wall outside his home and passers-by would stop and chat and stroke him He had his own facebook page which has more than 3,000 followers. His owner would post pictures of him and locals would comment and share their love for the gorgeous black pussy cat.
Goodbye Alfie
When Alfie passed away at the age of 19 the outpouring of love for him was incredible. One post recieved over a thousand likes and over 500 comments. A very simple example of the effect an animal can have in our lives. I was just chatting to a Mum and her little girl last week who stop to chat to our cat Pumpkin every time they pass our house, “I love to stroke her soft ears” the little girl said. And Midnight, our more adventurous cat, regularly turns up for storytime at our local Primary School, “she sits on my lap whilst I read the class a story” said Mrs Ayre.
How the loss of a cat affects us
Each interaction spreads a little bit of joy. And it is this that we miss. That connection, that bond, that unconditional love. We have so much to learn from them. It’s not just the immediate family that mourn the loss of our pets, they touch so many lives in so many ways.
The story of Alfie prompted a local potter, Ned Heywood, to create a plaque in his honour. It was hung on the wall of Merrick’s Chemist on Steep Street which was Alfie’s favourite place to hang out and is now known as ‘Alfie’s Corner’.
A Fitting Pet Tribute
And that is all that we are trying to do here at My Pet’s Ashes. Celebrate the love that our pets give us so willingly and freely. And doing something to mark that loss is important. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, or any money at all. It is simply an opportunity to say yes I miss the love.
5 Ideas for a Pet Tribute
Have a simple ceremony where you say a few words, you can find out more here.
Send a Pet Sympathy Card, make your own or see our version here.
Read our free guides for coping with pet loss
Pet Memorial Jewellery is a lovely way to keep the memory of your pet with you always.
Plant a memorial tree or shrub in their memory then you’ll always have somewhere to go and be with them.
Happy St. David’s Day and thank you Alfie!