A Tale of Three Special Souls
Pangerbon doing his boundary checks after being at the vets
Winrunners, featuring Luca
The Lines of Your Face I Know So Well
Post-vet bald patches
Familiars
Pan and Lily in our new home.
Treasures under the tree
Kisses!
Cuddles
Call of the Wild
Overseeing art creation
It’s time to tell you about three special souls that I have had the honour of having in my life and have helped me so much on my journey.
As you may know, when I moved from Canada to Wales in 2016, I travelled with my beloved cream Saluki - Luca. Luca and I had a special bond. I had known him since the day he was born, his mother sadly passing during his birth, and myself and my aunt had hand-reared him and his brothers and sisters from day one. Luca was the runt of the litter, small and struggling after a rough start in life and we somehow developed a special bond. I think in truth he chose me - as whenever I left my aunt’s place to go home he would howl for me after I left. After my aunt passed from cancer I took Luca home with me.
We were both bereft. I had just lost my other Saluki Faiza to a brain tumour just a week before my aunt died from cancer and we were utterly dejected and in turmoil; from that we forged the deepest of bonds.
We travelled to the UK together the following summer and recovered from our ordeal and found joy and contentment in our new home. Luca was a Prince among dogs. Everyone who met him would exclaim that he was a Prince - it was almost uncanny how many random strangers would call him a Prince.
A few years later Luca sadly developed tumours on his heart, and after a joyful borrowed summer, he passed in the autumn.
Needless to say I was heartbroken.
I had thought that my purpose was my art. But I very quickly discovered that my purpose was my animals and I suddenly found myself without an animal in my life for the first time in many, many years and facing a long, dark, Welsh winter alone.
I plunged into a deep depression and to be quite frank I contemplated suicide. I didn’t see any purpose in continuing on without a fellow cherished heartbeat in my home but I couldn’t face getting another animal so soon after losing Luca.
I thankfully was able to see the state I was in and spoke to my family about my mental health and they gathered around me and held me during this difficult time. I then heard about a litter of new born kittens that had been brought into the local vets. Who knows whether the farmer - upon discovering them - had attempted to drown them or simply passed them over, but either way, a kind soul rescued them and brought them to the vets. A friend of mine suggested I might get one.
I agonised over the decision, wondering how I could manage in my quirky and ancient apartment that had so many nooks and crannies that a kitten could get lost in but eventually the kittens were old enough and well enough to go to their new homes and I adopted Pangerbon, a pure white kitty with a black heart on his head and black spots on his tail.
I remember that first day with him as clear as if it was yesterday. He cried all the way home and I was a nervous wreck and then as soon as he was out of his carrier he prowled around the apartment like he owned the place and then we began to play and in that play time I think I smiled and laughed for the first time in months. That night when I went to bed, Pangerbon was curled (small enough to fit in my hand) at my heart, and I felt something in me unravel. The utter relief of having a fellow heartbeat here in my home and heart again.
So he grew and roamed the apartment through the winter and the following spring - in May, I adventured south to pick up my new Saluki puppy Lily. I was still deeply grieving the loss of my Luca and remember crying on the day I was leaving the apartment to pick her up, I felt I was betraying his memory, but I knew I needed a dog to walk - or more accurately - I needed a dog to walk ME! And so the lovely Lily came into our lives.
Amazingly, the two of them got on like a house on fire. Both Pangerbon and Lily were still young and I think quickly saw each other as siblings. Hilarity ensued and over the course of a few years we moved from our tiny apartment and finally made the leap to having our own home and a garden to roam!
Lily is now fully grown, and though she sees other cats as things to chase, her Pangerbon is still her big brother and has earned her respect. He still tackles her (as if he’s a big lion) when we come home from walks, and I regularly state that he clearly loves her more than he loves me (jokingly of course).
Sadly, we are now facing new troubles in our beautiful journey together as we have recently discovered that Pangerbon has heart disease, a condition that means he is now on life-long medication to prevent blood clots from building up and from liquid building in his lungs due to his heart not pumping properly. This was discovered after an emergency visit at the vets, an overnight stay and then numerous scans to ascertain the cause of his problems.
I’ve since learned that his condition and treatment isn’t going to be covered by his insurance and so now face a £1500 bill plus his ongoing medication.
I’m not usually one to call for help or to accept help for that matter (just ask my family) but I felt it was only right to share this story of a sweet kitty who saved my life with you and if you feel so inclined, you can either go purchase from my shop and know your purchase is going directly to paying off his vet bill or donate to his fund below.
And thank you, from me, Pangerbon and Lily x
Update: September 2025
Sadly our lovely Pangerbon didn’t make it through the summer heatwaves and the heat pushed him past what his heart could tolerate. We said goodbye to him at home with the company of his best buddy Lily. x
