Frank came to be with us during the Spring of 2019. When I first met him, he was living in a small apartment with another cat named Penny. I was working for a pet sitting company in Fayetteville, and he was one of my regulars. I soon became fascinated with this beautiful gray feline; I have never met a cat who was so focused on the laser pointer (see what I did there?). He would meow at me mercilessly until I got the pointer out of my purse, and never seemed to tire of chasing the red dot. His owners noticed that he was different when they came back from their trip, and when I came back to give the key to them, Frank came running up to me, meowing and rubbing my legs. They laughingly commented that he seemed to be “over them” and only into me. I pulled out the laser pointer and showed them how much he liked it, so they got one and reported how much he enjoyed it. A few months later, I received a text from the woman, asking if I knew anyone who would like to adopt Frank, as she was moving out of the country and could not take him with her. She and her fiancé had separated, and she was devastated, understandably. My partner, Bill, had visited Frank with me on several occasions, and immediately said he would love to adopt him; this is how Frank came into our lives. A few months later, after a period of great difficulty, Bill moved out while I was at the grocery store, leaving Frank with me.

I was happy to have this beautiful cat as part of our family, and my son, Sam, who was 17 at the time, plus our other two cats, welcomed Frank with (mostly) open arms. Carmel, my closest buddy, was possessive and jealous at first, but Frank soon won her over with his gentle and innocent energy. He thrived in his new environment, and when his previous owner came by to drop off the cat tree, she commented, “Wow, Frank, you got big!” Like a fish in a tank, when he was given more space, he expanded into it. He enjoyed being outside and especially loved thunderstorms, and snowfall. He would come back into the house, soaking wet, and asking me to dry him off. We would keep a towel by the door on rainy days because we knew he would be coming in wet. He was such a special cat in so many ways, and even after he broke his leg, his spirit remained strong and vital. He chased mice and rabbits, birds, and butterflies, often leaving his prizes on the welcome mat. He eviscerated a rabbit on that welcome mat; it had to go into the trash, and I learned to check his mouth before letting him come inside.

As Carmel begrudgingly accepted him, he became a regular on my bed. Soon, he was chasing our other cat, Socks, around and eventually, they all snuggled up together on the infrared heat mat in my office. Frank liked to come in and hold space when I had clients, and on more than one occasion, he would climb into the client’s lap while they were shifting energy. He earned quite a reputation among our friends; one of his very favorite things was when we had a bonfire out back. He would climb up on my back and shoulders and sit with me, soaking up the warmth and purring. He scared me with his taunting of the neighbor’s dog, and once, he got stuck high up in a tree, and meowed loudly for me to get him down, which I could not, so he eventually found a way. After that, he would go up that tree regularly, as if to say, “Look! I figured it out!”

In May of 2021, we moved, and it was extremely traumatic for all 3 of the cats. When we arrived at our new home, it took about 2 months for them to adjust, and then, Frank became the sweetheart of the neighborhood, winning the hearts of all the women, and the admiration of passersby. People would often comment on how big and beautiful he was. He was shy with new people but eventually snuggled up with the neighbor lady, to her dog’s dismay. I started to feel as though he might not be with us much longer, just a vague feeling, and I tried not to worry. We live close to a busy street, and when I would go on my morning walk, he would try to follow me through the crosswalk, but I admonished him harshly, as you would a child, to stay on our block and stay safe. He seemed to understand and would wait for me in the yard, meowing loudly when he saw me walking up the street, running up to meet me and walk me up the sidewalk.

He was also a voracious eater, with a large appetite, and very loud about his asking. In the late days of summer, he began to stay out all night, and wake me up with a loud banging on the back door at 5 a.m.; he learned to stand on his hind legs and push on the door to make the loudest noise! You couldn’t be mad at him, he was so adorable and frisky, so it became a joke. He eventually learned to let himself in and out through the screen door, but made a big racket, and would still wake me up. He taught Socks to do this, as well, and so we had 2 escape artists, in league with each other. With Frank being so much younger, I thought the older cats would tire of him, and Carmel did, but Socks seemed to thrive with Frank’s lively energy. They became comrades of sorts, and I noticed that Frank would look after the older cats when they were all outside.

Carmel got sick a few weeks ago, and hid under the recliner for almost a week, not eating or drinking. After her last trip to the vet, where she was so upset that she bit me, the vet, and the assistant, I promised her I wouldn’t take her again. She has always been very healthy, and Sam used to say she was “immortal”. I was concerned, of course, but I kept a close watch on her, and she soon seemed to get better. We noticed her eating and drinking again, so we relaxed and felt like she would recover. Frank was obviously upset and would tell me loudly that I needed to sit down and meditate. He would follow me around, meowing, until I sat down, and then he would hop onto my lap and refuse to move until I cleared my space.

Another week passed, and once day, I looked at Carmel, and she had lost a significant amount of weight, and then I noticed that she wasn’t eating or drinking again. She followed me around all day, to the point where I started to carry her, which she has never allowed before. Frank stayed close and seemed to be holding space for her. One night, 3 days ago, he didn’t come home. The next day, I went all around the neighborhood, calling his name and looking in the bushes, but to no avail. That night, I fell asleep crying, missing his sweet energy. He came to me on the astral and showed me that he had gone to help a young teen boy, who needed him. I saw the inside of the house, and how the father yelled at the boy a lot, and Frank felt he was needed there. When I woke up, I knew he was exactly where he needed to be, helping with his special magical energy. I cried and released the energy of my attachment, trusting the divine plan. Frank asked me if I needed him to come back and I told him no, you are where you need to be right now. I miss him terribly, but at the same time, I am needed here, to help Carmel as she seems to be transitioning off the planet. She continues to lose weight, and when I pick her up now, she offers no resistance, and seems to weigh almost nothing.

It occurs to me that Frank may have left because I have felt overwhelmed by 3 cats, only one of which is technically “mine”; as these things go. Socks is Sam’s cat, and Sam cannot have her with him where he is now. Part of me wants to be completely free of responsibility, as my sons have left to pursue their independence, and my ex left Frank, along with many of his other belongings, for me to “deal” with. I never felt resentful, because of course I love these animals, and have enjoyed them so much. Spirit knows, though, when your heart is moving on. Carmel is 16 years old and has been with me since she was a kitten. She has helped me through some very tough times, and now that I am learning to heal myself, I do not need her like I used to. Perhaps Frank sensed this as well and felt led to move on. He healed his own wounds and has now become able to pass that along to this boy who now needs his feline magic.

Thank you, Frank. You have given me so much magic, and I am grateful for you. I love that you know where to go and are answering the call. I hope you visit me again, whether it be on the astral, or in 3D Earth. Rock on little guy.

Musings of my Soul

Ode to Frank: A Magical Feline

Andrea Garst

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