Founders Story
“Because of her. Because of you.”
How It Began
By Saundra
On a frozen February morning in 2005, a white cat with golden eyes showed up at Hogback Ridge Preserve. She pawed at the office door, stepped inside, drank some water, then disappeared — only to return hours later, carefully carrying a kitten in her mouth. Over the next few days, she brought back three more.
She didn’t just show up — she chose us. She brought her babies to safety.
One by one, her kittens were adopted. All but one — the final blue-eyed puff of fur who hadn’t yet found her family. When I held her, I knew. I said yes, and I never looked back.
I named her Charamusca, after the sweet frozen milk popsicles I had loved during my time in the Peace Corps in Honduras. Those little treats had brought joy in the heat — and now, this kitten brought joy in a season of heartbreak.
She was with me when I was left, suddenly and without warning, by someone I loved. I was crying on the couch when I felt her tiny paw reach out and touch my shoulder. That moment — just days after she came home — told me who she was: a quiet guardian, an emotional equal, a once-in-a-lifetime friend.
She stayed by my side for the next 20 years.
How It Ended
By Gerald
In her final days, Charamusa was brave, quiet, and still watching over us.
She waited until I returned from a snowboard trip. She curled up in my lap and reached out one more time — resting her paw in my hand while she slept. The next day, she fell down the stairs. Her body was giving out.
After rushing her to the emergency vet, we learned the truth: severe anemia, kidney failure, liver damage, a spreading UTI, and likely heart failure. Her body was shutting down.
On a Monday morning, I took her to our regular vet. We knew it was time. I played her favorite classical music. I held her gently. As the vet administered the sedative, I looked into her eyes — and didn’t look away.
She left this world listening to “Because of You” by Jennifer Thomas.
She left peacefully, with dignity, and in love.
Why This Platform Exists
Charamusca is the reason this platform was created.
She was more than a pet — she was a protector, a companion, a teacher, and a witness to our lives. She lived because someone opened a door. She died because someone loved her enough to know it was time.
This space exists because grief needs a home, just like love does.
Here, we celebrate the lives of our pets — the silly moments, the milestones, the quiet companionship, and the sacred goodbyes. And when the time comes, we don’t have to walk that path alone.
We built this platform to remember, to honor, and to stay connected. To tell their stories. To keep their spirits close. To say the words we couldn’t say that day — or the ones we need to say again.
You’re Not Alone in This
If you’re here, there’s a good chance you’ve loved — and maybe lost — a best friend like Charamusca.
This platform is yours, too.
A place to cry, to laugh, to remember, to share.
A place to feel seen.
A place to begin again.
Because of her.
Because of you.
— Gerald & Saundra
Co-Founders
“No matter who you are — how you grieve, how you see, how you hear, or what language you speak — this is your space to remember and be remembered. Everyone belongs here.”