Melissa & Tarragon
Member Since 2011
It has taken me awhile to write this because I just wasn't ready yet. Thank you for all of your love, prayers, etc for our civvie Turnup. She wasn't one of the FD kitties, but was a very important part of Tarragon's life from 5 weeks on and our family for almost 18 years. This is really long, but it is probably more for me so don't feel bad if you don't make it through it all. 
Mason had begged us for a kitty from about 3 years old on. We were moving around a lot while DH was finishing up his Master's and PhD so we kept putting him off. He would draw picture after picture of the three of us outside of a house with an orange kitty next to us. When he was 4, he told us that she would be named Turnup. We didn't understand why he would name her after a vegetable. He said "No. That way when someone asks where is the cat? We will say, oh, she will turn up."
We moved to Tulsa a week before Mason started first grade. As a surprise, DH and I went to the local vet on Mason's first day of first grade. There were a lot of kitties, but one orange kitty who didn't bum rush us or even pay us much attention. We knew immediately she was the kitty from the pictures. Mason was thrilled and she quickly became adored by all of us.
She was a buggar as a kitten. She loved to zoom, destroy any paper, poop where she wasn't suppose to, etc. She loved her collar and the bell. Whenever the bell fell off, she would bring it to me in her mouth for me to sew back on. She also loved to play fetch. She would bring us a little elephant finger puppet we had gotten at McDonald's and then wait for us to throw it, bring it back, over and over. Silly girl.
Turnup quickly attached to DH. He would sleep every night holding her tight like a stuffed animal all night long, right up to her last night with us. When she was 2 Mason asked if he could get another kitty that could be his. He wanted a boy and he would name him Tarragon (Mason's favorite spice). Off we went to the same vet and Tarragon came home with us at the age of 5 weeks. He was so tiny and not the heathiest. Turnup stepped right in and mothered him from day one. Snuggling him while we were at work, carrying him on and off the bed, cleaning him. She was a natural.
Three years later along came Charlie, a big clumsy puppy who just wanted to play. She set boundries very early for him and let him know exactly where he stood in the pack, which was dead last. Luckily Charlie was ok with that. Turnup was very territorial. She did not like anyone else coming into the house other than her family and she usually made that well known to the intruder. However, she had calmed down the last few years and at least didn't hassle them too much
Turnup was always our rock. Queen of the house, leader of the pack, and the only other girl in a house packed with boys. She was never sick and never complained when she didn't get as much attention as the other two. Switched from hard food to soft without so much as a whisper when Tarragon became diabetic.
All she wanted was her night time cuddle and enough food in her bowl and us to get up by 3 every morning. I guess that is why the other two are so lost right now. She really was their mother and they aren't sure what to do without her there to tell them or set boundaries. We have all had to grow up a little this week.
Last Friday night, Mason and his DGF, Erin, spent the night since we had an early race Saturday and they didn't want to oversleep. Turnup, who did not like outsiders, came over and sat on Erin's lap for about 1/2 hour. We were all amazed. As we look back, I think Turnup was giving the big paws up.
Thank you again for all of your support. All of us feel it and appreciate it. She was our beautiful, silly, sweet girl and we will miss her always.
Mason had begged us for a kitty from about 3 years old on. We were moving around a lot while DH was finishing up his Master's and PhD so we kept putting him off. He would draw picture after picture of the three of us outside of a house with an orange kitty next to us. When he was 4, he told us that she would be named Turnup. We didn't understand why he would name her after a vegetable. He said "No. That way when someone asks where is the cat? We will say, oh, she will turn up."
We moved to Tulsa a week before Mason started first grade. As a surprise, DH and I went to the local vet on Mason's first day of first grade. There were a lot of kitties, but one orange kitty who didn't bum rush us or even pay us much attention. We knew immediately she was the kitty from the pictures. Mason was thrilled and she quickly became adored by all of us.
She was a buggar as a kitten. She loved to zoom, destroy any paper, poop where she wasn't suppose to, etc. She loved her collar and the bell. Whenever the bell fell off, she would bring it to me in her mouth for me to sew back on. She also loved to play fetch. She would bring us a little elephant finger puppet we had gotten at McDonald's and then wait for us to throw it, bring it back, over and over. Silly girl.
Turnup quickly attached to DH. He would sleep every night holding her tight like a stuffed animal all night long, right up to her last night with us. When she was 2 Mason asked if he could get another kitty that could be his. He wanted a boy and he would name him Tarragon (Mason's favorite spice). Off we went to the same vet and Tarragon came home with us at the age of 5 weeks. He was so tiny and not the heathiest. Turnup stepped right in and mothered him from day one. Snuggling him while we were at work, carrying him on and off the bed, cleaning him. She was a natural.
Three years later along came Charlie, a big clumsy puppy who just wanted to play. She set boundries very early for him and let him know exactly where he stood in the pack, which was dead last. Luckily Charlie was ok with that. Turnup was very territorial. She did not like anyone else coming into the house other than her family and she usually made that well known to the intruder. However, she had calmed down the last few years and at least didn't hassle them too much
Turnup was always our rock. Queen of the house, leader of the pack, and the only other girl in a house packed with boys. She was never sick and never complained when she didn't get as much attention as the other two. Switched from hard food to soft without so much as a whisper when Tarragon became diabetic.
All she wanted was her night time cuddle and enough food in her bowl and us to get up by 3 every morning.
I guess that is why the other two are so lost right now. She really was their mother and they aren't sure what to do without her there to tell them or set boundaries. We have all had to grow up a little this week.Last Friday night, Mason and his DGF, Erin, spent the night since we had an early race Saturday and they didn't want to oversleep. Turnup, who did not like outsiders, came over and sat on Erin's lap for about 1/2 hour. We were all amazed. As we look back, I think Turnup was giving the big paws up.
Thank you again for all of your support. All of us feel it and appreciate it. She was our beautiful, silly, sweet girl and we will miss her always.
Last edited:
She will always live on through your memories and in your heart, and she'll always be with you. 
!!!
