Sweet Whyspurr was 19½ years old and the last of the famous swimming Wingletts, named after their mother, Miss Wings.
She was born in Cottage Grove, Oregon and has joined the Winglett team in kitty heaven consisting of her parents, Mr. and Miss Wings, and brothers Nymbus and Myster E.
Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales readers followed this exceptional furry family for 22 years.
It all began
when their mother, Miss Wings, flew from Boston via volunteer Vivian. Upon landing they were featured on TV with the heartwarming story of a stranger purr-forming an act of kindness.
When Vivian heard that a cancer survivor (me) was looking for a kitten to be flown from the east coast to Oregon, she jumped at the chance. Known for her kind heart and love of cats, she paid for the Transcoastal flight, playing with Miss Wings from coast to coast.
The following
year, Mr. Wings flew in from California, thanks to another Angel Scribe flight attendant and reader. The happy couple created dreamy-dandelion-fluff Shaded Silver triplets: Nymbus, Myster E. and baby sister Whyspurr.
Nymbus was named after a puffy white cloud. Myster E.’s name was derived from ‘mystery.’ Although she was born with a normal voice, Whyspurr got her name because she was the smallest of the kittens (she never weighed more than five pounds and had a quiet
demeanor). After she ate melamine-poisoned food from China, she lost her voice and it never returned, making her name a purr-fect fit.
The furry team hit the news when they appeared on Eugene and Seattle TV stations for swimming, bike riding, stroller rides, and leash walking. They were featured on Animal Planet’s Must Love Cats and the Anderson Cooper show.
Their story and photograph appeared on the Register Guard’s front page, and in
international newspapers (for example, England’s Daily Mail), pet magazines and books, including two Chicken Soup for the Soul books which are in 43 languages and 100 countries.
I told the Wingletts that their job was to make people smile and they lived up to their job.
Our littlest angel, Whyspurr, will be remembered for her gentle nature, love of car and stroller rides, and she especially loved her yearly Christmas light tours.
Nightly
during Christmas 2022, we drove her through neighborhoods for an hour to enjoy the lights because they fascinated her. A cute Facebook video; https://www.facebook.com/PetTipsandTales
On car rides to Canada, she was disappointed when we arrived, even after looking out the window for six hours with no naps! Yes,
she still wanted to see more of the world. Her favorite thing was the car ride to Home Depot and looking at the rows of products on shelves and of course, their Christmas light display.
Last summer, after we rescued feral kittens and placed them in a pet carrier. Whyspurr gently and lovingly calmed them with soft sounds. The kittens who had been hiss-terically yelling, became silent for the next hour while we waited for their appointment and trip to the pet
shelter.
This dainty doll-faced Silver Persian also loved riding in her stroller, then hopping out to walk next to it exploring the sights.
The morning of her last day on earth, we took her for a car ride. Even weak, she stood up in her car seat looking out ‘her’ window.
A few hours later, when it was time to take her to the vet, I held her in her car seat that she had ridden in to Canada 30 times. Now in advanced weakness, she
lay in it, lifting her head to look out the window.
We wish her well on her journey in kitty heaven. She was buried beside her favorite Christmas Rose of Sharon bush in the front yard. Its white lights represent heaven, and it has pink lights for the love Whyspurr brought to the neighborhood and Tips ‘n’ Tales readers. She indeed spent her lifetime making people smile.
Our six-year-old granddaughter made us a white soap in the shape of a cat in
memory of Whyspurr, “...because you are so sad. Maybe this will make you feel better.”
Tomorrow, my husband has to walk me – until we find a new Shaded Silver or Chinchilla cat/kitten and train it to enjoy stroller rides seeing the world as Whyspurr did. We are searching for another kitten of her breed and color. It is im-paws-ible to replace this sweet soul, she will long be remembered, but if you hear of one, kindly let us know.
