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The first time ever I saw your face…I knew you were special.
You were still wet and were just a tiny scrap of a kitten. There
was just something special about you. All the time you were growing up, I kept looking at you and something would stir in my heart.
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Your kitten career in the show ring was nothing spectacular, you were a funny, extreme little guy that judges just didn’t seem to know what to do with. Eventually you grew up and turned into a refined handsome guy. Judges started noticing you, and with sporadic showing you nearly earned a regional win in 2003-04. You were #21 when there were only 20 regional winners. The next season started and since I had nothing to show and you had a blast in the showring, I showed you a few times. You loved the toys, the judging, the spectators, the showhalls, and the hotel rooms. After a while, I started noticing that you were finishing in the top few at each show, and you were holding a spot in the national standings. I told myself that couldn’t last, that surely the judges wouldn’t go for a little needle-nosed crazy red tabby oriental. But you hung in there, and along about March, I said to myself Hey, I don’t think you CAN fall out of the national top 25. You ended up CFA’s Twelfth Best Cat in Premiership in the nation and Second Best Cat in Premiership in the Great Lakes Region for 2004-2005.
Goblin, you are a dream come true. I always wanted to run a cat in premiership, but rapidly realized that it is a long hard grind. My friends that were running premiers looked like they were having more stress than fun. Premiership appears to be perhaps the most competitive division in CFA. I put the ideas of a national win someday out of my head, but you sure changed all that. I never set out that season to shoot for a top win, but you did it yourself. It was your win, I was just along for the ride, and what a ride it was. The show season 2004-2005 was a very special season. The cats in premiership were all amazing and the people showing in premiership bonded and supported each other perhaps more than before or since. It was a privilege beyond measure to be part of that special show season, and further, to share it with you, Goblin. Seeing you chattering at judge’s toys during that last look before hanging ribbons, picking you up after judging and getting a smooch and a huge purr was incredible.
Seeing you fall head over heels for CH, GP, RW Doralin's Barbie Doll, a gorgeous little cream point Himalayan was too funny. You loved the look of that incredible fluffy coat or perhaps it was those clear blue eyes. I'm sure she thought you needed a surgeon for that nose. The countless trips traveling in the PeteyMobile with Mac Watson and Russian Blue GC, GP, NW Heartbeeps Pistol Pete of Casein were fantastic.
Our year together was a year I’ll hold close to my heart forever. I doubt there will ever be a cat more fun to show and travel with than you, Goblin. Though I do have to say you had your moments in the car…one memorable trip traveling home from one of the few out of region shows out east you got tired of being in the carrier and Mac and I heard a little r-i-i-p…I said “Goblin, that better not be your bed.” R-i-i-i-p. Mac snickered. I said “Goblin, don’t MAKE us stop this car…” R-i-i-i-p…. By the time we arrived home, your brand new bed was a frill of white stuffing sticking out of tiny rips all the way around, and you looked inordinately pleased with yourself. Your other name has always been “Don’t Bite That!” You’ve done more than your share of ripping beds, playing paper shark, fang punching books, mail, paper, cardboard, my shoes, or basically anything. You can fang punch every roll of paper toweling through the wrapper in about five seconds flat without anyone seeing you do it. Your eyes just twinkle when I yell at you, I’m sure you can tell I think it is funny despite chewing you out. You’ve taught your paper shark skills to kittens you’ve helped raise. Everything sinks to the level of the lowest common denominator, and you make sure that no cat in this house goes without proper fang punching and paper shredding skills.
 A recurring thought that has haunted me since I first saw your little wet face is that the brightest flames burn the shortest time. You are such a bright flame…
A few months after you retired from the show ring, your usual bad case of gingivitis took a turn for the worse. You started weeping blood from your gums. The bleeding didn’t seem to stop. You started on your journey of several specialists, trying to find out why you were bleeding. The problems progressed to chronic bleeding episodes that lasted ten days to two weeks, with perhaps a three week remission. Many treatments have been tried, and to date, we don’t have answers. In December of 2007 you nearly died from a major gastrointestinal bleed. You spent three terrifying days in the ER clinic at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services where they were able to save you with blood transfusions and treatment. It took a while to heal from that crash and you are back to your chronic bleeds. I hope we can find answers soon. Those bright flames…. 
The answers never came, or at least not ones I wanted to hear. On April 17, 2009 we let Goblin go. You can read his final journal below. (Webmaster's Note: You will need a box of Kleenex.)
::::: LOSING GOBLIN :::::
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