Habitat Vet Memorials

Nelson “Shmelzy” Lind (June 5 2007 – September 29, 2025)

When I was in kindergarten, my parents came into parent-teacher interviews to see that I had written “I have NO pets” on my all-about-me poster. I have been told time and time again that this is what spurred them to adopt our first family pet, Nelson. It didn’t take long for us to realize that Nelson was, in fact, the best cat in the world. He loved outside-time, and his stuffed monkey, and his blanket, and his little mouse filled with catnip. He loved chicken and salmon straight from our dinnerplates, and was not afraid to mooch for it. He loved his humans, too; just seeing our faces would set off a motor-engine purr that could be heard from rooms away. He made sure that my dad never watched golf alone, and that my mom always had company in the garden. He spent countless hours next to my sister and I as we studied through way too many years of school, which is probably why he was more intelligent than any other cat or dog I’ve known. He could sit and beg and kick golfballs on command, and while your dog may be able to do such things, they probably can’t open locked sliding doors like my Nelson could (he really loved outside-time). He was my best friend for over eighteen years, from first grade until now, my third year of veterinary school. If there was a sole inspiration for my pursuit in becoming a veterinarian, it was my love for him. And man, did I love him. He was such a huge part of my life, that I honestly don’t remember a time before him. His little sister Evie and little brother Fili loved their big brother more than anything. It was astronomical how much my sister, my mom and my dad loved him. Trust me, if love could have kept Nelson alive, he would have lived forever.

When I come home, I still expect to hear the chirp of his voice and the pitter-patter of his feet running to greet me at the door. I can only hope that when my time comes, I hear that little pitter-patter again.

I love you Shmelzy, and I will forever miss you with all my heart.

Pet: Nugget

It is with an unbearably heavy heart that I share the passing of our sweet sweet boy Nugget🐱. We never expected to say goodbye so soon and we were devastated to hear his diagnosis of stage 4 lymphoma after all he had already been through💔. Our sweet little fur baby, our best friend, you have left a Nugget-sized hole in our lives and for those who knew him know how big that is🥺😢

Our not so little fur ball was larger than life, with the sweetest calm demeanour and the most gorgeous green eyes. His mixed toe beans were kissable with his fluffy cloud feet and his big belly was the snuggliest. He has been by my side through so many transitions in my life and always knew when snuggles were needed, even if that meant tolerating the forced ones❤️‍🩹 He had the biggest bromance with his dad Timbo that often left me jealous and he was really starting to warm up to his role as big brother to little Archie. I can’t describe the sadness of saying goodbye so soon but we knew it was his time🥺

Nugget, Nuggetbutt, Nunny, Nugs, NugNugs, Baby Boy, you were loved so incredibly much and we hope you are playing, frolicking and eating all your favourite foods over the rainbow bridge🌈 Until we meet again little dude, you will remain in our hearts💕

“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” – Winnie the Pooh
😽❤️🥺

Advice for pet parents going through loss: They knew how much you loved them, they didn’t want to leave, they will miss you just as much as you miss them 🩷

Pet: Maverick

Maverick was our first pet and best buddy, and was so loved! We had 13 wonderful years with him and miss him everyday!

Horton came from the SPCA and they told us that he was already 7, had a heart murmur and probably wouldn’t live that long! They were very wrong! We took him anyways and for 13 years, we enjoyed numerous snuggles and naps. We will miss you Horton but it was your time.

Pet: Teddy

Teddy 2012 – 2025 We were heartbroken by the death of our beloved Teddy on April 23, 2025. He had a very aggressive case of large cell lymphoma and died after a brief illness. We adopted Teddy from Rescue Siamese in December 2013 when he was approximately one year old. We were looking for a cat and Teddy reached his paw through the cage to grab Lauren’s hand. Lauren felt that Teddy had picked her and we felt lucky to be able to adopt him. When we brought Teddy home our cat Winston accepted him right away. Teddy and Winston were brothers and best friends and loved each other very much. They were almost always together doing their favourite activities: cuddling, napping, and bird-watching. They especially enjoyed their summer vacations together at the lake, where they would spend most of their time enjoying the fresh air and observing wildlife through the screen door. Teddy was a sweet, cuddly, affectionate cat. He would sleep beside Lauren every night tucked in under the covers with his head on the pillow. He would also cuddle Mason while he read and worked. Teddy was very intelligent and understood and followed many requests. He was also a bit of a scamp and would steal Mason’s chicken wings and carry them to his house where he would eat them in secret. Teddy was a dear friend and a big part of our lives for many years. He lived in Winnipeg, Calgary, Chelsea, and St. Paul at different times as we followed education

Pet: Matilda Matoots

Matilda’s mom, Linda: “I find such comfort in the words you shared about not trading a single moment for the joy they bring to our lives. The first photo is from the day I picked her up from her foster mom – it was truly love right from the start <3