WINONA LAKE – Five years ago, Connie Kaiser finally got what she wanted.
For her birthday, her husband bought her a Maine Coon cat that she named Hercules.
Kaiser had wanted a Maine Coon cat for 20 years and she finally got one.
“He had all the characteristics of a dog,” said Kaiser.
Hercules would jump up on the couch and look out the window whenever someone would walk by the Kaisers’ home on the island in Winona Lake.
At Christmas, he would position himself in an old sleigh the Kaisers set up every year. It was the perfect vantage point to keep an eye on all the guests coming in and out of the home.
But something was wrong with Hercules. He began to get sick.
Kaiser found out Hercules had feline infectious peritonitis, which is an incurable disease in cats.
“He had it all his life but when we got him as a kitten the vet didn’t see it,” said Kaiser.
Hercules’ health began to deteriorate. His belly distended and he grew weak.
Kaiser struggled with taking him to a vet to be put down.
She decided that when he finally did pass, he would do so at home surrounded by his family.
In late June, Hercules finally passed away at 5 years old.
Kaiser has owned cats her whole life and took the passing of Hercules extremely tough.
“There’s a lot of grief,” said Kaiser. “People say it’s a lot like losing a loved one, a family member.”
It soon came time for Kaiser to collect all of Hercules’ things and put them away. She picked up all his toys and cleaned the hair from his bed.
That’s when she had an idea.
She then got a hold of Lauri Hoover who owns The Island Weaver in the Village At Winona.
“I told her, ‘I’m probably going to ask you the oddest question anyone’s ever asked you’,” said Kaiser.
Kaiser gave Hoover the hair she collected and asked if she could do anything with it. So Hoover spun it and it was crocheted into a forget-me-not.
It was made into a 10-point-star, which they named “The Star of Hercules.”
“It’s such a wonderful thing,” said Kaiser. “A lot of people lose pets and want something to remember them by. They want something to treasure.”
