The Adventures of Avery Finn

This is the one-month anniversary for the death of my kitty Kaya. She died December 18, 2025.

In Memorandum of Kaya

My only regret was not to release you from your body sooner.
Knowing how much pain you sustained, I wish I could have acted faster, trusted my inner knowing over seeking a professional to tell me you were on death’s door.
My dearest baby girl, I loved every minute with you. While Avery was always everyone’s cat, you were my constant companion.

Avery and I moved to North Carolina in 2010, which is where we found you. The night before you came home was the fourth of July and I remember my impatience for the fireworks to end; that day and night would not pass quickly enough for you to become a part of our family. You were precious. Such an unusual kitten with blue eyes encased in a dark fur mask with large orange and black ears. Everyone who met you took a second look. And, you had just the right temperament to be able to survive a brother cat like Avery Finn.

When we moved back to the southwest you were so excited to look out all the car windows and sit atop your brother’s cat carrier without any care or concern for the three-day car ride. You were brave and as curious as Avery, but in a quieter way. You tracked the small things, studied bugs and smelled everything in your path before deciding to engage it.

You loved the shady coolness of a garden as well as the warmth of the desert. I remember your outdoor excursions with the cactus, your ever exploring nose being the sad recipient after meeting the prickly pear. Yet this did not discourage you from exploring the world with your nose.

Your approval was a soft lick to the hand. You were gentle and kind, saucy and playful. You were a party girl at night, and I will miss finding your toys at the bottom of the bed, or strewn around the room in the morning, evidence of your nightly play.
You greeted guests at the door, welcoming, sniffing and taking in gentle admiration. You loved your aunties, who adored spoiling you. I think almost everyone you ever met told me how striking you were.

You never left my side after the miscarriage and stayed close while I accepted my fate to not give birth to human children. For 15 years we cuddled before I drifted to sleep. You, awake and playful while I slumbered, always finding your way next to me before I awoke. There was that year we did not sleep side by side, instead you meowed at the bedroom door in the mornings to wake me. I vowed never to date another person allergic to cats.

You gave me a reason to keep living when I did not want to. You provided me opportunities to care for you, and it took fifteen years to understand that I was a good mother.

Nearly seven months passed from Avery’s death to yours and I feel ungrounded with both of you gone. In my dreams I think of you reunited with Avery, playing and purring with extended family members like Dixie Orin and Henry.

Rest in peace my dearest girl. I will miss your warm purring body curled up with mine.

Kaya
July 4, 2010 – December 18, 2025

*There is a memorial video posted with lots of photo memories, which you are invited to view.

Losing one family member is devastating, but losing both Kaya and Avery in less than 7 months ... I don't have words to describe it. They were my immediate family for the last 18 years.

People suggest adopting another and in time I will. But at this time, my heart is sealed closed by grief.

I am not alone in losing loved ones and when I make videos and posts about grief, I am thinking of all the beloved souls I have had the privilege of knowing - four legs and two. May the hearts of those who grieve be gently comforted tonight.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 5

The Adventures of Avery Finn

The unreal has happened. My dearest Kaya has died, seven months almost to the day of her brother, Avery Finn. Kaya passed on the memorial date of our dear canine friend, Orin. May they rest in peace, along with all of our beloved fur family members.

The grief following the death of a beloved animal companion is devastating. I was expecting the holidays this year to be difficult, since it would be the first without my 18-year-old cat Avery. But losing Kaya after Avery made the celebrations in December something to get through.

Candles remain lit in memory but instead of packing away holiday cards I am beginning to pack away the kind condolence cards.

A memorial video will be posted on January 18th, one month from Kaya's death.

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

The Adventures of Avery Finn

My dearest Avery,
It’s been six months since your death and today I woke up at 4am having a conversation with you in my dreams.


We greeted the flower garden this May, welcoming the first roses as you walked over velvety green sprouts that covered the ground. We watched those sprouts grow into corn flowers and poppies. You missed the nonstop yellow sunflowers and pink echinacea, the second blossoming of the deep red roses. The trumpet vines grew into a colorful backdrop for the roses blooming in hues of buttery yellow, coral and lipstick orange. The morning glories arrived fashionably late, followed by the cosmos and zinnias.


Despite it being November, the cosmos are still attracting bees with their purple-pink petals but their stems have turned brown. The tree leaves have shifted into shades of red and gold, holding on gently to the last of the season’s green. The world continues to move without you. Impersonal and not caring about the paths we wove together through the garden.


I awoke before sunrise because my mind would not let go of a recent misfortune. I am irrationally mad at everything I cannot control, like government shutdowns and mail services being under pressure and delayed.


Like most humans, I lean towards making life events and stories center on my-self, but my self is a small fraction of what makes up “reality” and “experience”. I wonder if emotions and mishaps shape a cat’s outlook.


“Are you out there Avery”, watching me from the spirit realm as I try to collect words on a screen to materialize my thoughts …


“I love you, Avery. And I miss you.”


I am also missing my warm bed and might try to catch a half hour of sleep before I wake up again and try not to be sad about your absence in my life. I’m trying to focus on all the adventures we shared outdoors, playing hide and seek, pushing you around in boxes, pulling you down from the top of doors, pulling your claws out of my shoulders and everyone else’s. I learned a lot about first aid because of you.


The last roses of the season are blooming in the garden. The blossoms are as big as my outstretched hand. You would have enjoyed some good naps under the rose bushes this season, my friend.


R.I. P.
Avery Finn 2007-2025

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2 months ago | [YT] | 2

The Adventures of Avery Finn

It’s been five months since the death of Avery Finn.


Every evening for the past five months, I peer out my bedroom window waiting and checking for a battery run candle to light up over Avery’s grave. I have a second candle near his photo, which lights around the same time as the one over his grave. I say goodnight to Avery remembering the love we shared.


I can no longer recall his personal scent, but I still remember what it felt like to hold him close, his arms over my shoulder, claws impaled, occasionally licking my neck or forehead with his rough scratchy tongue. After perching over my shoulder, he would flip over and sink into my arms to be carried like a baby. I didn’t have my own children, instead I had Avery, and I still have Kaya, my 15-year-old kitty. For single individuals without children, animal companions may provide an alternative opportunity to experience trust, affection, and enduring companionship. Even if you have a human family, an animal may companion a heart and life deeply.


The loss following Avery’s death remains as profound emptiness. It persists as a void once occupied for seventeen years by a soul no longer present—no longer accessible and no longer part of daily life on this planet. What I continue to feel is his absence.


That being said, I don’t cry as much as I did. But I still have moments that feel gut wrenching, that rub unkindly against the rawness of a heart seized with grief.


I can’t imagine walking the grief path alone. I find soft solace in the warm fur and gentleness of Kaya. Together we face the days without our Avery. I remain grateful for the love and support from my human friends, the outreach and messages from those who know what it is to lose a heart companion.


It is not lost on me all the transitions and pain from the many souls our planet supports. I sit with you in silence, weep tears connected to the loss of what once was, pray for growth and gentling from the pain that connects our shared heart.


With Sincerity,
KLD

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3 months ago | [YT] | 2

The Adventures of Avery Finn

The 20th of September marks the 4-month anniversary of Avery Finn’s death. If Avery were alive, we would be celebrating his 18th year since his adoption from the animal shelter.

I wish I could say I have healed and integrated this loss ... I'm working on it. In the wake of this world and the violence that seems to be escalating, I miss the soul who brought Joy to my heart every day.

It's funny the things remembered. Like pulling out my hair and yelling for Avery to “Stop” putting his paw into the milk pitcher ... or “Stop” asking to go outside as soon as we are back from a walk. “Stop” climbing into the car when I forget to roll the windows up. “Stop” and “No” were words Avery heard often. And It's surprising to me how much I miss the constant corrections and compromises.

Kaya was Avery's Yin to his Yang. She is a quiet soul, whereas Avery's restless energy and desire to be outside was overwhelming on a good day. What I would give to have one more day with him driving me nuts. Instead, I look at photos remembering and making sad videos to process the grief. His presence was bigger than I understood. And in his absence, I am even more grateful for my quiet Kaya, keeping me company while napping away the days.

I wish everyone who has had to say goodbye to a beloved, a gentleness with grief. I've said before and I do believe it's true, that every ending is followed by a new beginning.

Kaya's and my beginnings are in motion as we work through our shared grief. As she cat naps, I am working to bring the Avery Finn Adventures to a larger public. I've shared stories and videos on this channel, and I’ll be attending craft fairs in the fall to promote his books. The books are based on Avery Finn's life adventures and are written for any animal lover, because they focus on universal experiences like, Friendship, Death and pet Adoption. Three of Avery's stories are available in print and can be found through my website, www.kristinaldaniels.com/. I'll list the ISBN #s as well as links for purchase (internationally).

Wishing us all some peace along with a gentling of hearts and hands.
KLD

Links for books

ISBN# 979-8-9888426-3-7
ISBN# 979-8-9888426-4-4
ISBN# 979-8-9888426-5-1

www.kristinaldaniels.com/projects-6 (link to the avery finn page)

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4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 8

The Adventures of Avery Finn

August 20th, 2025


Today marks the third month from Avery Finn’s death. I still cry a lot. Tears are draining from my eyes as I type, misting up my glasses and blurring my sight.

If I could describe my grief three months out, it feels like a heavy physical shadow. It goes everywhere with me, and it takes up most of the space in my head and heart. The heaviness is exhausting and by the end of day, I am short tempered. I am forgetful and can’t easily focus on more than one thing at a time. I make sad shorts featuring Avery. Seeing him is my favorite way to remember good times.

I connect physically with the grief by dancing to playlists and physically moving it through and out of my body. Some days it feels like I connect to a collective grief that the planet and its inhabitants are feeling. It moves through the core of me, and through the core of our earth. So many united in despair. This is okay, it’s a reaction to what is happening.

However, I recognize the difference between reaction and response. I can craft a response. Something intentional. Something that helps to transmute the grief. Dancing is a response. Music, painting, art, meditation, taking a bath, using essential oils, allowing myself a nap, taking a nature walk, forgiving myself for being forgetful about meaningful things; these are all responses.

There are days now when I feel pretty good. If I’m using statistics, I’d say I have good days .25 % of the time. This is much better than three months ago.

This grief is heavy and I’m realizing it takes time to remember the almost 18 years Avery and I spent together. Avery loved the outdoors, and he didn’t live long enough to see the garden flowers bloom through summer. There are so many sunflowers, and he would have loved all the aromas connected to the plants. Every time I water the flowers I can’t help but think of Avery Finn. How he loved to curl up in the shade underneath a rose bush and refuse to come out when I was ready to move on.

I still have three stories I am working on connected to the Avery Finn Adventure series. I’ve been able to work on illustrations for the fourth story. I think I Illustrated the whole book the week directly following his death. Time is a bit blurry.

What isn’t blurry is the memory of his death. The day we planned for. I cut nearly every rose in the yard and surrounded him with vases of flowers. A very special Veterinarian came to the house to alleviate him from his cancer torn body. It was not peaceful. But it was perfect. He fell asleep in the backyard, my face in front of him, chanting I love you, like a mantra over and over, until the vet told me he had passed. We closed his eyes for the last time. The vet offered to make a paw print, which I accepted. I buried Avery with all the rose petals and keep an electric candle lit above his grave.

Over the weekend I was gifted with a fig, from a local tree. I think I am going to plant it near his gravesite. Who knows if it will grow, but I like the idea of his remains nurturing something else.

Avery Finn entered my life at a time when I had forgotten how to laugh, and in hindsight I see how he nurtured me back to a mental space of joy and plenty. He was a force of nature with a will and determination to be outdoors no matter the weather or time.

His real-life adventures include locking me out of the house, eating from garbage dumpsters, running away, breaking into neighbor's homes, drawing blood and earning the nickname, “El diablo”. He also gave hugs and licked his Friends foreheads - both cats and humans. We had a cat sitter who grew out a beard, just so Avery could groom it. He loved to be carried around and would often ask to be held. His auntie's shared nicknames like pirate and the king of albuquerque. When we moved to NC, I discovered Avery would fall asleep to the composer Vivaldi, and this remained true throughout his life. His passion and curiosity have inspired stories and brought me back to painting with watercolors. Thank you, Dearest Avery, you were exactly perfect.

May those who grieve be gently held by all who have lost love before.
With sincerity,

KLD

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5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 3

The Adventures of Avery Finn

Dear Friends,
The infamous cat Avery Finn was laid to rest outdoors as the sun went down on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

Each day leading to his death was filled with Love. Love poured in from his Aunties and Friends. I know Avery could feel all this love and I think it lent him strength through his final days so he could be outside as much as possible, taking naps in the garden, sunbathing on the sidewalk, rolling in dust and even walking along the tops of the concrete fencing.

Avery was a social cat, especially when it came to humans. It still surprises me that is stray cat, adopted nearly 18 years ago would bring comfort, entertainment and joy, mixed with a little bit of pain to the hearts of so many humans. He collected Friends from all the places he lived in Arizona, New Mexico and North Carolina. He gave hugs to his favorites, cleaned their faces, beards and necks with his rough tongue. He also bled a lot of hands, thighs, shoulders ... even scalps (sorry uncle Jeremy). Avery drove everyone who met him a little mad with his constant requests to be outside. He ran away countless times in his youth and had a juvenile record at age two ... for breaking and entering. Avery Finn lived a big life, and I've been encouraged to share some of those real-life Avery stories. I think I'd like to do this once my voice steadies and the tears slow.

The stories I've written about Avery Finn were born from Love. Three books in a series of six are available in print. I read the first (unedited) versions on this YouTube channel, and I'm working towards recording all of the stories as audiobooks. Folks always ask if these are children's books. My response is they are books for anyone who has ever loved an animal, or said goodbye to someone they love, or made a new friend. They are stories for everyone.

Rest in Peace dear Avery. You came into my world at a time of grief and expanded my heart, introduced me to strangers and neighbors, brought laughter and love, and ultimately inspired stories, so that you too may live forever in the hearts of us all. I miss you so much.
KLD

7 months ago | [YT] | 5

The Adventures of Avery Finn

2 years ago | [YT] | 3