Cali our Beloved Lizard

Here are some pics of our sun glow leopard gecko named Cali. She was already an old lizard when we got her at the Reptile Expo, and all the many years of breeding that she had meant she just needed a comfortable home to live out the rest of her days. The last couple of years she’s struggled with eating and shedding, and just growing so weak so we knew she had limited time.

Breaking the news of Cali’s death went as well as it could have. Jeremy was worried about how Fletcher would take it with his tender heart. We had a talk at the table where Jeremy told the kids that Cali is God’s creature, and is back with Him in a most amazing place having the time of her life. I appreciated how Jer was honest and straightforward about it. Fletcher said he looked for her and couldn’t find her in the cage- he had noticed. We remembered some wonderful things like how we got to hold her and how gentle and beautiful she was. He let Fletcher see her in the box to say goodbye, since he was having such a hard time with the news. Jer tried to ease his pain by spending time with him- they took a special walk with Roxy after breakfast.

All day Fletcher would start crying thinking of his beloved lizard- during breakfast, at church, and after church… when we got home, Jer shoveled a hole in the garden and we said our goodbyes to Cali in the box. Jer said a beautiful prayer for Cali, and all of us cried. We wrote a note on the box saying, “Here lies Cali our beloved lizard. We love you” and signed our names. Then he buried the box.

I told the kids anytime they missed her, they could come visit the garden. Jer said we would keep tortoises there. Fletcher told everyone he saw today about his lizard who’s gone now. When I came to give him a goodnight kiss, I saw he had been crying- he said he felt better now because he prayed while he was crying when he was sad, and “Cali came”, I assume to comfort him. What a sweet tender boy who truly loves these animals- I’m afraid it may be some time before his grief subsides.

-Kat