 |
|
|
|
|
Speak Out
Story of cat could be story of child
I am writing this because of the chance that a cat person who has owned a small, long-haired, blue gray-and-white feline for many years is grieving over her disappearance.
On the night of Oct. 20, a starving, badly matted, filthy, little bundle of bones was going up to everyone who was leaving the Campbell Library parking lot, pleading for her life. Only one little boy--my son--petted her and begged his father to do something.
She was brought in weak and wavering when she walked, teeth broken and rotted, front claws bloody--but purring. To encounter people she saw took a lot of desperation, hope and mainly energy she hadn't much of left.
I sincerely hope this little cat who obviously has given at least 10 years of love and trust to someone was not kicked out to fend for herself. She has obviously been on the streets for a while, not knowing how to fend for herself. Being old and having kidney problems did not help.
I considered euthanasia, but this little lady had such spunk, such spirit--even as she was dying--that none of us could do it. She is the epitome of survival.
It is now over two weeks of feeding, hydrating, cleaning, clipping nails, brushing, ridding her of fleas and medicating facial wounds. She has become a kitty who has picked out the bed she wishes to sleep on and doesn't hesitate to tell us (loudly) when her stomach needs filling. She also looks much fluffier and may even have gained an ounce. She is very soft, and her white ruff is long for her small, five-pound body. The wounds are finally healing, and she has begun to groom herself once more.
The first week, all she wanted was to eat and to be held, all day and all night. She still wants to be near a human at all times. She has captured the hearts of two veterinary hospitals, and I am thankful for the help of both and other programs that encourage animal rescue. I feel she will find the right home to live out her life in peace. She deserves that.
If I hadn't named the fact that she is a cat, this could be the story of a child. There are many in this world that have been shattered and abandoned by adults and their politics. Shouldn't this change? It would seem to be a condition of life to stop a moment and lend help where and when one can.
Nancy Payne
Campbell
|
|
|
|
Campbell, California
