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Angel Cats

Nick on left and Big Guy in rear.
We lost our head feral cow cat Big Guy in October 2004.  We cared for him since 1999 but have no idea how old he was.  He was a very gentle, benevolent ruler over the feral colony. 

His buddy Nick went to the Bridge in January 2006 of intestinal cancer.  He was a sweet boy who was born to a litter of four late 1999 - his litter mates are Joey, Minnie and Leroy.  Leroy disappeared at age 6 months, never to be seen again.


Clarence in his window seat.
Clarence wandered into our yard in spring of 2003, skinny and matted.  We cared for him for 18 months, treating him for intestinal cancer.  His treatment was successful but he passed of heart failure in his sleep.  We cherish our memories of his brief stay with us.



Manny
Manny and Rosa were born in a litter of Mamcita's in 2005.  The kittens were very ill with URI and had to be treated for months with antibiotics.  They both improved but Manny had serious UTI's and succumbed to a blockage in Janaury 2007.  He loved to eat and play with his laser toy.  We wish he could have stayed with us longer but will always hold him in our hearts.


 June 1991 - March 2013 

Sweet Chica was found as a stray in a strip shopping mall.  She was about 6 months old.  She had a long and wonderful life living with us in Florida and then moving to North Carolina. She developed Chronic Renal Failure at age 16 but lived to the ripe old age of 3 months shy of 22 years.  She filled with fluids from either her heart or cancer somewhere inside her. She passed on my Birthday March 3, 2013.  We miss her loving
purrs everday.



 Fall 1999 - December 7, 2012

Loverboy Joey was born to a litter of four ferals behind our house (Minnie, Leroy, Nicky and Joey).  I am not sure who the momcat was. He was always a sweet cat who did not fight but would run off.  As we got the ferals all spayed and neutered, he was run off by the head male because he came to maturity before we neutered him. he was living down the road but came for meals.  He had wounds from fights several times so I finally brought him inside about 2002.  He had skin cancer on his shoulder in summer of 2012 and we were treating it.  The vets missed something because he began to fail rapidly and we lost him after only a couple of moths of treatment.



 April 1993 - December 6, 2013

Our beloved Yoko was one of the few we had since she was a tiny kitten.  She grew to be a big cat with a loving personality.  She developed hyperthyroid and chronic renal failure in her later years but it was under control.  This past summer we noticed a lump under her lower jaw which turned out to be oral cancer of the bone. it grew quickly and by early December was  taking over her bottom jaw.  Before she could suffer with this we let her go on December 6.  My heart still hurts but I know we did the right thing.


Spring 2005 - April 7, 2015

Dear Lily, the mother of all our white cats, developed cancer in her mouth in the winter of 2015.  This is not a cancer that responds well to chemo so we opted to keep her comfortable for as long as possible with Depo shots and natural remedies.  Each time the cancer would recede and she would have a few weeks of remission.  Each remission became shorter and shorter until by early April 2015 she was no longer able to eat, gagging on her food because the cancer filler her mouth.  It was time to let her go.  She was my caretaker cat, ever on alert for signs of trouble with our group and us.  I miss her snuggles next to me in bed.



1998- July 27,  2015

 Ivy was the wildest one of the ferals we brought inside but once in she became a lap hogger and love bug. She was tiny and fit in the funniest places like the TV console, napping quietly on the warm receiver.  As she aged she became more vocal with her duck like quack, telling us when to get up, when to feed her and when to give her love time.  She threw a clot in her hind leg while at home with us.  I knew it was the end when I drove her to the vet - she was having trouble breathing.  After such a hard life outdoors, I had always hoped she would just fall asleep and not wake up but that was not meant to be.  She left this world cradled in a blanket on my lap - I am so glad she had such a long life in spite of all her health issues.




Fall 1999 - Oct. 29, 2015


Minnie left us  almost three months to the day Ivy did.  She was diagnosed with late stage CRF in August, a month after we lost Ivy.  I wish I had done something sooner but Minnie would not take the herbal remedies I had given others with this disease.  She was fiercely independent and resisted any efforts to assist feed, give pills, sub c fluids or any medication so it was difficult to treat her.  She had stopped eating on her own and developed a URI.  I chose not to add another medication to her already stressful protocol and let her go.  She was sitting quietly (not like her) on my husband's lap when the vet gave the final injection.  I know she was ready. She slipped away easily and peacefully.  Goodbye my sweet girl.  You are with the rest of your beloved feral colony now at the bridge.




Spring 2006 - Dec. 11, 2015



 This has been a year of loss.  No sooner than Minnie left us, Georgie began to fail.  After several trips to the vet requiring multiple day stays, she once again showed sings of hepatic lipidosis.  The vets did not seem to be able to manage her diabetes and every couple of months she would have another serious blood glucose issue.  She was tired and very frail at this point. I asked her if she wanted to be with her Momcat Lily, she answered with a long slow blink, looking directly at me.  That was my answer.  Rather than have her continue this life with so debilitating many health issues, we chose to let her be released.  Her passing was peaceful.  I hate that she had such a tough year and was so young but I know I will see her again one day.  Until then baby girl....