I received the call early yesterday morning. The landfill guys had started to empty an industrial dumpster when they noticed a cat inside! Someone had hurt this cat and he wasn’t moving much. I flew to the site. I found a what was once beautiful orange boy wrapped up in a shirt laying on the lunch table. They had tried to feed it but it wasn’t taking much food. It couldn’t. They told me they had removed a bag from around the cat’s head that someone had put there in a cruel way. I will spare you the details.
Smokey Joe was rushed to the vet. I named him after the man who found him. His throat was horribly bruised, they cleaned the wounds and removed the neurcrotic tissue. he was given an antibiotic shot fluids and sent home with ointment for the wounds. The vet said it didn’t look good.
I carried him upstairs and just sat with him and cried. How could someone do this to such a beautiful creature? Boggles my mind. He came home at 11:20 he was gone by 3:00. He took his last gasp of air in my lap and relaxed. His pain is over now.
Despite all the $$ spent on his behalf yesterday- God only allowed me to have him for a few hours. But in those final hours I never left his side. I wanted him to know that there are people who care for him deeply- who get ANGRY when confronted with such abuse and deal with the results of people who lack a moral compass.
I used the vaporizer and the nebulizer to try to get him to breathe easier- but nothing worked. All he had in the end was love and I guess you can’t ask for anything stronger than that to take you out of this world and lead you to a better place-
He was only 4 years old-
Last night as I lay there trying to get to sleep with tears rolling down my face, I felt movement on the bed. The remaining three Siamese babies and also the new russian blue kitten all came up on the bed and piled on top of me. There were no words spoken, I just tried my darndest to pet all four of them. It felt like they were just covering me in comfort.
I had to smile remembering the rough beginnings of these kittens and how long I had to chase them around that first room to get them into carriers and take them home. Now, they were perfectly content to have me near them and I welcomed their presence. Sometimes, the world does become in balance again-
Smokey Joe had you to care for him at the end, and the men who found him cared, too. I’d like to see some of their sort catch up with whoever left Smokey Joe to die. I doubt the results would be pretty.
Thank you for doing what you can for the animals you save.
Sometimes all we can do is love them and let them go. Karma will get the evil people who did that. And blessing to the men who found him and tried to help….
Heartbreaking. Blessings on you, and for the men who found him, and the vet who tried to save him. And yeah, I am a believer in karma as well.
Hug those kitties – they can sense your sorrow and want to comfort you.
Fare well, Smokey Joe kittie. At least he knew a little love and care at the end.
Put a small donation towards your great work in Smokey’s Joe memory. He knew love and kindness in his passing. Sometimes that is all we can offer.
Thank you for the donation. I couldn’t do what I do without all the support that is sent their way. One of my friends who was with me when SJ passed asked me how I can do this? I don’t know what inner strength I possess to be able to help these cats through the transition of life to death- perhaps the death of my son over 38 years ago started the process. I do it because somehow I can and sometimes, though not always, I do make a difference.
I couldn’t do it without your help- advice and support both financial, emotional and spiritual so again- thank you all-