11/01/2026
Rescue doesn’t always end in happy endings. There are times when we question why we do what we do but we know that the love we have for helping cats and kittens sometimes comes with heartbreak. We care deeply for these kitties, no matter whether they are here for a short time or a long time. We give them the respect of time and space when they need it if they come from bad situations. Some come out of it and some don’t. Some are easier to adopt and some have quirks that are not easy to find homes for. We love them all the same.
When these kitties across the Rainbow Bridge, whether from old age or something else, we grieve just as hard as we love. We have to process that grief. Maybe we can’t talk about it for days. Saying the words make it more painful. For the volunteers, it can be a week before we walk into the rescue and face the empty spot. For Tammy, she’s there every day and sees that each time. She’s the one who takes kitties to the vet to get checked and is the only one to get the bad news and has to make a heartbreaking decision. As you know, these decisions are awful but you have to remember that you have to do what is in the best interest of the cat. You never want them to suffer. Quality of life is critical. You love the cat so much that you break your heart so that they do not suffer.
This week has been very hard. It’s been a lot. The beginning of the week, we lost two very special cats. Ditch came in from a bad hoarding situation. He was a sort of curmudgeon who gave his love after you earned it from him. If he loved you, he gave his whole heart. He preferred a safe space of a big bed in a cage where he could choose to come and go for a long time. He was old and passed during a nap last Sunday afternoon.
Karma came in as a shelter pull. As many gingers do, he made sure his presence was known. He loved everyone and he loved big. He was loudly demanding but oh so loving of attention. He decided that because of being an alpha ginger, he was best suited to be the attorney of the feline crew. On Monday, he went to the vet to address weight loss and some behavior changes. There are multiple thoughts on what it could be but unfortunately he had cancer. The heartbreaking decision had to be made.
This was just the beginning of the week. Sunday and Monday. Two different circumstances but grieving doesn’t change. No matter how much we hurt, we have to keep going because there are 170 other kitties that need us.
