Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Such a Sad Day ...

I would like to say that Monday started like any other day ... because that's how stories start ... but it didn't. It was election day and we got up early to go vote before work. I went back home to work on kits and Charlie went off to the store. He called mid afternoon to say he needed to make a trip to the city after work for bags. I was up for that !! We zipped into the city, got our bags and packaging, slipped over to Costco for a medley of fruit, and grabbed some supper and headed home . We listened to the election results on the radio ... that may be where the sadness started. It was a history making day ... not history I liked , but history nonetheless.
We turned onto our road. Just two houses before ours we saw eyes flash on the road. There was animal walking up the middle of the road. Slowly. Deliberately. I couldn't make out what it was. We kept going slowly, expecting it to run off. No. It continued walking towards us. Finally it sat right down on the white line, starring into our trucks headlights. It was a cat. It sat stone still in the road. I got out, thinking it would scare him off the road. No movement. I walked to the cat and touched him. Nothing. Another car was coming up behind us, giving me a bad vision of us both being hit, so I scooped him up and carried him off the road. I thought his hair felt really matted on his belly. I set him down and still he stayed. In order to keep him from darting into the car's path, I reached down to pat him. .................. oh my. I felt instantly sick to my stomach. It wasn't matts. I could feel every bone, every vertebrae, everything. That cat was starving.
By this time Charlie was out of the truck and the cat was walking towards a water trickle in the ditch. We picked him up and took him home. Still no resistance.
We set him up in the woodshed with food, water, a litter box, a bed , and a blanket. He purred a mucousy purr and rubbed constantly against us. He was a little unsteady but seemed content to be there. He was so thin and probably sick. But he was sweet and loving. He ate food and rubbed. We left him to have a peaceful night and to fill his belly.
In the morning we realized that he was probably blind. His eyes were large vacant orbs. Again he rubbed and rubbed. Charlie took him to work in a carrier and called Animal Control so he could go the vet and eventually to a shelter. He lay contentedly in the carrier, responding to pats and affection until the Officer came.. He called the Vets and told them if he was unadoptable because of blindness we would take him back and keep him - somehow. The Animal Control Officer returned with the cage ... and bad news. When he came out of the carrier , he could barely move his back legs. That poor cat was so ill that most of his organs had shut down. Those that hadn't were in the process of doing so. He hadn't eaten , they estimated, for 2 weeks. He had to be put down, there was no hope.
I was blown away. I knew he was sick but had no idea it was so bad. And then I was heartbroken. That poor soul had walked right down the road to the front of our truck. Had it been someone else not slowing for their driveway, he would have been killed then. And then to find out that he had been neglected so badly and for so long, he just would not survive ... and yet he still purred and offered us loving rubs. How on earth anyone could leave an animal to suffer like that ... I shed many tears yesterday for him and for the ugly world that lets that happen. It was such a sad day.
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Rest in Peace Stevie.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I cried when I read your post thank you for kindness to Stevie:) I do not know why people behave the way they do but people like you have a special place reserved in Heaven for them. I have two cats of my own and love them and do not know what I would do without them in my life :)

Anonymous said...

I too cired when I read your post. Heartbreaking in deed!! But on a brighter note..Stevie knew WHO whould stop for him and WHO would take him in for some TLC...even if only for a short time. The world needs more people like you and Charlie!! <3 you guys!! From one cat lover to another!!

Terri Corbett

Anonymous said...

Oh, Pam...I am so sorry to read this. I don't know how people can do that to an innocent animal. I am so glad that Stevie found you and Charlie for a little TLC.

Jill


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