Shima, adopted kitten

Before there was a real home for all the critters, Carol and all of the volunteers used to keep the trapped animals in their homes. Carol had a feral cat who had just given birth to 3 kittens in her bathroom on August 26th, 1998, and I was able to take home a little male two months after he was born. I called him Shima, which means striped in Japanese, as he was an orange and white striped tabby. Throughout his life, he had the best care, but he wasn’t born with everything he needed to live a full and healthy life. He had a constant emission from one of his eyes, a tiny little meow because of some affliction of his vocal cords, and an allergy to his own dental plaque. He finally had to have all his teeth pulled out in his tenth year. But despite all of these things, Shima was the most loving, affectionate and sweetest of cats. I called him “my little love sponge.” He glommed onto me and was never far from my lap! But, he kept his distance from other people.

In September he began to cut back on his food, then he began to refuse to eat altogether. I began to force feed him, but he was beginning to throw up what little he ate. Then he lost his meow! After x-rays, and a second opinion, he had an ultrasound and it was revealed that Shima had a large tumour in one of his lungs. He was scheduled for surgery, but then after checking back with my vet and really understanding the difficulties of the operation and post-operative care including a feeding tube, I realized that it was impossible. I brought him home and let him live out is remaining days in the company of two other cats. The vet came to my house on November 17th – the one sunny day between storms - and Shima went to cat heaven. I’m sure you all understand the deep grief we feel when we have to say goodbye to a dear companion who has loved us and who we have loved. I carry strands of his orange and white hair with me in my locket, so he is not far from my heart.

Here is a picture of Shima taken a month before he died.