IN MEMORIAL
Remembering Old Friends
Here we we keep the memories of special cats who we've had to say goodbye to over the years. They'll forever be in our hearts.
TINY TIM
Tiny Tim was Sammy's brother and was sickly his entire life. He was also very feral until his health took a serious dive and he came to live with one of PURR's volunteers. He only lived indoors for a few months, and even then he hid a lot of the time, but it seemed like he really understood that he was loved.
One of his health issues was a terrible disease called stomatitis, which is one of the worst conditions a cat can have. This disease causes the immune system to attack the teeth/plaque/enamel, etc. It ultimately causes sores throughout the mouth and even down the throat.
One of the most aggressive treatments is to have all the teeth removed so we did that. Even then, he continued to regularly get terrible sores in his mouth and throat that would get inflamed and infected.
We were able to treat him with steroids for a short time but their effectiveness diminished quickly. Sadly, we decided that the most humane option was euthanasia. We will always remember this little guy.
HANDSOME
Handsome was an extraordinarily beautiful, but quite feral, Siamese cat. He loved the freedom of the sanctuary combined with regular feedings and shelters. Sadly, he passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. He will never be forgotten.
Butterscotch
Sept 20th, 2019
We had to let one of our long term foster cats, Butterscotch, cross The Rainbow Bridge today. Butterscotch (formerly known as Pampers) was a senior cat who was surrendered to ACCT and was timestamped for euthanasia. A wonderful woman , Mary Heiser, stepped up and volunteered to foster him. Poor Butterscotch had so many issues; he was originally estimated to be 19 years old (although a private vet aged him as closer to 13) and was FIV positive.
He had diabetes that had never been treated and appeared to have had a broken hind leg that had healed incorrectly. Even after being rescued from ACCT, Butterscotch continued to have a lot of issues. He developed a URI, a UTI and his sugar levels were never able to be fully regulated. He also had some behavioral issues that may have been side-effects of his medical condition but would have been difficult for most people to handle. Yet, through it all, his foster mommy was so patient with him and always put his well-being first and foremost. I would venture a guess that the six months he spent with Mary was the only time he knew what it was like to be loved.
Butterscotch has been steadily declining and today he woke up showing a number of really concerning symptoms. We decided that the time had come to consider letting him go. Mary got him into the vet and the vet confirmed his belly was full of fluid and the decision to let him go was appropriate. Mary gave him kindness and love up until the end.
RIP, Butterscotch. I hope you find a place where you aren’t in discomfort or pain anymore and you can find the peace that you longed for. Thank you Mary Heiser for accepting him with all his idiosyncrasies and giving him such great care and love even in his last moments. Thank you Angela Seward for promoting him and helping us rescue him. Thank you to all the generous supporters who donated towards his care. Thank you to all who prayed for him and shared his story.
Although Butterscotch was only in foster care with Mary/PURR for six months, I am sure they were the best months of his entire life. Today is a sad day, especially for Mary, who devoted so much of herself to him. Thank you again to everybody who ensured that Butterscotch didn’t die alone and terrified at ACCT. Please keep Mary in your thoughts and prayers today.