Rescue Cats-- A Love Story From Cat Lady Kim

Every time I post an image of my studio assistant Buttonwillow, I'm surprised at how many Cat Ladies comment that she looks just like their very own beloved bi-color kitty. Miss BeeDub is proud to have so many twins all over the world!

I am also constantly inspired by stories of cat rescue and adoption told by animal lovers from around the globe, particularly those who adopt adult and hard-to-place cats.  One such cat lover is Cat Lady Kim who recently wrote to me after seeing Buttonwillow's portrait, telling me how much it reminded of her of Midy, pictured here.  Sadly, Kim had said goodbye to 17-year-old Midy just days before.

Midy

Here is the story of Midy's adoption as told by Kim:

We have been doing cat rescue since my Hubby and I were married 36 years ago. Most of our kitties have come from the streets. After one of my kitties died (Angel, my Soulmate,19 years of age) we went to the local shelter to open our home to a new kitty . 

My son fell in love with a BIG black and white cat named Snazzy (and they often say, you don't pick your fur baby, they pick you).  Snazzy was 10 yrs of age at the point of adoption. We found out that Snazzy had a mommy and she had been in the infirmary for 6 months. We took Snazz home and kept checking up on Midy. 

We knew we would adopt her even though we never saw her and we were told she had kidney disease. We were told we would have to give her sub-cutaneous fluids every few days for the rest of her life. 
 My darling husband knew I could never leave Snazzy's momma at the shelter...and Hubby said its fine we will learn to give her the fluids.

Finally Midy came down from the infirmary and we got to meet her. Do you believe in Love at first sight?  Well this was it.  She was the tuxedo cat I always dreamed of and there she was. My daughter and I started to cry when we saw her and everyone at the shelter were so excited because after 8 months in the infirmary she would be going to a home to be with her son. People were crying at the shelter. 
 

Snazzy

                          

Midy was already 12 and between her health and she and Snazzy's age, no-one ever thought they would leave the shelter. The people who owned them for a number of years, one day put them together in a cat carrier and left them in front of the shelter over night with a note about them. And there they stayed at the shelter for a few years wondering what the heck they did to deserve being there. Oh I could cry when I think of those wasted years. 

When we brought Midy home, Snazzy ran right up to her in the carrier and I swear they kissed each other through the gate. Even though Snazzy is so huge, he is such a momma's boy, so shy and when Momma came,even after 8 months without her, they were side by side again and they remained that way for the last 5years. When she was so sick with cancer, he would put his big body in front of her to protect her and let her rest or I would see him resting his head on her back. Oh it breaks my heart so that he is without her. We tried everything. I went to an oncologist and had her on oral chemo. All kinds of meds to keep her comfortable...Making the decision to give her peace was the hardest decision in the world but she was starting to suffer so much and I loved her too much to let her suffer. 

Snazzy was with her till the end. I do have other kitties, but he only loved his Mommy. The first night, when I got up to go to the bathroom I heard this weird noise in the kitchen. My big boy was crying for his Momma. Oh it kills me.They have been through so much, I wanted them to have many years of peace. At least Midy had 5 cage-free peaceful years with Snazzy and a family that adored her every breath. 

Aside from the ones we find, we will only adopt seniors to give them a second chance for some happiness. Even if we have to say good-bye sooner, it's important for them to have some quality. They deserve that. We have also decided to volunteer at the shelter where Mid and Snazz were adopted to honor her sweet memory. This will help me with my grief.

Thanks for sharing your story Kim!  I hope it inspires many others to consider adopting an older or special-needs cat.