I try not to think of the fight that got me here or how long I was alone without any help after I was beat up by those guys. But sometimes I still have nightmares about it.
ISABELLE
 

Hi! My sanctuary name is Isabelle, although I barely remember seeing the sanctuary. I was rescued from a parking lot late one night and brought to Kitty Keepers for help. My wounds were very serious and the human who rescued me and the one who took me into the sanctuary were pretty grossed out. The pain was so bad, I almost fainted, but I didn’t want them to think I wasn’t appreciating their help, so I just purred as loud as I could manage and rubbed my head against their hands — that didn’t hurt too bad because most of the bad wounds were around my hips and tail. In the morning I was whisked off to the doctor and I haven’t seen my Kitty Keeper friends since, although I hear them call and ask how I’m doing. I had a home of my very own once and I hope maybe I can get back there someday, but if not I hope to be able to see the sanctuary again. My condition is guarded and I heard my doctor say that I was “still a challenge”, but they haven’t given up hope on me yet. So far I’ve only had one operation, but I will have to have several more before I can leave.
 
I try not to think of the fight that got me here or how long I was alone without any help after I was beat up by those guys. But sometimes I still have nightmares about it.
 

I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I’m a beautiful, stately Siamese lady and even with the scars on my hips, I’m gonna be a pretty good lookin’ girl.
 

My Kitty Keepers’ friends are getting pretty worried about my medical bills, they sure don’t have that kind of money. Whether I make it or not, they’ll have my bills to pay. An emergency fund has been set up. If you would like to help me you can send contributions to: Kitty Keepers, Bear Paw Credit Union, PJ’s, or Bergren Transmission.
 
You know I heard some humans ask my Kitty Keeper friends “why don’t you just put it down?” Man, I’m sure glad they don’t all feel that way!
 
ISABELLE
 
Last quarter, we told you about Isabelle the brave little cat that was fighting valiantly for her life. We are saddened to report that in spite of the best effort of our vet, she died shortly after our last issue was published. Before she was brought to us she had suffered multiple injuries. She maintained her wonderful purrsonality and will be to live throught three operations, but there was just too much damage to be repaired. She loved people and she loved life. She purred and “talked” to whoever was around her. When she would wake for surgery and as the infection raged through her body, she always derived pleasure and comfort from being held, cuddled and visited. She deserved a good loving home. But at least she didn’t die alone on the street.
 
Are we sorry? Only that we weren't able to save her, certainly not that we tried.
 
Isabelle is a sad reality of what happens to companion animals on the street. And, believe it or not, she was still one of the lucky ones. She died in the arms of people who cared; she was warm and no longer hungry. We will never know if Isabelle was abandoned by someone who no longer wanted her or if she was one of the millions of companion animals allowed to wander at will, unsupervised, outdoors.
 
What we do know is that she lived with someone who obviously took care of her, probably loved her, and that she died a tragic and senseless death. Her injuries did not need to happen! There was no reason for her to be in the cat fight that eventually took her life. If you love your pet, please don’t let it outside to roam unsupervised. It only takes a second for any animal to become frigntened, flee and then lost. If not us believe Isabelle, your cat is NOT happier being allowed outside to eventually die a painful, lonely and sense less death. And that cute little kitten you no longer want is NOT going to be just fine living alone on the street.
 
WILD THING
 
When I was trapped and brought to Kitty Keepers, I was maaaad! Although it had been a long time since I felt safe or had enough to eat, I wanted nothing to do with these people who said they were trying to help me. I tried my hardest to act tough and make them as afraid of me as I was of them. I found out later, that I did a darn good job. These kind people were afraid to mess with me. Still they fed me every day, spoke gently to me and saw that I was warm and safe.
 
Eventually came my vet day and they made me get in a carrier and put me to sleep. While I was asleep they neutered me and fixed my bad teeth. I’m pretty old already, but I’m not telling how old. Without the dental work, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer.
Then I was brought into the sanctuary to be socialized. HA! Fat chance of that I hissed at them.
 
Well today, although my health is failing and I may be crossing the Rainbow Bridge soon, I look forward to my human lap and, yes, I even purr for them when they hold me and scratch my chin.
The greatest gift I have been given is to know love and kindness. Even if I leave my human caregivers sooner than they would like, I leave knowing that there are good humans and that many of my kind will be cared for by these special people.
WILD THING
 
It seems strange that so many tears have been shed over this old guy, we knew him such a short time. But we all loved him dearly. No one was very surprised when Wild Thing crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but we will miss him. He was old and his body had just worn out. He had a hard life on the street and it took it’s toll on him. We will never know if he was born feral (wild), if he became lost or was abandoned by a human owner. All we know is that he’d been on the street a very long time and was feral when he came to us. Whatever his background, trusting humans had certainly never been instilled in him. He didn’t make it easy to win him over either. He hissed, lunged at us, bit and scratched whenever the opportunity presented itself. It would have been far easier to just ignore him, or even just turn him lose again. But we didn’t and it paid off in the love, and trust he eventually gave to us. He died in the arms of one of our volunteers who took him home to spend his last hours with him. She knew he wouldn’t be coming back, but knew it was a gift she could give him that he deserved. He loved us in the last months of his life. Thank you old friend for giving us that. You are why we do this. He will be missed, but not only are we not sorry we got involved with him, but consider it a privilege we were able to make a difference in the life of this one old cat.
 
 
SEBASTIAN
By
Sue Holman
 

Thank you so much for allowing me to write about my favorite subject — Sebastian. We got him as a tiny fluffball at the Humane Society in Kona Hawaii in 1985. He spent his first two days hiding in the garage in the empty space behind the seat of the ride-around mower. The next day he spent in my arms, where he decided life was good and so was the food. He spent his first 6 years roaming around our macadamia nut orchard with up to 11 other cats and became quite the ratter, bringing some for “show & tell”. We had a “head cat” that Sebastian always tried to challenge but only for appearances; he was a cowardly lion at heart. Then we moved the three of us to the mainland where he became ruler of every house we have had.
 
We became vagabonds in a 5th wheel trailer and at the ripe old age of 8 Sebastian learned that a harness & leash weren’t so bad. He loved walking around various RV parks and pretty much (?) obeyed to a cat’s extent. Sebastian would even catjog for a short distance with us. He enjoyed sitting at the window in the 5th wheel on the desk watching people drive by as we lumbered down the highway. We got the most unusual looks from passersby. During this time he started having seizures but started medication that pretty much controlled them. He also decided that the first night after we’d move on that he’d sleep around the top of my head & purr all night to comfort himself. Sebastian learned about dogs on our adventures, meeting up with a Pekinese who marched up & licked his face. Yuck! Dog germs! He hid in the trailer ‘til the next day & here comes the dog again; Sebastian glared at him, raised his paw & flicked a few claws as if to say, “come over here & make my day.” The dog ran off.
 
Also, he became our savior in the 5th wheel. We’d left a slipper against our ceramic heater & in the dark wee hours my husband turned it on & it started heating up the slipper. Half an hour later there was the worst yowling I’d ever heard! Down the stairs from the bedroom I stumbled & there was Sebastian next to the heater howling at the smell of an extremely hot slipper. Any longer & we’d have found out whether the exit window in the bedroom worked or not.
 
We finally decided to quit being gypsies in 1999 & moved back to my husband’s hometown of Gt. Falls, MT. Once again, Sebastian adapted without a qualm. However, he developed a decidedly irksome quirk. Almost every night in the early hours he’d decide it was feeding time. If howling didn’t get results he’d flip the door pulls on the night stand, or he’d jump on the night stand & start flipping stuff off until he got his own way, always stopping short of sending the lamp flying.
 
Being an Hawaiian & now an inside cat, snow was a new experience & he wasn’t certain the experience was a good one. Flicking one paw after another I got the look that said, “get rid of this stuff neow!”
 
July 25, 2001 was Sebastian’s 16th birthday & we held a Sweet Sixteen Party. Served catsa salad, cat slaw, pawtatoe salad & deli cat esssen sandwiches. Of course the cake had a cat on it & he received presents from all. He held “court” on the foot rest & watched as a pot of oat grass appeared, a cybermouse, a fishing pole & soap dispenser that meowed were presented to him. All he needed was a crown for being king of his day.
 
My husband entered Sebastian’s picture at the State Fair & it won first place under “Domestics”. We proudly stood around while people admired our cat, but just for one afternoon.
 
Christmas trees were his delight. In the middle of the night we’d hear a poor victim ornament rolling across the wood floor only to crash against the wall and “disappear”. We would get the famous, “who, me?” look afterwards. We moved all the breakables up higher & left him the safe things. Sebastian had his favorite ornaments to take off the tree — maybe he just didn’t like where I hung them? We bought a train last year (I think we’re in our second childhood) & plan to put it around the tree this year. We had visions of it being “relocated” during the night.
 
Needless to say & obviously we have so many fond memories of our Sebasitian & we had hoped to have many more. However, in his old age, he contracted hyperparathyroidism & had gone from 14 to under 8 lbs. He did his very best to put up with all the pills, weakness & discomfort. We’d hoped to get him healthy enough for an operation to get that nasty parathyroid out. Time & all the TLC we could give him just wasn’t enough. We owed our little fluffball the best; he’d given us his best. Sebastian put up a valiant effort to survive but this morning (October 30, 2002) it was apparent that he wasn’t going to make it for very much longer. We made a tearful appointment to see our vet late in the morning and he confirmed our fears with the addition of a growth in his stomach. His chances were not there and the three of us saw the end together. We had him cremated and are planning on scattering his ashes in an appropriate place.
 
Although we miss him more than words can express and his memory will live with us always, Sebastian is at peace.
 
IZZY
 
 
Izzy, the brave and valiant, was a resident of Kitty Keepers almost from the start. He was old and had asthma when he arrived. But oh what a love.....he just loved life and people. On your worst day, you could drop in and old Izzy would always come out to greet you. Some days his wheezing and snorting was so bad you wondered why he would bother.....but he always did! He just was full of love. And I don't know anyone who didn't go away feeling better after a few minutes with Izzy.
 
This fall Izzy got too old and sick to keep up the battle. He peacefully crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in the arms of those who loved him in return. He is no longer old and wheezing and his joints no longer ache.
 
There were many tears at his passing but the love and respect he gave to us in return for a home and caring were worth the heartache. None of us would trade the time we had with him. There are many wonderul "furry friencds" to warm our hearts and there will be many more, but none will ever take the placed of this special friend.
 
We bid a fond farewell to our old and dear friend and take comfort knowing he is not only in a better place, but that we gave him a quality life during his last years.