We Live to Love

It’s the kind of litter that, as a rescuer, you peer into the cage and then take a deep breath.

You exhale almost with a low gasping sound and a shake of the head, as you’re immediately saddened at the poor state the little ones are in. You also breathe, as if to prepare your heart for the struggles ahead to get them better and knowing from experience that they may not make it.

But you’re driven to try and you know they may get better with supportive care. They don’t deserve to be killed because they caught a virus.

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon sight in shelters and for our foster homes. There are several tough feline viruses our foster homes deal with including calicivirus, corona virus, leukemia, panleukopemia, and rhinotracheitis. Some for which there is no cure.

Months later… after needles into tiny flesh to give subcutaneous fluids, syringes of oral meds, eye drops, force feedings, and rest…you breathe a sigh of relief.

Then you exhale and hold back tears as you adopt them out, one by one, and you hear gasps of excitement when their new parents meet them.

(‘Ocean litter,’ all adopted 2010)

“What right do we have to do nothing about it?” – STH