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I first saw her, a tiny bit of black
and orange fluff, twining around the legs of the man who called
me to rescue her. “I think someone hurt her”, he said.
Picking her up, I saw that her tail and one of her ears had been
cut in half, her eyes were infected and she had a prolapsed rectum.
But in spite of her injuries, the little five or six week old kitten
was purring loudly and rubbing against my face.
In the weeks that followed, Charity
faced many challenges. Although her other injuries healed well,
we were fighting a losing battle against the infection in her eyes.
Charity lost her eyesight and both of her now useless eyes were
removed. She made a rapid recovery and began her new life as a Very
Important Pussycat.
Charity Sue navigated our busy household
without a hitch. An ambassador of friendship, she was always willing
to curl up with new arrivals, comforting them with her soft purr
as they adjusted to being fostered in anticipation of their future
forever home.
With her stub tail and short ear,
she would often sit at our feet and “look” up at us,
her head tilted to one side. “What are you looking at, Charity
Sue?” I would hear my husband ask with a chuckle. Her ability
to find the most unlikely cozy spots was a constant source of amusement.
Who knew that a tall office trash can filled with wadded up paper
would be the perfect spot for a nap? And, how did she get up in
there? And, WHY did she decide to get up in there in the first place?
When not snuggled up in the trash
can, Charity found another spot where she could nap AND help with
my correspondence. She found a Charity Sue size spot on a shelf
under my computer desk that was her secret hiding place. Many an
e-mail was edited by Charity as she “helped” me by reaching
up to tap on my fingers as I operated the cordless mouse.
A wonderful thing happened when I
received a call from a lovely lady named Nancy who was interested
in adopting Charity. Nancy received a glowing reference from her
vet – our own Dr. Cole – and we talked about integrating
Charity into her household. As much as I loved Charity, I looked
forward to the day she would be in her forever home, being cherished
by Nancy as much as she was by me. We agreed that she would stay
with me until she recovered from an upper respiratory infection
she was suffering from.
The next day, Charity took a turn
for the worse; her infection had moved to her lungs in spite of
aggressive antibiotic treatment. Consulting with Dr. Cole, I knew
that her situation was dire, but that we were doing everything we
possibly could.
Last night my heart was broken.
Charity Sue was in my arms as she passed over the Rainbow Bridge
just after midnight. I guess it turned out that she was in her forever
home…but in this case forever was just too short. Someday
my tears will turn to smiles as I tell the story of the very brave
and very beloved kitten who touched so many hearts. I love you,
Charity Sue.
March 3rd, 2004
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