Innocent cats victims of people's thoughtlessness

The cold days of early winter were cruel to many, but particularly cats abandoned by their owners. One kitty, year-old “Cleo”, came to Michael Sowders at LifeTime Friends Cat Sanctuary in the company of eight more cats rescued by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in late November.

Cleo was in really bad shape. Surgery found she was being poisoned by a mass that proved to be a dead fetus which her little body was apparently trying to reabsorb. She was close to death, and needed to have a kidney removed as well as the necessary spaying. Her miraculous recovery was a holiday gift to all who worked hard to save her, and she is now ready for adoption at the Cocolalla sanctuary.

Another event, which took place on one of the coldest days of December: I arrived for work on my Tuesday morning shift at Sanctuary Seconds Thrift Shop at 9:30 a.m., temperature 5 degrees. On the front step was a double box, punched with a few holes, with the following information printed on it. “Sue Kitty” (SueKee), 7-year-old spayed female; “Gubbie,” orange Manx male, 1 year.”

My heart nearly stopped. Terrified that the box had been there overnight and with no idea of the condition of its contents, I carried it into the shop. There was no movement, no sound, and my tentative calls of “kitty, kitty?” went unanswered. I couldn’t face opening that box alone. If I had found two dead cats in there I’d have been devastated. I called Michael, leaving a message since he was out cleaning his 65 litter boxes in the three “cat-houses,” but soon a co-worker at the shop, Karen Cline, came in as moral support, and together we lugged in the big kitty-cage to place the cats in — if they were alive and well.

Then we opened the boxes. When we lifted the top one off it disclosed a large hole in the top of the lower box, out of which popped an adorable fluffy gold-orange head. It had to be Gubbie. Friendly and anxious, he allowed us to lift him out, cuddle and hold him and put him in the big cage. Then we looked into the straw-lined box. Nothing.

Obviously, one of three things had happened. The owners decided to keep the female, who for seven years had loved and trusted them; or a passer-by saw the box and took the kitty (good for them!) — or somehow she, in terror, had worked her way out of the inside box’s hole and between the outer box to escape — to what? A 5-degree day next to a busy highway with no homes or even shelter around. What could survive that?

Michael came into town to pick up Gubbie — a personable, beautiful boy that I’d have taken in a heartbeat if I didn’t already have six cats (and a Blue heeler to herd them). All of us made a concerted search of the area for a terrified cat, but had no luck. I pray that one of the afore-mentioned “good” things happened to that poor creature, who certainly didn’t deserve to be tossed out like a piece of trash (or a thrift shop “donation.”)

I know times are tough, but somehow we’ve all got to do better by the creatures we have opted to care for. Loyalty and unswerving, non-judgemental love are the gifts that only certain animals can give — cats and dogs most of all. And their dependency on us is their one caveat for years of daily hilarity and soul-satisfying friendship. Please, love and treasure your animals; spay and neuter, and adopt a couple if you haven’t any —- you’re missing a heart-healthy experience.

The sanctuary’s number is (208) 755-6298, please leave a message, Michael will return your call. The Thrift Shop is located at 806 Lake St. (look for the big yellow sign). And never, ever leave frightened animals in a cold box on a doorstep. I almost didn’t go to work that day! What would have happened?

Valle Novak is a longtime writer and columnist for the Daily Bee.