In Memory of Cupcake               March 14,2012

I'm so sad to have to tell everyone that our dear sweet little Cupcake is gone. We'd been so hopeful lately since she'd managed to shake off the fever for several days in a row....but this morning Shauna, our kitty nanny, noticed that Cupcake suddenly started breathing very fast. Jane had just arrived at the sanctuary and rushed Cupcake to Central Texas Cat Hospital, but there was nothing that Dr. Smith could do except to help her pass peacefully, without pain, and surrounded by loving hands.



 

It's especially sad when we lose a young kitty like Cupcake - and even though we know that on average, half of all the kittens born with feline leukemia don't make it to their first birthday it's still always a terrible shock when it happens. But can you imagine not having shared in Cupcake's wonderful life, even though it turned out to be only a few months long? Each cat who comes through our door steps into a lifetime of love from all of us, and even when that lifetime turns out to be short we've made a tremendous difference in it.

Three years ago we lost another very young FeLV kitty who had touched us all deeply, and whose loss left a huge hole in our hearts. His name was Calvin, and back then I wrote these words about his effect on us:

"Calvin is gone now. But when the next new hard luck case shows up, with two strikes against her and a curve ball headed her way, we’ll pick her up and let her suck on our shirt, or chew our buttons, or whatever else she wants to do. We'll love her, laugh with her, and gladly let her steal our hearts. And whether it's for only a few weeks or for many years, we'll do it in part because we were lucky enough to have once known a magnificent little cat named Calvin who showed us just how important it is to live every minute of life to the fullest."

Part of Calvin's legacy is the love and care we give to all who have come after him, and all those yet to come. It's incredibly difficult and painful at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything and I'm sure you all feel the same way. Thank you so much for being part of the Shadow Cats family, through thick and thin, for Cupcake and all our other little angels.

                                   David Murphy