my baby Olmos died this morning

[czicat]

little Olmos, a kitten rescue from a shelter in michigan, went to the Rainbow Bridge this morning. He was so young i'm not even sure he was a boy. He was separated from his mama kind of violently when mama got sick and needed to be hospitalized. Mama has been in hospital for a week, and i thought tiny Olmos would come through this ok. He seemed ok last night, dehydrated and a little thin, but he attacked his food with such relish, i thought his little body was strong enough that with a little supportive care from me, he would come through this.

i am beside myself because he died about five minutes before i got to him this morning; his little body was still warm. i was in no particular hurry to check on him; i thought he would be his usual bubbly little kitten self and greet me at the door of his isolation kennel (distemper is making the rounds at this particular shelter).

this has completely blindsided me, and i feel like i've been gut-punched. i'm hating myself for not being there to at least hold him as he died. i'm miserable because i lost my tiny one and could not even offer him comfort in his last moments. it's as though he just let go.

i need for someone to tell me why i need to continue in rescue. it has been such an extraordinarily sad week, with Olmos this morning and Freddy, the cat from the "Two orphaned Cats" post, dying on Monday, and Jacinda, little Olmos's mommy, still critical. i know the best way to honor the ones we couldn't save is to help those who still need us, but i am just crushed. i'm not sure i have the strength to go on.

i'm so worried now about Jasper, Olmos's big brother, who shared a kennel with him. Jasper's pain is palpable, human. when i let him out of his kennel, he just sits and looks so sad and lonely and confused. Jasper was there for baby Olmos, now i need to be there for Jasper.

please light a candle for my tiny Olmos, the small baby who passed through my life far too briefly. help me remember him by offering a helping hand to the babies out there who still can be saved. and tell me some happy stories......

catherine

[Karen]

You are in rescue because you are. You helped Olmos just by being kind to him and letting him know love for the brief but important time he had on this earth. THAT is more precious than anything, love.

We cannot save them all, though we hate to think of it, but we CAN and DO love them all. We will all keep his nrother and mom and you in our prayers.

Why rescue?

Because you care,
Becuase there's nothing like the joy and gratitude of a newly-rescued animal
Because so many don't
Because love is something to share
Because it's never the animal's fault that he needs rescuing, it's a person's fault that he even exists, and so it is out job, and compassionate people, to educate others, and to care for the needy.

Because hearts heal, and tears run dry, and another little kitten will need you, does need you.

That's why.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Karen
You are in rescue because you are...

Why rescue?

Because you care,
Becuase there's nothing like the joy and gratitude of a newly-rescued animal
Because so many don't
Because love is something to share
Because it's never the animal's fault that he needs rescuing, it's a person's fault that he even exists, and so it is our job, and compassionate people, to educate others, and to care for the needy.

Because hearts heal, and tears run dry, and another little kitten will need you,
does need you.

That's why.

Well said, Miz Karen! Amen.

Rest in Peace, lil Olmos...
And know that you were Loved while you were with us.

[moosmom]

Catherine,

I'm so sorry to hear about Olmos. But you did what you could for him and you were there for him, that's what matters! I think Karen put it perfectly. You are in rescue because you care!

[Miss Meow]

I'm sorry to hear about Olmos, Catherine.

[czicat]

i have found some catless friends--whose puss died a couple years ago of liver failure--who have taken little Jasper into their home for the night so that he can be out of his kennel and run and jump and do kitten stuff. he acts so much better than he did this morning, when i found baby Olmos.

he is enjoying his food and drinking water and scratching in his box and generally being a kitten. my friends are watching him tonight and will call me if there's anything i need to know about.

poor Jasper must have been traumatized by losing his little brother. they slept curled in one ball, with Olmos tucked inside Jasper's larger body, and Jasper draping his leg over Olmos's small form. it's the first they've been separated since Olmos was born, and Jasper is very sensitive to Olmos's absence. Jasper is one cat who is hurting tonight.

Jacinda's, Olmos's mommy, condition has improved and anticipated hospital release date is Monday, August 19. keep her and Jasper in your prayers, and send them power to heal.

thank you so very, vvveeerrryyy much for your thoughtfulness. i'm feeling a little better tonight, though i can't seem to sleep, and i'm missing Olmos to pieces.

catherine

[lynnestankard]

oh catherine - my heart goes out to you - rip little olmos - most loved furbaby. play with all our sweet kitties at RB.
maybe jasper might be more settled with a tiny stuffed toy to take to bed with him - for him to cuddle.

fingers crossed for jacinda's return home tomorrow.

lynne

[tatsxxx11]

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of little Olmos. Resuce work can be so rewarding, but at the same time so heartbreaking. But thanks to the kindness and compassion of selfless people such as you, so many homeless, abused and neglected animals ARE saved. Try to hold onto the joy of all the success stories you make happen!! Hugs to little Jasper and prayers that Mama Jacinda will soon be home.

[Eric]

I am so Sorry Catherine ~ I wish I saw your post before today ~ I will help you with Olmos and make his special grave with you. I am only two hours away.
I am loosing "Sheba" tomorrow as she has two tumors and can't be saved. I want to give up today also ~ Pet rescue is so damn hard when you loose one.
But if we quit ~~ Then what?? all the babies that will need us tomorrow or next week ~~ what about them ~~ and yes, we will lose again and again ~~ BUT we win many more than we lose ~ Hang in there girl we got allot of work to do ~~ Love you my special friend ~~ Namaste Eric

[Logan]

Catherine,
Bless your heart. If I could I would give you a huge, reassuring hug, right now. What a special, feeling person you are. Your Olmos is in God's hands right now. From your loving hands to God's hands. His little body must have been too weak, regardless of what you did, but you showed him real LOVE, and that meant a lot.
Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Logan

[czicat]

thank you all again. it's a solid comfort to know you're not alone.

Jacinda has been released to home care and she's doing well. She is quite thin, but eats well and drinks plenty and makes solid--poopies. She will be on antibiotic and prednisone for a while, and twice a day i apply warm compresses to her mammary chain, which had a severe infection in it--the specialist vet in Columbus, OH said it is the worst he had ever seen. Her infection was complicated by a hemobart infection--feline infectious anemia--carried by fleas, which release parasites into the bloodstream that destroy red blood cells. The doctor told me that the baby Olmos probably died of the infection that almost took his mother--his young immune system was too overwhelmed. (doesn't help my despair, i can tell you. You're right, Karen--better to live a week and know love than to live 90 years without it.)

i check Jacinda often; as a matter of fact, she stays in her kennel in my office, where i let her out to snooze in my lap while i compute. Jasper is in here, too, but they're not allowed to be together outside the kennels just yet, and both of them are removed from the herd for the time being.

catherine

[Bari_d]

Catherine, I am sorry I hadn't seen this before...as I told Eric, those of us involved in rescue do SO MUCH GOOD...SO MUCH POSITIVE HAPPENS BECAUSE OF YOU AND THOSE LIKE YOU!

Sure it hurts to lose any of these little ones...it hurts to lose them whether they are a week old or 14 years or 22 years...the longer we know them the more we love them.

But you and Eric and others make the lives of these furrballs so much better while they are in your care, in your arms and in hour hearts. Please look at the successes, not the failures - even with the failures, you DID something...you DID at least try to make a difference...there are so many who don't even try.

God bless you, Catherine, and Eric too for hearts dedicated to saving little furry loves.

Karen is SO right in all she said, but especially in this:

Why rescue?

Because hearts heal, and tears run dry, and another little kitten will need you,
does need you.

That's why.

And we can look in the faces of those furrbabies that are still with us and see the love that is given back by the bushel.

Bari

[Eric]

Please Help !! where will this happen next??? ~~~Czicat & I signed this ~~ Thanks for looking ~ Eric
{This is happening in Akron Ohio right now !!! http://www.saveourcats.org/ }


Here is the San Pedro Petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/spfcc2/petition.html

please forward and cross-post. let's get the word out!
--- catherine
--- [email protected]



Feral Cat Caretakers' Coalition
In a message dated 8/21/2002 8:24:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:


An update for everyone

Lauren and just returned from a very intense and urgent meeting with key
persons who will be involved in saving the lives of the cats at White
Point
in San Pedro, California.The cats will be trapped by a private
exterminating
company (not Dept. of Animal Services). ?Refer to
www.peninsulapetrescue.com
for updates.

Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors has hired them to
remove
and exterminate the cats. ?Mary Kaleta, the person who has been
responsibly
caring for some 60 cats was notified of this on Monday 8-19-02. ?Mary and
the
ladies who have been with her for several years feeding the feral cats at
White Point, went to an attorney this a.m. and paid $2,000.00 to see if an

injunction could be obtained to give us some time. ?It is Wednesday
evening
and they are to begin trapping and exterminating on Monday. ?As far as we
know, there are no guidelines on how they exterminate the cats as they are

not under city jurisdiction, such as Department of Animal Services, where
they would be taken to a shelter.

In addition to maintaining and managing her feral cat colony, Mary has
spent
a considerable amount of time and money to build little insulated shelters
to
blend in with the environment into the large boulders on the beach. ?It
took
several months of measuring, etc., to provide a safe and warm place for
the
cats to stay. ?This was authorized and given the go ahead by Dan Knapp.
?The
lifeguard, Kenny Atkins, who has just recently come to this beach, pulled
out
and destroyed all of the shelters she had worked so hard to put in place.
He
is also the person who has instigated this entire pogrom. ?We are not
clear
as to what his motives are.

It was heartbreaking to see the cats hiding in the boulders without proper

shelter with winter coming. ?Under the best circumstances, their lives are

meager and they look forward to their food and shelter and the loving care
of
the caretaker to go there every morning, rain or shine, to put out their
food. ?The beach is mainly rocks and tide pools, not much of a sandy area.
?
You would hardly know they were there and have been for 20 years in
comparative peace - until now.

If you would like to comment on the petition, you can contact
the author of the petition by email, at:

Mary Kaleta, [email protected]


"We won't always know whose lives we touched and made better for our having cared, because actions can sometimes have unforeseen ramifications. What's important is that you do care and you act"

[purrley]

sad, sad sad - my heart breaks when I hear things like this. Catherine - Bless you - so sorry about little Olmos

[czicat]

you should see Jacinda now! she's put on about a pound (she was down to 2.9), eats like her figure is no matter. now that she's filling in the hollows, i can see the quality of her. she's a lynx point Siamese, and she looks so good in her lavender bed. she's fascinated by the blinking lights of my machine, and her limpid blue eyes watch my every move from under the chair in my office, where she likes to nap when she's not in her kennel or on my lap. Jasper is well, too. He is just beginning to lose his milk teeth so i have to make sure he doesn't chew anything too important.

catherine