I am so sorry. Three friends also lost cats this weekend... 2 Saturday night and one early this morning. Prayers for all those kitty angels and their grieving caretakers/guardians. L ----- Original Message ----- From: Heather Wienker To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 12:47 PM Subject: Hobbs, May 4, 2008
I am very sad to let everyone know that Hobbs passed away Sunday afternoon at 12:48 p.m. His caregiver, Jann, woke up Saturday and dashed around to replenish supplies....but when she got home he was clearly declining. She felt he was suffering and made the decision on Sunday to cease force feedings as he was obviously in pain. She did keep his mouth moist and tried to keep him warm, mostly just allowing him to do whatever he wanted or could. She took a sleeping bag in her spare room & slept with him Saturday night, and spent Sunday morning in her yard with him in the sun, petting and consoling him. We had been trying to find a vet to come to her home, but he ended up passing on his own...which we are grateful for, though she fears she allowed him to suffer. I think had we not tried the treatments of this last week, we would be wondering if he might have had more time. Please add Hobbs to the Candle Light Service, and keep Jann and his sister Sissy in your prayers, they were "two little peas in a pod", as Jann would say. Hobbs was a year old. I am very thankful to Jann for giving Hobbs & Sissy the chance to live the life of love that all kitties deserve, regardless of what is in their blood. We found them when, after 20 years in the same building on a busy university campus, I moved to a new office on the other side of campus. I was very nervous about this decision and kept telling everyone I wished that I'd get a "sign from God". Upon moving, I had 2 injured feral cats colonies in the first two weeks, and also was approached by a new coworker regarding an injured cat, who was Hobbs' and Sissy's Mom. She had an eye & ear injury and my heart immediately told me I had to help her; we did not know she was a nursing Mom. I had been told she was declawed, and that they'd caught her 6 months prior along with a kitten of hers (negative), she also was not injured then. Why she was put back out unspayed, I will never know unless it was because they thought she might have more kittens. When I trapped her, she was not declawed but was positive for FELV, FIV, and a nursing Mom. I really feel that Mama, Sissy, Hobbs, Mickey & Sebastian were that sign from God I'd sought, as they would either still be out there reproducing and likely ill, or would have been put down due to testing positive for Leukemia had someone else trapped them. I set out to find/trap the kittens and found out that 2 ladies had already found 2 of them, I had to give them the news of the Mom' testing status. Both of their kittens were weak double+, but did clear the FIV. Initially Sissy and Hobbs were only FIV+, but they retested positive for Leukemia a month later, confirmed by retesting twice. I was so upset by all that this Mom kitty had been through, and knowing that much of it--including this litter of kittens with leukemia, could have been prevented had she been spayed...there was no way I could not give them their chance. However, being in a small condo with 10 cats, I didn't even have room for another negative cat. It is Hobbs' caretaker, Jann, who gave Hobbs and Sissy the chance for life and love that they deserved, and I know they could not have had a more loving home. I am very grateful for Jann, and know she is hurting badly right now. I want to thank everyone for their kindness, support, advice and prayers. Hobbs was a very special boy, when I first took them to Jann's as kittens she said she felt an instant connection, she has always told me this. His illness and loss has been very hard for her and she has been very appreciative of the support. Thank you all for giving these special kitties love for the time that they have here, it means everything in the world for them. In Loving Memory of Hobbs, Heather
