My Scarlet is dying tonight... [View all]

[Contrary1]

She's a feral kitty that I've been feeding for over 15 years. I believe she is most likely the mother of the four kittens I took in so many years ago. Found under a neighbor's deck, three of them are still with me. The 4th, a sweet little girl I named Baby, died about three years ago.

It is almost unheard of for a feral to live this long, according to my vet.

I developed a special call which summoned her to my back porch for meals. All this time, Scarlet never permitted me to get within more than six feet of her.

I was able to bring her in this past weekend. She is so weak that she finally allows me to touch her after all these years...no more growls or hisses. She is in a spare bedroom, bundled up in a blanket. She will not die out in the cold.

I am almost 63 years old, and I have said goodbye to many pets over the years. But saying goodbye to Scarlet...it just hurts my heart so much.

Maybe it's her independance and stubborness that I relate to, but I am so going to miss her.