Katie’s Place takes in last chance felines who have nowhere else to go. We have so many seniors in our facility right now that any cat who is five years or younger is considered a kitten.
It’s really sad how many elderly cats are abandoned, disposed of, and rejected by their families. It’s hard to grasp how anyone could show up at a shelter with their 14-year-old cat and leave it behind because they are moving and didn’t take their life long companion into consideration
To top it off, in the past couple of months, Katie’s Place has taken in several blind, or nearly blind, cats.
Two who are particularly heartbreaking are Charlie and Wonder. Both girls are seniors, and both were picked up as strays.
It’s tough enough to be a stray when you have all your senses intact, but to find yourself homeless when you cannot see must be terrifying. How these two survived on the streets without being killed, or even injured, is astonishing.
Charlie came to us from another rescue, because of her condition and age they couldn’t keep her. The particularly sad thing about Charlie is that she was checked out by our vet and found to be in great health.
When you’ve been in the rescue world long enough you become a little jilted and often assume the worst.
If Charlie is in such good health does that mean that she was recently abandoned?
If so, was it because she was blind?
If she simply got out and got lost (since we assume no sane person would allow their blind cat outdoors) why did no one come looking for her?
Charlie is a sweet soul, quiet and loving. She has the run of our hallway, and it did not take her long to figure out the layout.
Charlie has no problem finding her cage where her bed, litter box, and food are. Her door is never closed, and we don’t worry that she will get stuck somewhere. Her other senses have kicked in twofold and she manages just like any other cat.
Wonder’s story isn’t much different. She too was a stray. We really don’t have much information on her, but she is also a senior girl.
Wonder is a bit more outgoing than Charlie. She likes to talk, and comes out often to explore the shelter. It took her some time to feel comfortable enough to do so, but once she figured it out there was no stopping her.
A blind animals adjusts just like a human does. Once they figure out their surroundings they can get around.
If you’ve ever considered opening your heart and home to a senior animal with special needs come by and meet some of our exceptional residents.
Magdalena Romanow is a volunteer at Katie’s Place, an animal shelter in Maple Ridge
