I Cry for Emmy

It is 2:20am. I am sweating. I can blame the sweat on the tears leaking from my eyes. I could. But I won't. It would be unfair of me to do so. The tears are just that, tears. I cry for Emmy. Emmy was Reven's sister. Emmy wasn't as strong as Reven.



At around 945pm we heard a commotion outside. Upon inspection we found Emmy atop one of the hay bales. She let us pet her. This immediately told me something wasn't right. She's usually quite skittish and runs away when humans are around. She had discharge from her nose and mouth, clear simple fluid. Like you or I get with a runny nose. She also had rectal bleeding and severe dehydration. I knew she wasn't long for this world.

But we did what we do for every kitten. We brought her in, cleaned her up, and kept her warm and loved until her last breath. She died under love and care, wrapped in a towel of causes unknown other than dehydration at 1:35am (approximately - sorry I didn't look at the clock). She was wrapped in a sheet of cream linen, and placed gently in her box. We buried her at 1:50am under cloudy skies and lots of moths. She is buried next to her step-sisters & brothers on the side of the house.

It seems for every one we save we lose three more. There is no help for us. We must do this on our own.

Emmy joins several others:
two unnamed litter mates to Machen (female) & yet unnamed boy.
four unnamed - entire litter born to Flower July 2012 - 1 stillborn 3 died a day later - failure to thrive
Stillborn litter of unknown parentage - four kittens early spring 2012
Yoda - brother to Draco, Zim & Nezumi - August 2011
Teddy - brother to Smolder, Leo, Mjölnir, Bigboy, & Random - July 2011
Unnamed siblings to Thor & Ostara (who were born a week after their siblings, and died a few days after that) - April 2011

These are the unnamed, but not unloved cats whose forever resting place is next to the house in which I live.

Among the rescued:
Birdie - who this very weekend will be flying to LasVegas with her new dad, where her furever home will be.
Reven  (Swedish for fox) - attacked by what we believe was a coyote or wild dog. He is healthy today.
Åska - (Nowegien for thunder) - was abandoned by her mother during a severe thunderstorm in April 2012
Flower, Shy, Ash, Random, Zim, Nezumi, Draco, Bigboy, Smolder, Leo & Flame - brought in during heat wave July 2011 (same rescue group as Birdie) - Yoda - one of the dead was among this group.
Pocket - rescued from almost certain death at the hands of cruel owners October 2010.

We readily admit we have more cats than we can handle and stay sane. But we're also not ones to let cats go unloved, like most of our community would do. This is why I say I like cats more than people.

If you're in the greater IN area - and would like to adopt a rescued kitty - please consider coming to us. They are loved and cared for and we will NEVER list them on craigslist or freecycle.

Tonight I cry for Emmy, and remember Yoda's flat little ears, Teddy's ball of fur, Thor & Ostara who were my introduction to what being a rescuer is all about. Tonight I cry for the 17 dead and know that without our help that number would be higher. But I cry anyway, while Reven lays next to me, sound asleep. None the wiser that his sister is dead. I cry for Emmy.