Saying Goodbye to a Friend

The photo shows a stray cat who stopped by my house every morning. I wish I could have taken him in, but my other four cats had a big say in the matter. I used to periodically feed him all the food that my cats did not eat, as they have gotten very finicky over the years.

One day last week, it was very cold outside, so I went looking for him. I found him in a pile of mulch in the neighbor's yard. He looked injured. I wanted to get him help, so I called every Veteran and Animal control, but no one picked up the phone. I ended up taking him to an animal hospital in Middletown, Connecticut, which is about twenty miles away.

Yesterday, I learned he succumbed to his injuries. I regret not being able to do more for him. As I was driving to the hospital, I got to know how friendly he was. Having owned multiple cats over my lifetime, he managed to win over my heart during the commute.

I also learned that in my town, the animal control officer picked up another stray cat that had been abandoned along a main road very close to where some inhuman idiot had put him out on the side of the road.

In conversation, I learned that animal control officers throughout # Connecticut treat cats second class compared to dogs. Most animal shelters controlled by #lawenforcement do not have proper facilities for cats. From this day forward, I will be fighting for other cats just like him and will see what I can do to increase the evangelism of laws that put cats on an even keel with dogs.