[Editor: Tadpole passed shy of his first birthday from a viral upper respiratory infection while I was in the hospital, and Froggy passed this morning, at 7 years for no specific reason. They both knew they were ill apparently and hid rather than seeking help.]
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8 comments
(Sigh.) Like many of your readers, Bryan, I’d only just begun to get to know Froggy, and Tadpole never quite registered on my radar. I’m sorry for their passing and for your loss. It’s a tough job being the primary caregiver for feral cats. The ones that remain are very lucky you were not kept longer in the hospital yourself. Look after everyone’s health, please, theirs and your own.
My neighbor [roped cats] called them Tiger Lily and Junior. They were special favorites of his, and he took it hard. They would sleep in his house if it was really cold out. He would have taken them to a vet if he had known, but he didn’t find them until it was too late. Ferals don’t have a long life, so Froggy had a long run, especially with the condition that was responsible for her loud purring, a respiratory defect.
You try not to get too attached, but you do.
Oh Bryan, I am so very very sorry. Two at one time is more than heartbreaking. And, yes, you do get attached even if they’re wild.
Although they weren’t directly related, they looked like mother and son, and are the only brown tabbies we have had in a very long time. Having both of them go at once while everything else was going on, and suddenly, was a jarring. There has been no indication that either was sick.
That’s quite sad Bryan. I liked tadpole in particular, the new kit. 🙂 I even posted some of your pic’s of him on Pinterest.
Yeah, 7 years is a good run for a feral.
Sad.
For the last 5 years Froggy was my companion when I put out the wet food at sundown. It is just another change flooding in at me.
Tadpole was just starting to develop his adult persona, and it look like he was going to be a bit goofy, which is always a nice addition.
The problem with ferals and illness is, even if they come inside, when they get sick, they hide. It is a defensive behavior to protect themselves when they are weak. Unfortunately it means that by the time you locate them, it may be too late to provide effective help.
I’m so sorry. you have my deepest condolences.
Thank You, Hipparchia. You try not to get too attached, but you do, even with the ferals, because each is an individual.