Saying Goodbye

I’ve been procrastinating, I’ll admit it.  I know this blog needs to be written, but the task is one that is carried out with a heavy heart.  Much of our work at HSAPL is happy and uplifting.  We are dedicated to saving lives, after all.  However, the sad reality is that not every life can be saved.  Dealing with loss is also a part of our experience.  Sometimes the cats that come to us are beyond our help.  The best we can do is to offer them a soft bed and loving care to ease their journey out of this world.  Sometimes their lives have been shortened by previous hardships and they slip away without warning, their still bodies discovered by a volunteer or our executive director, while making the rounds at the end of day.

Whatever the circumstances, every loss is felt deeply, and every life mourned.  Just a few weeks ago I was out at Caring Fields when Pam Walker, our executive director, approached me.  Her usual smile seemed strained and her blue eyes looked a bit red. “We lost one today,” she whispered, her voice catching as she fought back tears.  Forest, a campground favorite, had succumbed to illness, despite having been to the vet the day before.   Sometimes there just isn’t anything to be done but that doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye.

Every time a cat crosses “the rainbow bridge” a tribute is written and an email sent out.  Often Allison, one of our volunteers, will share an anecdote and a photo with readers, and stories trickle in about that particular cat.  A memorial plaque has recently been created in which each of the deceased cats is honored with a listing.  There is really no way to erase the sadness, but we try to comfort one another and celebrate the specialness of each lost cat.

There are many poems written about death, but I particularly like the following:

A POEM FOR THE GRIEVING...

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die...

-Anonymous

Feeding Frenzy

If you happen to be out at HSAPL’s feline sanctuary at 8:30 on a Friday morning, you may think the Cat Whisperer has dropped by for a visit—two Cat Whisperers, actually.  Brenda and Gloria, both volunteers, never fail to attract a crowd of about a dozen cats when they step into the campground to begin their morning feeding.  With ears perked and tails waving happily in anticipation, the crowd of cats follows the ladies in a friendly feeding frenzy to oversee the preparation of their breakfast.

Gloria is a 2-year veteran of the drill and comes twice a week, devoting anywhere from 3-8 hours at a time to the care and feeding of her “babies”.  Brenda joined her about 8 months ago on Fridays and sometimes shows up on Tuesdays as well.  Both ladies are filled with energy and enthusiasm, despite the cold mornings or hot, sticky afternoons outdoors that are part of Florida’s unpredictable weather.

Although their work is accompanied by much laughter, “conversations” with the cats, and even singing, both women are actually doing serious socializing during the time they spend at the sanctuary.  When asked why she chose this area of volunteer work, Gloria responded, “I truly feel that I make a difference with the 150 cats that we have and most [of them] will probably never know another home.  My favorite part is, of course, socializing the babies and watching the ferals become sweetie-pies.”  Brenda expressed similar feelings, “The progress the cats are making is [happening] right before our very eyes.  You can see them trying to figure out how to trust us!  . . .Many of them were pets at one time, and since they don’t currently have a forever home, our human contact . . .is making them trust and love people again!”

Such dedication to HSAPL’s mission of helping cats in need is what has enabled the organization to succeed.  Cats who came to us as frightened, skinny orphans, now join the throng of happy kitties who follow the ladies around, seeking breakfast and perhaps a little scratch under the chin.  Carry on, ladies!  We are fortunate to have such cat whisperers as part of our team!

To learn more about volunteer opportunities with HSAPL, please call 772-463-7386