Letters from Ascension Hermitage and Sanctuary

Maybe it is near the end of September, but the afternoon is still hot - time for a swim, according to Piper!

It is with much sadness and no surprise that we said goodbye to Bagheera this morning - he was one of the sweetest, most affectionate cats ever. He was about 9 or 10 years old, but was in very poor health - he never really recovered from missing his brother and best friend, Andy. Andy was stolen in 2017 . . . the thief only stole non-black cats, so Bagheera was left when his brother was taken. At first, he lost all of his fur, entirely stress-related according to our vet, and then developed kidney failure. Bagheera did have other cat friends - Mr. Boots and Merwyn - the three often sat on the window seat together, but in the end that couldn't make up for his lost brother. I held him last night and whispered that he should wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge - and that maybe his other brother, who died as a young kitten, would be there waiting for him. Farewell, sweet Bagheera.

And what is the best solution to a hot afternoon? That would be a shower, Willow says, so glad my humans are trained to help!

Good morning! And what's on your agenda for today? Definitely a nap for the beagles!

Sammy is settled in for the night . . . everyone else is too! Goodnight, sweet dreams!

Unfortunately, we have more sad news - our sweet kitty Catherine died very suddenly.  Catherine had lived at Sanctuary House for five or six years, and was just almost 7 years old - she was neither old nor ill in any apparent way. I saw her last night and she seemed quite fine - this morning she was dead. Catherine was the cover girl for More Cats of Sanctuary House . She was a three-legged kitty, having lost one hind leg in an accident at the trailer park where she was born. She did not like being held, but was otherwise friendly with people and cats, and ignored dogs completely! Her best cat friends, Marla and Jenny, will miss her most of all, and of course I will too. Farewell, Catherine, rest in peace sweet girl.