Honor This Kitty’s Memory

My Disciples,

I know that when I post lost cat posters, it brings great sadness, but I feel that the importance of raising awareness about how many free-roaming cats go missing trumps the negative emotions that awareness may bring. But I was really torn whether or not to post the images that the Guardians brought home about a month ago. In the end I decided that, although these images were the ultimate in sadness, not posting them would be a disservice to the kitty whose life was lost. The best way I know of to honor the kitty is to show what happened to him in the hope that his tragedy will prompt humans to make sure their own kitties don’t suffer a similar fate. So, here is one of the images the Guardians brought home.

The Guardians found the body of a kitty on the side of the road. It was covered with a piece of cloth and had a note attached.

The poor kitty had been killed by a car. Some kind person found his body and moved it to the side of the road. She covered him, and left a message in the hopes that the cat’s guardians would be able to bury their kitty and get some closure. The next day, the body of the cat was gone, and the following note was posted on a nearby telephone pole.

The next day, the cat body had been removed and this note was left on a telephone pole.

I feel deep sadness for the loss of the kitty. I also feel great empathy for the woman who found his body and is trying to return the remains to the family. It is a great kindness to try to give someone closure instead of leaving them to wonder what happened to their kitty forever. Assuming this kitty was not feral or abandoned, I also feel sympathy for the family who lost their cat. Whether they had intentionally let him roam free or not, this was certainly not what they wished would happen.

Most of all though, I hope that this poor kitty’s fate will be taken to heart by any humans that hear of it. Do not let your cat end up like this. You have the power to prevent it. All you must do is give your kitty safe boundaries. His or her life depends on it.

So Sayeth Otis

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Making the Neighborhood Safer for Wildlings

My Disciples,

The Brothers, the Guardians and I were all very sad after one of our neighborhood wildlings lost his life to a car. The Guardians know they will never be able to make the roads completely safe for the wildlings, but they did decide to at least do what they could to raise the awareness of people driving by. To that end, they put up a new sign in front of our house this morning.

Here is the sign that the Guardians erected in front of the house. It’s not much, but at least it might make people look more carefully for wildlings as they are driving by.

The Guardians figured this was the least they could do for the wildlings considering how helpful they have been in the garden. If the sign even gets just one person to slow down and look, or stop texting long enough to keep their eyes on the road, then it has served its purpose.

So Sayeth Otis

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Sadness Sunday

My Disciples,

This morning was crazy and scary and, ultimately sad. One of the Guardians had to work today, so she got up early, went through her morning routine and headed out the front door. Moments after she left she came running back inside. She ran to the bedroom, shouting to the other Guardian and I only caught pieces of what she said. I heard the words, “emergency”, “help”, “hit by car”, “hurry” and “road”. I was chilled to the bone thinking that Mama Cat, Nacho, Cookie, Whisper, Beatrice, Minerva or any of the other dozen or so Limbo cats living nearby had been hit by a car, but then I heard the word “raccoon”.

So, one of the wildlings had been hit. This news was no less sad, and now I wondered if it was the big ‘ol male I call “The Beast” or the dainty female who helps the Guardians in their garden. I was worried for both of them.

From the Guardians’ conversation, I deduced that a Raccoon had been hit by a car. I hoped it wasn’t anyone I had met, but it was sad no matter who it was.

The Guardian that had been sleeping got dressed in about four seconds and went running out the door with a pair of leather gloves. The other Guardian grabbed a box and followed. When the Guardians came back in they both smelled of stress and blood. This scared Me so I ran and hid. When I came back out, both of them were gone. I knew they were OK, but I was still worried about the wildling.

After the Guardians left, I came out of hiding, but I was still worried about the fate of the wildling.

The Guardian that had jumped out of bed returned over an hour later. As he came in the door, I could smell the sadness on him. He came over to the couch where I was resting, patted Me on the head and said, “He didn’t make it buddy.” I gave him My best, “everything’s OK” look, and then settled back on the couch to reflect on what had happened.

The fate of this Raccoon is a stark reminder of the danger that cars pose to cats and wildlings alike. Wildlings don’t have Guardians that are responsible for preventing them from being in harm’s way, but cats do. If a Raccoon is struck by a car, it is a sad, unfortunate accident. If a cat is hit by a car it is even sadder, because the cat should not have been allowed to be in the road in the first place.

Please watch out for both the wildlings and the Limbo kitties while you are out there on the road. And please be true Guardians to your own kitties and keep them safely out of harm’s way.

So Sayeth Otis

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When Guardians Fail

My Disciples,

I am filled with a deep sadness today that is also tinged with anger.  Another one of My feline brothers has become a victim of his guardians’ failure to keep him safely contained.  The Guardians of Otis met this kitty only once.  He was an older Siamese mix that lived about a quarter-mile from our home.  On the day the Guardians met him, the kitty was sitting in the sun in his driveway.  The kitty began to roll and purr when the Guardians spoke to him.

I imagine that this is what people who let their cats roam free think their kitties need, free and unfettered access to sunshine and fresh air.  But the car tire that is visible in the photo that the Guardians took of the Siamese kitty is also something that is very common in the world without walls.  Unfettered access to sunshine and fresh air also means access to all of the less pleasant things the world has to offer. Setting boundaries is an act of responsibility and love, not cruelty.  In the blink of an eye your kitty could go from rolling in the sun in front of a tire to rolling in the road underneath a tire.  That was the fate of this poor, beautiful, Siamese boy.

Here is the Siamese kitty on the day the Guardians met him. I will not show you an image of what they saw today.

As the Guardians were driving home from breakfast this morning, they saw the Siamese kitty again.  This time he was in the road.  His lifeless, flattened body rested on the white line by the right shoulder.  His fur was soaked by the rain.  There is no excuse for this premature death.  I have no doubt that the kitty’s guardians will be devastated by their loss.  I am not without sympathy for them, but I must insist that they learn from their mistake.  Simply put, if you don’t give your cat safe boundaries, and the cat is killed by a car, predator, crazy person, chemical, or any of the other infinite dangers out there, that is 100% your responsibility.

Cats are psychologically incapable of setting safe boundaries for themselves.  That is why we have guardians (or hopefully Guardians).  Cats do not need complete freedom to be happy and healthy.  They need to have their needs met within the safe boundaries that their Guardians create for them.  If you are incapable of creating the safe and enriching environment that a kitty needs, then a cat is not the pet for you.  Please work with Me to help ensure that not another kitty suffers the fate of My fallen, Siamese brother.

So Sayeth Otis

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Possum And A Tabby Cat Are Lost

My Disciples,

One of the Guardians had to take a drive out in the country for work, and it appears that country cats are going missing just like city cats.  The Guardian found two lost cat posters on his drive.  The first one announced that a white + tabby cat had gone missing.

This white + tabby cat has gone missing out in the country. I purr that he is alive and safe.

The second poster that the Guardian saw announced that a cat named “Possum” was missing.  The poster was on a telephone pole along a very busy road.  I felt very sad that someone would name their cat “Possum” and then let him wander free near the road.  I have heard what usually happens to “possums” in the road.

I purr that Possum has not suffered the same fate that many opossums suffer in the road.

So the cycle continues, even out in the country.  Humans adopt a cat.  Humans let the cat wander free and unprotected.  The cat disappears and a poster goes up.  I have lost count of how many posters the Guardians have found so far, but every time I see one I hope it will be the last.  Every poster is a lesson for cat guardians everywhere.  How many times must the lesson be taught before its true message is finally learned?

So Sayeth Otis

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I’m Worried about Zephyr

My Disciples,

You may remember the cat named Zephyr that the Guardians met shortly after we moved to My new house in Seattle.  Zephyr was one tough tom, and he often got into altercations with Cookie next door.  I am speaking of Zephyr in the past tense because I haven’t seen him in more than six weeks.  Ordinarily, I might be excited by this simply because of the possibility that Zephyr’s guardians took The Good Word to heart and are now keeping him safely confined, but I don’t think that is the case.  The windows of Zephyr’s house face My house, and I never see him sitting in those windows.  In fact, the last time I saw him he was doing something no kitty should ever be allowed to do.  He was crossing the street in front of My house.

This is the last time I saw Zephyr. Why would any guardian allow their kitty to be in such a dangerous situation?

My heart jumped into my throat when I saw Zephyr out there in the road, and I purred to Saint Basil to watch over him as he disappeared from My sight.  Since that sighting, each passing day has lessened My hope that we will ever see Zephyr again.  This has been especially hard for Brother Henry because, although he did not approve of the fact that the kitties were outside and fighting, he had none-the-less picked up some new moves by watching the frequent brawls.  He had dreams of recruiting Zephyr into the Cult of Otis so I would have a backup bodyguard whenever he wanted to take a quick cat nap.  As outside temperatures dropped and snow began to fall in recent days, Brother Henry’s silhouette could be seen in the front window as he held a vigil for Zephyr and all of the other kitties that might be out there suffering in the cold.

Brother Henry held a vigil in the front window during the recent cold spell.

If Zephyr has disappeared, I know his Guardians need a little support right now, so in the last few days I have stopped purring to Saint Basil and begun purring to Saint Pumpkin.  I still hope to one day see Zephyr alive and well, but if that never happens, the most I can hope is that his guardians will keep any future feline charges safely contained and out of harm’s way.  It’s a shame that pain must so often be the catalyst that prompts cat guardians to better protect their dependent kitties.

So Sayeth Otis