Hi everyone! Thanks for checking back into to read the rest of Lewis’s story. I’m sad to say it didn’t have a happy ending, unless you count that he was finally relieved of his suffering. Lewis died only five days after I blogged about him the first time. Below is my response to Lewis’s death.
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Lewis only minutes before he died. |
Today’s post is a sad one. I am sad to have to inform you that Lewis, the stray cat, died from unknown, but speculated upon, reasons. I had been checking on him throughout the day this past Thursday, and when we returned home from working bees I went to check on him and found him still alive, but within an hour of his death. He had pretty much fallen where he walked, and other than being extremely weak he did not seem to be suffering. I stayed with him a while, but was not there when he finally died, which I am thankful for because from the state in which we found his body, I don’t think he died peacefully. Dad dug a grave for him out in the vineyard, and he is now resting peacefully. This story leads me to my next part.
I am not normally an outspoken animal rights activist. That being said I do not believe in animal cruelty, nor do I condone it. I believe in listening to your animals and knowing them well enough to be able to recognize when something is wrong. I also believe in spaying and neutering your animals, which is the focus of this current tirade. Lewis died because he was a tom cat, fighting for his territory when another tom cat came into the area. We have a neighbor near by who takes in and feeds all the stray cats that she can, but will not get any of them fixed. Lewis was probably one such cat. Part of a litter that was dumped because they were unwanted, part of a litter that is probably all in heaven now, because someone refused to get their mother and father spayed and neutered.
I take care of the ones I can. I adopt and house the ones I can befriend, but I can not save them all, but we can help prevent the needless deaths, and the horrific pain and suffering that these animals face. Spay and neuter your animals, but perhaps more importantly than that, accept the responsibility that comes when choosing to take care of those animals. As domesticated animals they depend on us, they are not something we can simply discard when the mood strikes. So I say again take responsibility and help prevent the needless pain and suffering of the animals that get deserted.
erinrenn 