CATS IN CRISIS
She Died in Her Home With Three Locked Inside
A cat rescue like no other — a tale of feline resilience and survival
My husband and I have participated in numerous cat rescues over the years, but nothing comes close to what happened a few years ago following the death of my long-time friend and sorority sister.
Gina, we’ll call her, passed away in her home during a July heatwave in Memphis. She suffered from various ailments, which unfortunately she wouldn’t address aggressively, as those of us who knew her had begged her to do.
Her three cats were the joy of her retired life. After some reflection, I believe it was her fear of being away from them in the hospital that ultimately resulted in her death.
During our occasional lunch dates Gina showed me their photos on her iPhone. Like me, she had more cat pics than photos of friends and family. She purchased the cats from an out-of-state Ragdoll breeder, but we agreed to disagree about that detail.
My lifelong philosophy is “adopt, don’t buy,” but we didn’t go there. Naturally, I was captivated by the angelic faces of her new fur babies who she named Sugar, Taffy, and Sweets.
