Ilse the Foster Cat

by Juan Anguiano
(Glenda, AZ USA)

Ilse taking her fist bath...

Ilse was an 8 year old beautiful Russian Blue cat. She was my foster cat... we crossed paths two months ago.

As usual... one evening I was posting animals on the Euthanasia list to my Facebook wall, in the hopes that someone may take pity on them and foster or adopt them.

One particular cat called my attention... she was cowering in a corner of her cage... in fear... she was labeled as human aggressive.

Knowing this, I knew that her chances of getting out were pretty slim... so I made the call and she was pulled out for me.

I was happy to help an older cat in need. I remember the first night I saw her... she was grumpy because she received some vaccines... I was happy to discover she was a chubby lady... but sad to see that she was also horribly matted.

Since I have 3 cats of my own, I put her in the office room for a couple of days, so they could get to know each other through their scent.

The first day she came into my room, she was not aggressive at all. My two female cats came in to greet her.

They were happy waiving their tails... my male cat took some more time.

I decided to give Ilse a bath... I was nervous... but once in the bathroom, she seemed to enjoy the warm water... not a single scratch or hiss... I was surprised.

The first week I noticed there was something wrong with her... she was hardly eating. I took her to the veterinary office to discover she was diabetic, but not needing insulin right away.

I was feeding her and giving her medicine daily with a syringe... she seem to like it... until about two weeks ago her health started to deteriorate so much... she passed this last Saturday around 1 AM... I told her how much I loved her.

Even though Ilse had no desire to play, I bought her her own toys to have... a couple of mice and a funny feather owl... she also loved a small panda pillow.

One time I had to be away from home... and her caretaker told me how happy Ilse was when a small kitten came into her cage to play with her tail.

I still remember the morning when Ilse's cage was being retrieved from her car... with her small panda pillow on the side of her... she was truly sweet.

Even though she was with me for only two short months, I grew to love her... Ilse came from a family who neglected her and did not care for her when she became ill, abandoning her to her fate at the shelter.

Ilse is loved and missed by me and my friends who got to know her... she did not die in a cold cage at the shelter surrounded by barking dogs.

I will always remember her amber eyes, pretty face, and sweet nature... I only wish I could have spent more time with her. Until we meet again, Ilse...