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Saralee
(c) 1996-2000, PetRescue.Com
Saralee is one of our long term
residents here at the sanctuary. It’s hard to believe that this pretty
little cat is the same ragamuffin we picked up late one rainy night in
March 1994.
We had first seen her outside a gas
station going through the dumpster. She was skin and bone and very, very
pregnant. We put out some food which we always carry with us for these
occasions. She ate voraciously but kept a wary eye on us. Suddenly, out
of the shadows, we noticed several more cats slinking up. Soon there
were seven! Much to our dismay, three more of them were also pregnant.
We spoke with the owner of the property
and offered to trap the cats, have them fixed, vet checked and then
return them to the only home they had ever known. He emphatically stated
that they were "just wild strays" and he didn’t want them
around. It was obvious that this was definitely not a safe environment
for them. It was also obvious that the situation would quickly get out
of control after the females gave birth, greatly increasing the size of
the colony. Therefore, we set about trapping and removing them. Over the
course of the next week, we managed to trap all seven of them.
Within a short period of time the females
gave birth giving us a grand total of seven adults and sixteen kittens.
With good treatment and medical care, they soon became healthy and
beautiful and we were able to place most of the kittens in good homes.
Unfortunately, the adults were a different story. They were all feral
and it took us a long time to win their confidence. Even after all this
time, SaraLee is still somewhat leery of us and only very occasionally
allows us to pet her. Most times she just can’t bring herself to
overcome the initial discomfort of being touched. Avoiding humans is an
acquired skill which enables these ferals to survive out in the wild and
they have a hard time letting go of it. Rarely does SaraLee let down her
guard and let us in, so whenever she does, we treasure those moments as
small victories! However, to us, the most important thing is that this
sweet girl is able to live out the rest of her days with her companions
in a place where she is safe, she is happy and she is loved!
We appreciate you taking the time to read
Saralee's story. Thankfully it has a happy ending! If you would like to
contribute something towards her care, please visit our donations
page. Alternatively, if you would like to receive a printed history and
a 4" by 6" glossy color photo of Saralee, you can do so by sponsoring
her. Your contribution will help in her care throughout the coming year.
All proceeds raised through donations
go to help the animals. There are no employees, no administration fees
and no professional fundraisers to pay. Without the support of
generous people like you, we would not be able to continue helping
animals like Saralee.
Finally and most importantly, please
remember to spread the word to always spay/neuter
your pets and help avoid animal overpopulation.
Copyright © 1996-2000,
PetRescue.Com. All rights reserved.
Please read our copyright & reprint policies.
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