Category Archives: In Memoriam
“I ask for the privilege of not being born … not to be born until you can assure me of a home and a master to protect me, and a right to live as long as I am physically able to enjoy life … not to be born until my body is precious and men have ceased to exploit it because it is cheap and plentiful.” – Author Unknown
It’s estimated that 180,000 kittens die in Ireland each year. That’s just individual babies, and doesn’t include adult cats. It might just be a number to you. Not to us. We knew and cared for some of them.
Over the years we’ve had a number of cats and kittens die in our care. Some fight valiantly for life, others simply fade away. These pages, and their accompanying image galleries, are dedicated to them, and to all the animals whose lives have been abused and destroyed by people. People whose ancestors domesticated them so long ago.
We hope that, through our TNR programme and through rescuing and caring for lost and mistreated felines, we can save the lives of as many as we can. But sometimes we’re too late and there’s nothing we can do.
With Jenni joining me in 2005 and the subsequent rise in our intake of foster kittens, from a maximum of around four or five to a full house of twenty three (at several points), the number of deaths have increased as well. In addition, more kittens are coming to us in more extreme states of malnourishment and ill health. We can only do our best. I wish we could do more.
All we can do is remember them, tell their stories and hope to whatever gods are out there, if any, that humanity can learn to be humane; can learn to care for and respect all the living things we share this amazing miracle of a planet with.
Please be aware some people may find some of the images of ill and/or neglected animals disturbing.