Today I wept

Today I sat at my desk and wept for a cat I never met.  A cat trapped last night by someone else in the rescue and transported to the vet this morning by yet another person so I never met the handsome black kitty with copper eyes.  His injuries were beyond repair and the vet said he was clearly suffering.  He back legs were swollen to at least twice their normal size and his paws were even more swollen.  He had to be euthanized -- it was the most humane thing to do.  So I cried.  Crying didn't make anything better, but still I wept for the kitty who died today.  But, at least he died with a name (Wade) and he passed quickly, whereas he would've have suffered and most likely died a slow death had he not been trapped.  I'm thankful we were at least happy to help him, although it wasn't the help I had anticipated.

And then our spay/neuter vet emailed and said one of the adult cats recently taken in that went in for spay today had a diaphragmatic hernia -- which where Lacey's hernia is is most likely from being kicked per our vet.  And I wept some more.  But then I realize Lacey is safe now and she's in a foster home where she'll get love and attention (and the hernia surgery will be done very soon by a specialist).

And I think about the two cats in very bad shape taken in over a month ago.  In such bad shape, they went straight to the vet with no stopping at go (Monopoly reference).  Those two boys each had to have their left eye removed, as did other cats from the same situation taken in another rescue group.  And it makes me sad.  But these two boys are doing well and Casanova is doing so well that he'll be up for adoption soon.  Capone is very shy and needs a lot more care before he'll be available for adoption.

But then I realize we have made a huge difference in the lives of these cats and while not all have had a good ending (RIP Wade), their lives are better now.  So now I smile to push back the tears.