Hawk and Dove

You promised to always love them...

People are inherently good; this is what we want to believe. Every so often the things people do make us sick to our stomachs and situations make us feel powerless to ensure it never happens again.

I was tagged on Facebook about two adults who had been abandoned in a carrier. I was still not keen on taking in fosters at this point. No one would help, so I drove down to meet the elderly woman who’s granddaughter had posted. When I arrived I could tell she didn’t have all of her faculties. She was very sweet and spoke to me about her dog, before I realized the cats were in the tiny dog carrier. I asked her where they came from and got two stories simultaneously: my neighbors moved and left them here, but I said I could let them live here. Her plan was for them to stay in the carrier but she wanted them to have a home. I thanked her and took them home.

Their pain slowly began to unravel

Hawk, the Tortie/Tabby (Torbie) and Dove, the colorpoint, weighed more than 10 pounds each. The carrier they had been forced into was suited for one cat this size. They were obese, dehydrated, starving, and terrified. Since I had no space at the time, they remained in a large wire dog crate. These were supposedly living house cats, however I was unable to touch them. This was my first trauma case. Chris and I made the decision to move them into the house and subsequently my office. We started with a pen, litter box, and the large walk in closet. I would sit with them daily, talk to them, and be present in the room. My husband would come in daily and help with the chores. One day, while cleaning the sandbox, Dove hesitantly head-butted him. I almost cried. After 2 months of being petrified and shut down, these two started to open up and show us how incredibly sweet they were.

Then I got a surprise:

Hawk had begun to open up and relax...a little too much. As it turns out, in addition to abandoning their cats, they also had neglected to spay her. This was another “oh no” moment for us, because it was going to cost more money we didn’t have. We scheduled her with the cheapest vet at the time and realized we needed to figure out how to transport her, because carriers were so terrifying for both of them. We made a strange compromise, a large sterilite tote with a wire covering. This vet was a hassle, they kept forgetting what our tax status was and the staff was rude. This would be one of the last times we used them. Hawk made it through surgery easily, but we were chastised about her weight and the state of her uterus. Heather and I explained again how she came to be with us and what steps were being taken to keep her healthy.

Hawk had more cysts on her uterus than I have ever seen. There was almost nothing healthy left about it. Her massive obesity poses serious risks to her recovery.

Thanks, we said. After her spay, Hawk was the sweetest cat. We made a few observations about them: Dove was most likely her kitten, since he was so attached to her, but was younger. We knew they were going to need a home together.

It took 5 months

Adoption day came in the form of someone who understood they were still traumatized and needed some extra time to relax and open up. Their mom and I still keep in contact and I get updates when I request them. This is probably one of my favorite success stories, because these two did not deserve the actions their humans took against them. I was never able to get contact information for their dumpers. I wanted to hold them liable for the pain they caused these two, but it was a battle I lost. We won the war, which is all that matters.

UPDATE: 7/16/2021
Not all of our updates are happy

-but closure is important.

Hawk (Dazzler) crossed the rainbow bridge today after a battle with mammary cancer. I am devastated. This sweet girl will always hold a special place in my heart. We believe that #EveryLossIsALesson and the lesson here is to spay and neuter your pets. Hormones ravaged her body for 5-7 years before we got her. The damage was already done. I am grateful to her mom for giving me closure-and despite all of the positivity surrounding them coming to us and being adopted, I still feel intense hatred for the “family” that simply left them behind. I will always love you Hawk and am grateful you spent your last 3 years with a family who loved you the way you deserved.

I was reminded of a poem I wrote for them:

I took your cats today,

The ones you left to die.

I took your cats today,

Did you know that they can cry?

I took your cats today,

The hissed, scratch, and bit.

I took your cats today,

It’s ok, I can take a hit.

Now your cats are happy,

I’ve retaught them how to love.

They’ll never be alone again,

I renamed them Hawk and Dove.

Rest In Peace

Hawk (Dazzler) passed away due to mammary cancer complications. She was well loved by her family and provided them with all of the thanks and grace she gave us.