Author: Shadow Cats

In Memory of Willa      9/8/2020 – 5/1/2024

In 2022, we were fortunate to have gotten to know our darling tuxie, Willa. She came to us through TNR efforts, her placement in a home paused by the ever-daunting feline leukemia diagnosis. She stayed in a feral trap for a month as her rescuers searched for a home for this sweet girl, and that’s where we had the pleasure of stepping in.

Willa joined us in Cookie’s Place first, where the lively (and a little chaotic at times) kitten energy proved to be a bit much for this sweet girl. She was shy and reserved, and she didn’t really know what to think about all of her housemates. Quietly and in her own way, she was telling us that another room would be a better fit…Cookie’s Annex! So, the switch commenced. Over time, our wallflower bloomed as brilliantly as a daffodil in springtime.

The normally shy Willa surprised us all when she took to jumping on our backs during our daily tasks; she wanted to be a parrot on your shoulder! It tickled us, and we welcomed this little gymnast’s antics with open arms. She proved to be the perfect patient for her treatments for her congestion and would sit pretty in the nebulizer without even a peep of complaint. She grew to love sitting on laps, often right there with Baylor in the fight for lap time when you decided to sit for even a second.

Eventually, she even grew to be a bit demanding! She would sit on the counter in Cookie’s Annex, peeping through the door right as feeding time rolled around. She’d stare at you quietly, her own little reminder—you better stop in here and give me a plate! She loved to eat, our sweet girl, not missing any meals, and we were happy to spoil her where we could.

Her good appetite and good spirits couldn’t stop the unstoppable force that feline leukemia can be, though, and our sweet girl developed GI lymphoma. We treated her, always prioritizing her comfort, her care, and her happiness. But there came a day when she looked up at us with those beautiful anisocoria eyes, a side effect of her feline leukemia, and told us it was time. Our sweet girl with her sweet pink, freckled nose couldn’t find comfort in her favorite things anymore. We had to make the difficult decision to let her pass on.

In Cookie’s Annex, surrounded by the staff who loved and cared for her every day, who carried her on their backs at her whimsy, and all the cats that lived day in and day out with her, Willa left us. Tearfully, we pet her freckled nose one last time and said goodbye. It’s never an easy decision, but it is the right one, and we can all take some comfort in knowing that our precious girl doesn’t feel pain any longer.

We always ache for more time, but that isn’t always what life affords us—what it does afford us are some incredible bonds with incredible cats, and Willa was one of those. Her gentle spirit, her soft presence, and her innate warmth will be missed deeply and dearly. We love you, Willa. We always will.

Thank you to the staff who loved her so deeply and cared for her daily, to the incredible veterinary care she received, to the volunteers who always gave a lap for our sweet girl to warm, and to her sponsors, Louis L and Lana S. Thank you, to any and all who were touched by our little lover girl Willa.

Willa had 2 Sponsors

Louis Rossi

Lana Stone

In Memory of Amy      10/13/2017 – 4/23/2024

In May 2019, sweet Amy was taken in by our good friends at the Central Texas SPCA. Since their mission is in part finding forever homes, and at Shadow Cats, ours is providing a safety net for special needs cats, we were able to work together with CTSPCA to give Amy the best outcome. Amy was FeLV+, we had a space for her here at Shadow Cats, and are we glad we did. What a character! Amy has kept us smiling over the last few years with her huge personality and charm.

A little background – Amy came to us when we had not yet moved into the new sanctuary. She was a little shy at first, like all newbies, but very quickly became one of the gang. so much so that our sweet girl made friends so easily with all the furry gang and us humans, too! But one kitty took her eye, our handsome boy Punkin, and they were an item from the very beginning, always together and a love story in the making! Or so we thought!

We moved to the new sanctuary and everyone settled so well so quickly that they all seemed to know this was ‘their home ‘. Punkin and Amy loved it! But our sweetest girl, our beautiful Amy was not so interested in Punkin anymore; she seemed to broaden her horizon as they say, others took her eye. 😊 In other words she dumped Punkin! Oh my, Amy! Punkin was fine he moved on as well he had lots of friends in Cookie’s Place, and the once hot and heavy couple always remained friends. Amy made friends with many of the boys in Cookie’s Place.😊 Just like watching a kitty soap opera, it was so amusing!

Amy was always on the go, running from room to room. She was a blur, playing with every toy there was, and an absolute whizz running on the cat wheel – she could spin that wheel so fast. She enjoyed the huge catios and was always front and center when there was activity outside with birds, squirrels, and rabbits, always on the front row, so curious about everything. An absolute love bug, she loved to snuggle with all her friends and she would love to be cuddled by us. She was a favorite of so many of our staff and volunteers, always there with a welcome for us from her. We loved her to bits, and joked with her often that she looked like she had cut her own bangs, like a mischievous toddler who got hold of a pair of scissors!

Over the last couple of weeks, leukemia has raised its ugly head and despite every effort by our amazing staff and exemplary veterinary care, our sweet girl could not stay with us. She told us that she was tired, the struggle too much. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge held in loving arms with gentle whispers in her ears telling her she was loved dearly and the best cat ever.

Amy was a joy, a delight, and a special gift that came to us. Every day she made us smile and she will be missed so much. Her huge personality will be missing from Cookie’s Place; it will be a little quieter for a while. We promise that for every cat that comes through our doors, we will do everything we can for them to give them their best life, and we did that for Amy. She lived her best life, cared for, had lots of friends, lots of laps and shoulders to sit on, and a whole lot of love every day. Amy was almost 7 years old; we celebrate that time and are forever grateful she was a member of the Shadow Cats family.

Reunited with her first love Punkin and all the other special friends she made in her life with us, of late especially dear Newt.

Fly high, sweet Amy, beautiful girl. Always and forever in our hearts.

Thank you to all who loved Amy, our passionate and dedicated staff, and all at Vista Vet for their care. Many thanks to Central Texas SPCA for the gift that was Amy, to our volunteers for the love given every day, and to all her sponsors who loved her from afar.

Amy had 4 Sponsors

Jeffrey Jezierki

Jeanette Cacciola

Catherine Mustoe

LeAnn Chamberlin

In Memory of Penelope      8/24/2023 – 4/18/2024

Sometimes kittens are found during TNR efforts, and they can usually be socialized and adopted into a forever home…but a special conundrum happens when they come back positive for feline leukemia. The solution to that conundrum for Penelope and her sister Purrsephone was to come to Shadow Cats!

So on they went, traveling from Cat Spring, Texas, to our sanctuary. These two little Christmas miracles arrived in December of 2023 and became fast staples in Cookie’s Place after their isolation period. Purrsephone was pretty spunky and had a lot of opinions (some of them rude at first, but we gave her plenty of time to mellow out) but Penelope couldn’t be bothered. She walked right into Cookie’s Place as if she’d lived there all her life, marching to the beat of her own drum.

Penelope and Purrsephone played and made fast friends with Pawl, who loved to run back and forth through Cookie’s Place with the kittens. They were groomed (and taught some manners) lovingly by both Pixie and Bob. Jacky and Ferris would both curiously peek into their kitty condo when it was time to eat kitten food, and Morris opportunistically tried to steal it. The sisters’ bond remained strong, and they could often be seen cuddling peacefully. Despite feline leukemia, they were happy and had lives worth living.

We wish that those lives could be longer, but sweet Purrsephone left us in February. We wondered how her sister would adapt, but Penelope soldiered on as she always did. She was beloved by staff and volunteers alike, and when Saffron and Marigold joined us at Shadow Cats, Saffron and Penelope became the best of friends. They were always near each other, both of them so incredibly playful, so sweet, and noodley as can be. They loved to be held! Penelope even tolerated being put in a cat sling for a time. She’d look up at you with those soft, sweet eyes and absolutely melt your heart.

Unfortunately, the timer of feline leukemia had been placed on our girl. She struggled with upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, and even a collapsed lung. Somehow, we got her through it. She showed incredible resilience, and despite it all, she wanted nothing more than to come out of her condo for playtime. It took us all by surprise when our sweet, brave fighter of a kitten couldn’t fight anymore. After being rushed to the emergency vet with organ failure stemming from leukemia, in the arms of those who loved her, Penelope left us.

While our hearts are broken, and we’ve shed our tears and will continue to, it’s worth mentioning that something incredible happened to Penelope when she made her way to Shadow Cats. She was given a chance. Penelope ran with that chance every day of her life. Nothing could stop her—she was always happy, always ready to play, always ready to soak up some sun on the catio. Every day, and every second and every minute of that day, mattered. She made sure of that. I think we can all learn from Penelope’s resilience and her beautiful spirit. We’ll miss the light she graced us with, but we know now that Penelope is trotting across the rainbow bridge with her sister and we take comfort in that. We know that they’re playing in the garden Purrsephone, our Goddess of springtime, sprouted in her sister’s absence. Now, they’re together again.

Thank you to all who loved Penelope, and thank you to her sponsor, Pam L, who loved her like she was her own. Thank you to our incredible staff for the exceptional care they gave her, and to Vista Vet and Heart of Texas for the wonderful medical care she received in her lifetime.

We will never forget you, Penelope, or the pawprint you left on our hearts.

Penelope had 1 Sponsor

Pam Lind

In Memory of Rose      2/5/2010 – 4/6/2024

Our sweet Rose joined Shadow Cats in January of 2022 in critical condition. Her fur was matted, she was mostly deaf and blind, and had terrible wounds on her legs. She was also feline leukemia positive, which made her prognosis guarded. But Shadow Cats and all of our incredible supporters rallied around Rose. With time, patience, and lots of love, Rose was slowly nursed back to health.

She really lived up to her name! She was so, so soft, soft as a petal, and she often smelled as sweet as a flower. A timeless beauty, our senior girl grew to absolutely adore a good lap to sit on and nothing beat it. If she couldn’t nab your lap and you found yourself on your knees scooping in Annex, she’d lay across your calves! All in all, Rose knew what she wanted: a good snuggle and someone warm beside her.

Sometimes the snuggler would be a person, and other times, it was another kitty! Scotty would notoriously snuggle up to Rose, and who could resist her, as soft and sweet as she was? She’d look up you with those big sunspot eyes and melt your heart—there really wasn’t another pair of eyes like hers. Her way was so gentle that even her meow, normally a tool for insistence with other cats, seemed more a sweet suggestion with her. And we were always so happy to oblige any and all requests Rose had.

Sadly, Rose had a request we hoped to never hear: to peacefully help her pass on. We know our time with them can be limited by feline leukemia, and though Rose only spent a short two years with us, we knew that it was likely more comfort and warmth that she’d known in the whole of her life. She had rapidly declined, her age growing more apparent by the day, and we knew exactly what she was asking us.

In a warm lap, her favorite place to be, Rose drifted peacefully across the rainbow bridge, as soft in her passing as she was in life. Her friend, Scotty, dutifully stayed nearby until the end. Though we’re heartbroken to lose our beautiful, timeless Rose, a real knockout, we are comforted knowing that we could provide her with warmth, happiness, tender love and care in the last years of her long life. There will never be another like our beloved Rose.

Thank you to Vista Vet, to the staff that lovingly managed her medical conditions with a gentle touch, to the volunteers that always had a warm lap to spare, and to all who were warmed by our Rose’s beautiful eyes. Thank you to her sponsors, Jason R and Rebecca R, for loving her so, so much. We’ll miss you, Rose, but we know there are plenty of amazing Shadow Cats across the rainbow bridge who would love to be your snuggling partner.

Rose had 2 Sponsors

Jason Rubero

Rebecca Raphael

In Memory of Toomy      2/14/2020 – 4/6/2024

Turmeric, affectionately dubbed Toomy, started his life in an alley in Puerto Rico with his 3 siblings: Pepper, Mandarin and Ginger. All of the “Puerto Rican Four” were found and TNR’d by a local rescue, Save a Gato, in 2020. These spunky kittens were neutered, vaccinated, and ready to start their brand new lives! But all four ran into a bump in the road we’re all too familiar with: they tested positive for feline leukemia. Without the necessary resources to house these cats, Save a Gato reached out to Shadow Cats, and we blessedly had the space to intake these sweet kittens.

They hopped on a plane and were on their way! It was a precious sight, to see these adorable brothers lined up at the window in our ISO room, listening to the birds chirping, watching the leaves on trees rustling. They seemed enraptured by the world around them and took nothing for granted. When they joined the Cookie’s Place gang, they fit right in. Toomy played as hard and happily as only a kitten can, spending many years sunning on catios, nibbling on treats, getting up to the standard kitten mischief.

We watched Toomy grow into a delightful, handsome kitty. His brothers couldn’t join him on that journey due to the harsh reality of leukemia and it’s unpredictable nature, but even still Toomy knew a fantastic life and many friends in Cookie’s Place. His favorite thing to do was catch flying treats, either with his paws or his mouth, which surprised even himself some of the time! And though he absolutely hated getting his ears cleaned out, he would totally allow you to do it for the small price of constantly scratching his chin and chest.

Toomy had some favorite spots in Cookie’s Place, sometimes sprawled out with Morris and Saffron, some more precious ginger boys. But when you’d walk into Cookie’s Place, so often it would be Toomy sitting proudly atop the cat scratcher awaiting your affections. He wasn’t the snuggliest boy, preferring to sit beside you than on your lap, but he loved love all the same, and love is exactly what he got during his time at Shadow Cats.

We wish our time with them could last forever, but feline leukemia usually has other plans. Toomy was only four, and leukemia sprouted cancer around his colon—untreatable. Though Toomy received many gifts in his lifetime at Shadow Cats: love, plentiful treats, a ready hand to receive scritches from, many toys and tunnels to play in, sunny catios and sunny smiles, we had one final gift to impart…the most gentle passing.

In Cookie’s Place, surrounded by friendly faces and all of his closest kitty friends, Toomy passed adored, treasured, revered until the last possible moment. Our hearts break in his absence, but now Toomy is free to frolic across the rainbow bridge with his three brothers, free of sickness and knowing only sun, only warmth, the purest feeling and fondest memory.

Thank you to Vista Vet, to our incredible staff, to the volunteers that loved Toomy and anyone who looked at Toomy’s sweet face and felt their heart warm. Thank you to those who sponsored him: Heather H, Pat B, Deborah A, and Rain N. All of you gave our Toomy an incredible life, and for that we’re sincerely thankful.

Toomy had 4 Sponsors

Heather Hudson

Pat Brown

Deborah Anderson

Rain Nox

In Memory of Poppy      5/7/2022 – 3/11/2024

Poppy had 1 Sponsor

Sue Richard

In Memory of Macaroon      7/26/2007 – 3/10/2024

This sweet girl was found wandering the streets of downtown Houston, but we are not sure how this little senior girl ended up that way.

She was found by a very kind person who scooped her up from the sidewalk and took her home. She was meowing for help; she was barely surviving and who knows how much longer she had left living on the streets. She was infested with fleas, her coat all matted. No microchip. Her rescuer looked after this frail tuxie girl, weighing just 5lbs. After visiting the vet, she was found to be hyperthyroid but without treatment for so long, some medical issues had manifested and her rescuer reached out to us for help.

We had space in the Oasis area, so her bags were packed and Macaroon was on her way to Shadow Cats. She was named Macaroon by her rescuer who said she seemed like a very classy lady who had fallen on hard times and needed a name that was a classic just like the macaroon cookie.

Even before she was out of the carrier our hearts were stolen; a little tuxie girl was looking at us with big green eyes. We were head over heels in love with this girl in the first few minutes of her arrival. Macaroonie would live a good life from that moment on. You know we love nicknames, so Macaroonie it was and always has been in the time she had with us.

Macaroon was so sweet but a little shy and the Oasis area did not seem quite the right place. An older gal estimated to be around 13 she wanted a quieter life or so we thought! We decided to let Macaroon become an office cat. There was a transformation! Her quirky character came to light. Our shy girl blossomed! She loved laps, she wanted attention, she purred so loud, she wanted to share your lunch and she would almost stare you down with those big green eyes waiting to lick any yogurt left in a cup! Needless to say, she put on weight, which was wonderful😊. Her medical issues were under control. She had a wonderful little strut when she walked, it was so cute. And she would talk a lot, she had this sort of cackle but when she wanted something, oh boy, she could let out a meow that the whole sanctuary could hear! And oh yes our girl snored, um, quite loudly at times!

Some cats have a person and Macaroon chose Jana, our Sanctuary Manager at that time. She would immediately get up from her bed to sit on Jana’s desk or lap! She would ignore anyone else in the office and had eyes only for Jana!

Because Macaroon had become a social girl, we moved her into Harmony to have more roommates which she has enjoyed. She loved the laps that were so readily given by all the volunteers. The tech’s work room and their small office is near Harmony, and Macaroon loved to wander in and out. She also enjoyed wandering, well strutting really, in and out on the catio. As she was on a special diet she would sleep in a very comfy bed in the tech’s office, it was her room, it was always known as Macaroon’s office and always will be.

Over the past months, Macaroon‘s health has declined; she has battled many issues and at almost 17, she was tired. Her stay with us had come to an end. A gentle peaceful passing is our final gift. Macaroon was surrounded by love and light and all those who cared for her every day. We know that she took with her only the best memories of a life filled with happiness and love, all the struggles of the time on the streets forgotten. Say hello to all those waiting to welcome you, you have lots of stories to tell, sweet Macaroon!

We have been blessed to know and care for this sweet quirky girl, to have been able to give her all the love in the world over the past almost three years. We will miss you terribly Macaroonie, and the office in the work room will always have your name on it. What a joy and privilege it has been to have shared part of her life. Our sweet girl with the big green eyes and the shy little smile. Although small in stature, she had a huge presence in our lives and hearts.

She was sweet, she was gentle, she was cute, she was quirky, she was classy. She was perfect!

Rest easy, sweetheart, we will hold you in our hearts forever.

Our thanks to all who cared for Macaroon, our amazing caring staff, our volunteers, and her sponsors. Thanks to the veterinary care she received at Vista Vet and Heart of Texas.

Our most special thanks to her rescuer Brieanna. We are so grateful to you for contacting us and bringing her to us. Macaroon was a special girl.

Macaroon had 2 Sponsors

Amy Ellis

“Thank you for giving Macaroon a wonderful retirement life. Thank you for loving her and spoiling her, and thank you for supporting fellow cat fosters like me. Your work is so important!”
–Brieanna Stranberg

In Memory of Newt       6/10/2022 – 3/6/2024

Newt’s life started under the deck of a family home with a colony of ferals and a whole lot of kittens! The family reached out to our friends, Ferallife Guards, and they got to work on trapping and neutering those in the colony. In foster care, Newt met another kitten named Mouse. They immediately became attached at the hip and were so close that they were going to be potentially adopted out as a bonded pair. Unfortunately, Mouse was diagnosed with feline leukemia and taken into the care of Shadow Cats. As fate would have it, Newt tested positive for feline leukemia too, and followed in Mouse’s footsteps right into Shadow Cats Sanctuary!

Mouse and Newt were quite the pair, with Newt being far shyer, meeker, and more mouselike than his friend, even with her namesake. Mouse inspired confidence in Newt eventually though, and Newt came out of his shell and fell into the business of Cookie’s Place with relative ease. Newt had more difficulty with his feline leukemia, and when he fell into a sick spell, Mouse was there to comfort him. It took everyone by surprise when leukemia took Mouse first.

We wondered how Newt would adjust without the presence of his dear friend, but the cats in Cookie’s Place seemed to rally around him through the loss. Bob and Pixie took to him like he was their son, and “Mom and Dad” were often seen grooming him at the same time while Newt napped in his usual silly positions. Ferris took to Newt too, and the pair enjoyed many a good nap on cat trees and while luxuriating in their kitty condos. Newt would lay his head on Ferris’ tummy sometimes like the softest, fluffiest of pillows, and Ferris slept peacefully with his paws up and at his chest. They became the best of friends.

Over time, any cuddly cat in Cookie’s Place quickly realized that Newt was the best cuddler there ever was. He was seen stretching in all sorts of odd positions, usually on his back, with his legs going in every silly direction and his cute little toebeans curled, always accompanied by another cat. The usual snuggle partners for Newt were Ferris, Juniper, Amy, Bob, and Pixie. It was always the sweetest sight to behold, and our camera rolls are filled with many an adorable photo op.

Newt overcame a lot, and despite every trial and tribulation he faced, he remained gentle, sweet, friendly, and curious. There never was a purer soul than our Newt, and his approach to his life despite its difficulties can be a lesson to us all. At Shadow Cats, Newt was given another chance, and he took that in stride. He spent his days in the warmth of the sun, sleeping in the softest of beds.

Ever the curious boy, when our staff would lay down a towel to clean water bowls in Cookie’s, Newt was first to jump on the counter, fascinated by the water. When Pixie decided her 2024 resolution was going to include a workout regimen on the cat wheel, Newt would patiently wait his turn for a run. He was the perfect gentleman, loved people, loved cats, loved a good nap, and seemed perpetually fascinated by the littlest of things. Newt had a genuine appreciation for life. He had a silly side, and some part of him knew that sleepy face of his looked adorable in pictures because he always seemed curious when someone would bring a camera around.

Unfortunately, even a zeal for life cannot shield one from passing, and the time came when Newt had to leave us. We rushed him to the emergency clinic, and had him transferred to a specialist, but our sweet boy’s heart was quickly failing. We could not bring him back from this, and we knew what we had to do to end his suffering. Newt was held in the arms of his most beloved people, surrounded by so many who had been touched by his kind soul, as he so peacefully left us. He was ready—ready to be reunited with Mouse, ready to nap on fluffy clouds, to cuddle with the best of them across the rainbow bridge, to run free and unhindered by sickness.

Thank you to Newt’s sponsors, Jacki Q and Molly M, to the wonderful people who brought him to Shadow Cats, to the staff who vigilantly watched over him and cared for him, to the volunteers who adored him, and to all who are touched by Newt’s story and his beautiful life. We’ll never forget his tender presence, his sweet face, his warm and always welcome company. We love you, Newt.

Newt had 2 Sponsors

Jacki Quaile

Molly O’Neill Moran

In Memory of Calypso       5/6/2009 – 2/20/2024

Like many that come through the doors at the Sanctuary, they have been rescued from the streets. Calypso was one such girl in 2009, a girl on the streets who found her way to us. But, good news, she was adopted fairly soon after arriving at Shadow Cats.

She was in a loving home for many years, but circumstances changed and she returned to Shadow Cats in 2017. Never judge, things happen in life and as you know our doors are open to any past Shadow Cats.

‘Once a Shadow Cat always a Shadow Cat ‘

Calypso was a quiet little girl and did not seek out our attention. She was shy, but she was the sweetest girl with such a gentle disposition. She had the softest coat and these big beautiful eyes that seemed to look into our souls. We all fell in love with this sweet girl.

Well as luck would have it, Rick, one of our volunteers, fell head over heels in love with Calypso and she was re-adopted into a wonderful home. She lived the best life but very sadly fate struck again in 2021 and her loving person passed away.

‘Once a Shadow Cat always a Shadow Cat’ Calypso returned to the Sanctuary. She came back to us a different kitty. Our volunteer had worked his magic with her; no longer a shy kitty, she sought out attention, oh boy did she! As soon as you sat down, Calypso wanted in a lap. There were no ifs ands or buts, no excuses, she wanted you to sit down, she wanted your lap and others had to wait! Our shy girl was transformed! She loved to be around everyone, she loved our attention, and she loved to be everywhere we were. First in line for treats and always on the counter with a, excuse the term, a butt in your face waiting for the first plate of food. 😊 She was outgoing, she was so friendly, and just the sweetest girl ever. We too fell head over heels in love with this girl again!

Calypso had been back with us for almost 3 years now. She has battled some health issues and always pulled through. She was small in stature but a toughie. Recently she was diagnosed with a mass in her mouth, but we thought we had more time with our girl. Not to be, this morning she was in respiratory distress and rushed to the emergency clinic. Her heart failing, a gentle passing was our final gift to our beautiful girl Calypso. She passed held in a loving lap, her favorite place in the whole world, and was surrounded by all who cared for her. Her last day yesterday was spent out on the catio, sitting on the windowsill in the kitchen in a sunbeam and in the laps of many volunteers, all things she loved to do.

We will miss our beautiful girl and her quirky ways. We will miss our laps being in such demand. Rest easy, precious Calypso, fly high on your wings sweetheart.

As we think of her journey now to the Rainbow Bridge, we hope she is reunited with Rick, who loved her so much, and she is sitting in his lap and smiling.

Thanks to all who loved Calypso, her sponsors, our volunteers who were always there with a lap, and the veterinary care she received at Vista Vet. Our special thanks always to the incredibly passionate and caring Shadow Cats staff.

Calypso had 3 Sponsors

Shirley Johnson

Alissa Cannon

Susan & Michael Vande Voorde

In Memory of Remy       1/3/2023 – 2/20/2024

Some cats come into our lives for a short time, but the imprint their little paws leave on our hearts lasts a lifetime. Remy is one such cat.

She was found wandering the streets of Tyler, TX by a good Samaritan who fell in love with this spicy tux’s bunny butt and spunky attitude. She had hopes of keeping her, but Remy wound up testing positive for feline leukemia. She knew that if she took her to the shelter there was a good chance she’d be euthanized, and she knew Remy deserved a chance. We are so grateful she gave her that chance, because it brought her to us.

Remy came to Shadow Cats in June of 2023 with preloaded likes, dislikes, and controversial opinions. She didn’t require input, our girl knew exactly what she wanted, when she wanted it, and for how long she did! Sweet and playful, this girl captured our hearts immediately. She reveled in attention and plentiful playtime while in isolation, but when she was released into the wild of Cookie’s Place we quickly learned that her smackin’ paws were rated E for Everyone. Remy was as spicy as she was beautiful (which was very, I mean, have you seen those big eyes?) so we had to formulate another plan for our manxy monarch.

To the break room, Remy came! For several months, Remy graced us with her presence at lunch hour and made a fabulous office assistant to Sarah. Remy had a habit of walking across the keyboard, so she ended up penning some very important meeting notes a few times and even posted a few on Slack, our staff message board.

“yuhj. ‘[]i987u78o.” – Remy, November 2^nd, 2023

“0203.” – Remy, December 28^th, 2023

A visionary with a talented paw and the innate ability to inspire the masses. What a champion.

Remy always kept the break room lively, keeping us on our toes and guessing. She kept up the ruse for some time that she had no interest in human food, only to one night devour a handful of sugary treats unbeknownst to us and then spent the next several hours bouncing off the walls. All according to her greater plan, we’re sure. We let our guard down!

When we would have our holiday potlucks, she would feast her eyes as we set the table, though after the whole sugar incident we were sure she would be feasting on far more if allowed so we had to set her in the office. She would slip her little paw under the door in protest, surely trying to reach the doorknob to open it…if only her reach were a little longer! A valiant effort, Remy.

Remy’s antics delighted us, sometimes horrified us, but mostly amused us. Having her in the break room was a true pleasure, and over time, her sweet nature unraveled. She had been prone to biting, but with time, dedication, and an appreciation of her limits, Remy knew to communicate more gently, giving a gentle warning lick to let you know she was low on kitty minutes. She loved people and loved napping. You’d go to pick her up and she’d stretch her arms out above her head, purring in anticipation of being lifted and held. She even grew to like giving kisses on the nose or the cheek. And she had the sweetest sleeping face, of which we have innumerable pictures. Oh, what a sweet and special girl Remy was.

With her strides in kitty communication, we eventually began wondering if it would be worth it to try her with the other cats again. Annex was a better fit, we figured, a little quieter than the rowdiness of Cookie’s Place. It was bittersweet to lose her presence in the office, but we all watched on like proud parents as Remy learned to live with the other cats, a first for her. She grew to love sunning out on the catio in a cat tree and loved the sink, especially drinking from it though she’d settle for laying in it when the water wasn’t on. Our hearts were full, watching her bunny hop and get up to her usual mischief.

Sadly, leukemia’s timer had been set on our girl—it destroyed red blood cells faster than her body could produce them, and the time came to say goodbye. Surrounded by love for her, laughter at so many precious memories, and a deep sadness at her loss, our tears fell around her. With many kisses and pets, we imparted our love to Remy, sending her on her journey over the rainbow bridge with a full heart and belly, with warmth, with memories to last a lifetime.

“How lucky am I, to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?”

Goodbyes are always hard, but in a painful goodbye, there is proof of love housed forever in our hearts. The love, the bonds created, and the trust built make the pain more than worth it. We will carry memories of Remy in our hearts forever, grinning as we reminisce about her mischief, warmed by her love and the sweet smile of her sleeping face. Though our time with Remy was short, we know that no amount of time would’ve ever felt enough. We rejoice in the time we were allowed to bask in the honesty of her, in her spunky attitude, in those sweet, gentle moments when she allowed vulnerability after trust had been won, the ease of love we felt toward her. Remy was a year old, she had just celebrated her 1^st birthday.

We love you, Remy. We always will.

Thank you to her sponsors, Ali C and Victoria S. Thank you to the amazing staff that cared for this special girl every day and helped her blossom into her truest self. Thank you to the volunteers that loved her, to anyone that looked at this sweet manx girl and thought, “What a cute bunny butt.”

Remy had 2 Sponsors

Ali Cardon

Victoria Spray