In Memory of Hampton 06/15/2019 – 12/18/2024
Hampton’s story had a familiar start, one we’re sure you’ve heard from us before. She was found within a colony of cats in Dallas. In the process of TNRing the colony, Hampton tested positive for feline leukemia. Even currently, a feline leukemia diagnosis is riddled with stigma and a preconceived notion of what their life will look like. Thankfully, her rescuers knew that Hampton still had a chance at life and that her current circumstances were only the beginning of the journey…not its final punctuation.
So, through some friends of Shadow Cats, Hampton’s trek to the sanctuary began! She found herself in Cookie’s Place among friends in 2021 and settled in as though she’d always sat upon its highest cat tower. Perhaps this could be attributed to Hampton’s self-assured nature. She had this aura about her, one that demanded respect, inspired awe, and wouldn’t settle for anything else from the subjects of her surveyed Kingdom. Sometimes, its subjects just needed a swat across the forehead…and who’s fault could that have been!? Certainly not Hampton’s!
Even though Hampton could be a bit scrappy with the other cats, one thing was certain: she adored people. Nothing made her happier than someone being near her. She often snuggled in a fluffy little crescent on the topmost beam of a cat tree, but for the right person, she’d descend her throne to climb on your back. She loved to parrot, and as the assistants cleaned in Cookie’s Place, it wasn’t unusual for her to work out the kinks in their back as they cleaned the cat trees. Hampton was nothing if not benevolent!
This, of course, was especially true if you were a man. Nothing made her quite perk up like a masculine voice. With her freckled little nose, almost feeling akin to Marilyn Monroe’s beauty mark and her general stride…Hampton unfurled and stretched flirtatiously to male passersby. She was quite chirpy, and if the object of her affections wasn’t looking only at her, like a sunflower craning its neck to look at the sun, she would voice her complaints loudly and plentifully. She knew what she was about and she’d settle at nothing to get it.
Despite her feminine wiles, Hampton was often mistaken for a boy due to her name. We don’t see how, though! She held the most beautiful feminine energy, every gaze a soft one, every touch of her paw given with guiding strength. Usually guiding your hand back to her head, but still! She was a beauty, and her playful, confident energy a beam of light. To be in Hampton’s presence was to walk beneath a canopy of trees and feel the sunbeams filter through the leaves to warm you. Hampton knew who she was, her dislikes strong but her likes stronger, and to be on the receiving end of her boundless love was a privilege to boast of.
Over the years, we have lost so many to feline leukemia. It rewrites a cat’s very genome, imprinting upon them a fate that will activate at a time unknown to us. We know this fact, but still…sometimes a cat’s presence is so firm that we take it for granted in assuming they’ll always be there. Hampton was like that. She was always “healthy”. So many sickly cats came and went as Hampton snoozed atop her favorite cat tree day after day. She never had a complaintive meow that wasn’t around a perceived lack of attention. We thought she would always be with us.
But we were wrong.
All the while, within her tiny chest, cancer brewed. It wasn’t until the last few days that she appeared especially off. Being the smart girl that she was, she made sure to sprawl out on the rug in front of staff, as if to direct attention to herself and let us know exactly what was going on. The staff, so sensitive to this issue after dealing with it within so many felvies, just knew.
She was taken to the vet and had an ultrasound, revealing fluid in her chest, very likely stemming from cancer. Shattered is an understatement when faced with the reality of our feelings. But for Hampton, we had the power to ensure her passing would be peaceful…and surrounded by an endless outpouring of love. So, everyone reached out to pet dear Hampton. She made biscuits and purred right up until the moment she passed.
Hampton knew love. She knew softness, she knew warmth, she knew the comfort of a fluffy bed and the illuminating light of a sunset sunbeam. She had a favorite spot, favorite people, and a food bowl that always mysteriously refilled itself. And maybe most of all, a sense of self. Hampton was who she was, and there was no bending that. Most people don’t even reach that level of enlightenment, but we feel in our bones that Hampton did.
Now, Hampton reclines on the tallest of trees, in the fluffiest of beds across the way from the rainbow bridge. With old friends to greet her, Hampton said hello and showed herself the way around…no guidance needed, as was her way. From her tallest of perches, she can watch the rabbits bound through the tall grass, and watch an endless number of sunsets without even the notion of pain ever touching her again.
Thank you to the incredible volunteers who satisfied Hampton’s ever-present need for a good pet. Thank you to the incredible staff who always had a back ready and waiting to be climbed upon, for loving her endlessly, until the very end and well beyond. Thank you to Hampton’s sponsors, Anne K, Susan R, and Yvonne T for supporting her cushy little life at Shadow Cats. Thank you to Vista Vet for her exemplary medical care, and to anyone who was ever hypnotized by those beautiful green eyes.
Hampton, even in light of your passing, you could never know the sheer number of tears shed and of laughter that rung out in your honor. We will never forget you, and we will always love you. Always.
Hampton had 3 Sponsors
Anne Llana Koob
Susan Richard
Yvonne Trevino