In Memory of Heidi 6/7/2010 – 6/25/2025
The name Shadow Cats stems from something important to our mission, caring for the cats relegated to and unseen in the shadows. These cats are often invisible to people, and if they’re not invisible, they tend to fall into the category of ‘nuisance’ or worse. It’s why we’re so dedicated to seeing them, perceiving them, and giving them the space to live life on their terms. We’re so thankful for all who do.
Heidi wasn’t always a Shadow Cat, and before she made her way to Wild Side, she was a cat concealed within the shadows. The shadows of the creek by our old sanctuary, actually! She hung around with a black manx cat named Max, and though they didn’t realize it at the time…they’d had some little kittens together! Being near the sanctuary, of course Sheila made sure to TNR Heidi and Max. When they TNR’d Heidi, though…they realized she was lactating! Her kittens were around somewhere, carefully hidden in the brush and away from the prying eyes of predators.
They had to release Heidi multiple times in the hopes that they’d find those sweet little kittens. Two of the kittens, black manxes like their dad, were far easier to catch. The third kitten, a shy and wary little torti, was far more of a challenge. Through Shadow Cats’ continued effort, and Sheila’s trapping resourcefulness, Tamme Faye, the elusive torti…a perfect split of her calico mom and black manx dad, was trapped, spayed…!
…And, well, sometimes the returning part is hard! At our old sanctuary, we had a special area for all our feral-leaning kitties that Heidi and Tammy Faye absolutely adored. When we moved to the new sanctuary, we of course had them in Wild Side! Heidi and Tammy Faye have remained close over the years, always snuggling up together in a soft bed with our other feral kitties. We joke sometimes about our cats at the sanctuary who are related being the same cat in different fonts. If you look at Heidi and Tammy Faye…they may have different coat colors…but the family resemblance is very much there!
Though Heidi and Tammy Faye were incredibly bonded, with mother Heidi always looking after her daughter, they made lots of other friends, too. The beautiful thing about Wild Side isn’t just the swath of different kinds of cats and their different temperaments, but the incredible bonds they have with each other. Our ferals who never cared too much for others always found solace in each other. You’d peek into a Wild Side condo and find an absolute cuddle pile of cats. Tabby, Pebbles, Heidi, Tammy Faye…snuggled up so tightly you wouldn’t know where one cat started and the other ended if it wasn’t for their coat patterns.
Love has the power to do many things, but it doesn’t stop the passing of time. As Heidi grew older, 13, 14, 15…the friends she’d bonded with so deeply began to succumb to the erosion of time. Tabby, Pebbles…and other Shadow Cats before them. Still, Heidi seemed to have an innate talent for making friends, and never went without company…and always, always had her beloved daughter at her side. Heidi became particularly close with Darby, and they’d spend most of their time on top of the Wild Side condo, surveying the kingdom below from the highest of heights.
Just in the last year, though, Heidi started being a little braver. While she never made her way to the title of lap cat, sometimes you’d be blessed enough to hear a sweet meow, and witness Heidi not too far away…begging you for treats! Some even managed to get in a pet or two. For Heidi’s entire life…she got to live on her terms, in the safety of a home that protected her from the dangers of the outside. Sunbathing, snuggling, climbing, bird-watching…Heidi enjoyed it all, and though we’d have loved to snuggle with our sweet calico girl…we respected the way she wanted to live her life and gave her the space to do it.
Sometimes we’re a little skeptical when our ferals get more friendly, though, and we wondered if there wasn’t something going on with sweet Heidi. Still, diagnostics came back unremarkable…until recently. Heidi became lethargic, and her breathing looked strange. She was rushed to our veterinarians who took x-rays and found that our Heidi’s spleen had a large tumor on it, leaving her prone to rupture, and pressing on her diaphragm, making breathing difficult.
We spent so many years watching over Heidi, ensuring she lived a peaceful life. We knew the final gift that we could give her after so many loving years, was the gift of a peaceful passing in the home she knew and loved.
Wild Side is so different than any other room during a peaceful passing. Most of our kitties are just so friendly and people-oriented that they’re rushing to climb into a lap. Wild Side, though? They were more focused on Heidi. Stanley and Arnold remained close by, with Arnold even licking her sweetly. Tammy Faye stayed as close as she’d permit, watching, and even our famously reclusive Mia watched with reverence and respect, even closing her eyes at one point…something we never see our observant Mia doing. Snarky and Kitkat watched from a lap, Darby and Violet from afar…everything paused in that room as they watched Heidi peacefully take her last breath and move from this life into the next. We brought Heidi’s final resting blanket to Tammy Faye for her to sniff…closure for a lost mother, a scent to remember her by forevermore. We know she’ll stay close to the other kitties, now…and think fondly of the mother who was always with her.
Our sweet Heidi’s dainty paws stand at the first step of the rainbow bridge now. Across the way, Pebbles, Tabby…every Wild Side kitty who knew the harshness of street life but was guided to a better life. They guide Heidi over the precipice of eternal life, where the scenery mimics the autumnal colors of her calico coat, where the grass sprawls into an endless glade. A glade that may be the only thing that could possibly replicate the beautiful, saturated green of her eyes. Together, so many familiar paws bound through the grass. Together, they run alongside a creek that emits the soft sounds of the home they knew the longest. Together, free of cancer, free of age, they’re free once more, and forever.
Thank you to Heidi’s amazing sponsors, Debra M, Julie F, and Sheri B. Thank you to the volunteers who stopped by Wild Side and spent time with Heidi and her friends, on their terms. Thank you to the staff who celebrated all of Heidi’s little moments, who loved and respected her from afar…and spoiled her with treats when she was feeling adventurous. Thank you to Vista Vet for Heidi’s amazing care. Thank you to anyone who ever looked at Heidi’s face and noticed her one eye, circled in eyeliner not unlike Cleopatra. Fitting for a Queen!
We love you, Heidi. We always will.
Heidi had 3 Sponsors
Debra McBride
Julie Ferguson
Sheri Biggs