In Memory of Scotty 12/6/2020 – 10/4/2025
In February of 2022, we received communication from Little Kitten Rescue in Oklahoma about a kitty, just over a year old, who had been found with a fishhook embedded in his mouth. Though it was a fixable situation, his subsequent feline leukemia diagnosis was not. Thankfully, we had the space to welcome this street cat home, providing him with the shelter, food, and care he’d very likely never experienced before.
We named him Scotty.
Scotty was a bit hesitant about us at first. Who knows how he came to have that fishhook in his mouth, and though it had since been repaired and healed, he seemed to be hesitant with people and other cats. Cookie’s Place was a bit of an energetic imbalance for him. Scotty, after the life he’d lived, needed somewhere quieter than the hustle and bustle of Cookie’s Place, with kittens flying from one end of the room to the other at all hours.
So, we moved him to Cookie’s Annex! Cookie’s Annex was filled with our older felvies, those that wanted a soft spot to land, who enjoyed the art of a good nap on a warm lap. We were pleased to see that the shift in environment helped Scotty emerge past his shell, happily leaving it behind in favor of bonding with both people and other cats. He especially grew attached to his best friend Tiptoe, one of our senior felvies.
Tiptoe used to be quite the firestarter in his day, but had mellowed out in his golden years. Scotty took to doting on him; they’d groom each other and spend the day cuddling on the catios, peering out at the hopping bunnies and racing squirrels. Tiptoe would even, sometimes, wrap an arm around Scotty. This was a special time in Annex, where all our reformed, tough guy street cats would melt into cuddle piles out on the largest bed of the catio. It was always hard to tell where one cat stopped and the others started.
Scotty also adored our sweet old gal Rose, and though he enjoyed a good cuddle pile with the likes of Orca, Sir Alfred, Ferris, and Marshall, Scotty also became close with Bebe after Tiptoe’s passing. Bebe and Scotty were quite the item, and could be found monopolizing the Annex chair together, looking a bit like the yin and yang symbol. Our once shy Scotty had truly blossomed and made some incredible friendships, and absolutely adored people.
The only time he didn’t care for you was when it was fluid or medication time. He would receive fluids daily, and though he’d allow you to do what you needed to do, he’d grumble the whole time with his face in a bowl of treats. It was pretty cute. Eventually, he mellowed out about the fluids, though he’d sneakily try to roll around on his back and dislodge the needle. He switched tactics!
And when he wasn’t acting tough, Scotty was meowing the most delicate little meow, lilting and sing-songy. He’d look up at you with those big green eyes and a little feline grin, and how could you not be moved to give him whatever it is that he wanted? Usually, that was food.
We had so much fun with Scotty. One of our techs would play a game with Scotty as he reclined dramatically across the floor, where she’d stack small toys on him just to see how long he’d let it go on. We’re fairly confident she got past ten at the very least. Scotty made us laugh. He gave us more than a few panic attacks with his chronic urinary issues. But every stressful moment was worth it just to hear that little meow, and to see that sweet face light up when you showered him with attention.
It broke our hearts when he got sick. Scotty had medically overcome a lot of things, but he developed a bad case of pneumonia that responded to treatment but never fully resolved. We threw everything at treating him, and he fought so hard, but without enough progress and with additional complications, we knew the odds of him winning this fight were low. He looked at us one day, and we knew that it was time to say goodbye to our precious Scotty, the mischievous ruffian who had a rivalry with Lottie, the lovable little guy who loved a lap, the charmer who formed bonds with so many cats over the years.
Surrounded by all who loved him, we laughed as we remembered all his antics over the years. We remembered all his little bonds and gossiped about his relationships during his time at Shadow Cats. Scotty passed peacefully, held in the arms of those who tearfully hovered over him, who held his little paws and stroked his soft rabbit fur as he passed into another realm entirely. Scotty left us simultaneously full and heartbroken. Full in the love we gave him and he gave us in return, and heartbroken that it is never as long as we’d selfishly like.
Now, Scotty stands at the first step of the rainbow bridge. Beyond it lies a glade of endless sunshine and warmth. Gallivanting through the grass are so many familiar feline faces. The boys who cuddled beneath beams of sunlight wait to run through the field with him, with souls free of painful bodies and relentless viruses. The first face that greets him, with his green kaleidoscope eyes, is Tiptoe.
Together, they can find a cushion of the finest flowers to rest on, watching as the bunnies hop by, as the squirrels run, as the sun warms them in the state of eternal peace, we can all be so lucky to join in one day. Scotty, as he always seemed to do, smiles.
Thank you to Scotty’s wonderful sponsors, Corrinne G and Karen S. Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who always gave Scotty’s fur an immaculate brushing and a warm lap to bask on. Thank you to the staff who loved Scotty through every shade of his life, including through the sickness of the end, with tender love, affection, and compassion. You are truly incredible. Thank you to the wonderful care he received at Vista Vet. Thank you to anyone who ever heard his sweet little meow and thought, “That came from him!?”
We love you, Scotty. We always will.
Scotty had 2 Sponsors
Corrinne Grover
Karen Smith