In Memory of Smokey 12/4/2020 – 12/4/2023
Before our dear, sweet Smokey ever stepped paw through the doors of Shadow Cats, he was in the diligent care of Rowlett Animal Shelter. They searched for a solution for our boy for months, knowing that he was destined to live his life even with the odds of feline leukemia, FIV, and asthma working against him. Thankfully, he found a safe place to land with us, and we’ve been smitten with him ever since.
Though, if we’re being completely candid here, he was quite naughty when he first joined the ranks of our Shadow Cats! He’d swipe at your leg as you walked by, and picked fights with the other resident cats. He was a big boy bruiser, with a big fluffy belly to match. Eventually, he was given some medication to address his smoking attitude and plopped in a onesie, and his entire personality transformed!
His spicy moods simmered to something milder, and we found that underneath all of that posturing was the sweet Smokey we know and love now. His sweet heart softened, and his warmth melted our hearts. We got to know his cute little quirks—his cute little trill that sounds a bit like an airplane taking off because of his asthma (he made our hearts soar with this one), and all his sweet little chirps. He was a big snuggler and loved to be close to the other Cookie’s cats. We’d always find him nestled up with someone on a soft blanket—a true lover boy.
He’s had many odds against him from the start, but he’s lived an incredible two years here at Shadow Cats, forming unbreakable bonds with the other kitties and all the humans who ever had the pleasure of knowing and petting him. Unfortunately, on his third birthday, he asked us for a final gift—the gift of a painless passing, surrounded by loving arms and sweet kisses. Smokey battled an infection for several days at the emergency clinic, but his other diagnoses made it too difficult to conquer. We let him go and poured all of our love into him before he passed. He truly knew just how loved he was, and left us purring.
Now, Smokey can breathe free and clear over the rainbow bridge, free to be a kitten again with all of the sweet ones who have left us. We will miss you so much, Smokey, but we have no doubt in our minds that he knew just how treasured he was in those moments of his peaceful passing.
Thank you for loving Smokey—the incredible volunteers, the amazing staff at Shadow Cats, his kind sponsors Mary Ellen and Marina, and all who ever gave him a sweet pet and a gentle kiss. You’re the reason our fighter fought the way he did for a chance at this life, and the reason he got to leave it warmer and fuller than when it started. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
Smokey had 2 Sponsors
MaryEllen Taylor
Marina Piasecki