In Memory of Suzy 02/23/2013 – 09/18/2026
For over a decade, Suzy lived a peaceful life as a beloved community cat in Copperas Cove. She was taken care of by a member of the South Park Community Cats group. When she first appeared, she had already lost the use of one eye, but that didn’t slow her down one bit. She thrived outdoors with regular care, love, and the freedom to roam.
In February of 2025, however, Suzy suffered a suspected snakebite that severely damaged her good eye, leaving her fully blind and unable to safely navigate life outside. Her devoted caretaker knew it was time for retirement indoors for this sweet girl and reached out to Shadow Cats. She arrived in April 2025, starting her indoor life in the main room of the house, Oasis.
Suzy adjusted very quickly to her new life, immediately mapping out the rooms and finding her way onto the catio. She found her favorite spot inside, right by the front door, which allowed her to greet everyone who entered, and patiently waited with her head held high for you to scratch her forehead. She also very much enjoyed sunbathing on the catio, just listening to the critters outside. She was not very patient in the mornings waiting for us to open the cat door for her, and would try to open it on her own if we weren’t fast enough! Once she got even more comfortable with us, her playful side came out, and we would often hear her “hunting” – she would find one of her favorite toys and proudly carry it around the house in her mouth, screaming to let everyone know she caught something. She also quickly figured out the feeding routine, and would wait in the kitchen for her meals with the rest of the crew, sometimes deciding to wait right behind your feet to make sure you weren’t going to forget about her meal.
Suzy lived the high life for over a year with us until in June of this year, when we started to see a change. She had started to lose weight, and bloodwork revealed that this older lady had developed diabetes. Usually quite manageable, her blood sugar seemed impossible to get under control. Despite a special diet and insulin, it seemed as if her body wasn’t responding to it at all. After some trials, we tried a different insulin, which looked like it was going to help her, but we were still seeing her struggle with her weight loss. We continued to do more testing, and it was discovered that this sweet orange girl had late-stage heart disease, among other new findings; her body was just failing her. We tried treatment, but Suzy was telling us that it was time for her to go, so we let her pass peacefully in the arms of those who loved and cared for her.
Thank you to Wanda M, who cared for her for over a decade during her life in the colony and continued supporting her after coming to Shadow Cats, and to her other sponsor, Elizabeth M. Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who gave her all the love and forehead scritches she desired. Thank you to the staff who cared for her. Thank you for the wonderful care she received from the Vista Vet & Healing Hearts staff. Thank you to everyone who loved Suzy in person and afar.
You can rest now, sweet girl. We love you, Suzy, and we always will.
Suzy had 2 Sponsors
Wanda Moore
Elizabeth McGinnis