Katniss – In Memory

In Memory

Katniss lost her battle with chronic illness. She joined the sanctuary as FIV positive having chronic GI issues.  Because of this she was on appetite stimulants, and cerenia to calm her stomach and still was a very thin lady. She also had severe scaring on her eyes from old injuries.  But Katniss was no victim.  Katniss was one cool cat for sure.

I remember being asked if we could accommodate Katniss from a sanctuary in Hawaii on several occasions.  They had taken her in as a stray and tended to her many ailments. Bengals are illegal in Hawaii, so as committed as they were, they were trying to find a permanent home for Katniss on the mainland.

On paper, Katniss was difficult to place, especially since we were at capacity.  She was FIV positive, very aggressive to other cats and also put dogs in their place. She demanded walks on her harness every day and was having FIV flare ups that caused her to vomit and not always use the litter box.  After months, we began hearing from our exotic vet friends and colleagues across the United States who had heard about her and asked if we could accommodate her.  One was smart enough to email me photos….and I was smitten.  We said yes.

She arrived named Kat5 so I thought the sanctuary must have really liked wi-fi and internet, or maybe she was named after a video game.  I reached out the sanctuary and asked if it was okay. I changed her name to Katniss – it was similar but was also a good fit.  The sanctuary laughed at me since her name wasn’t Kat5 – it was Cat #5 since they took in so many strays 😊

Katniss quickly demonstrated she was strong willed, no matter of her chronic illness was.  She lived in the hospital because she refused any place else or anywhere where she could even see another cat. She got her walks and was never shy or timid.  She walked better on a leash than most dogs and always led the way.  Getting her to go back inside was another story.

Being a hospital cat, she thoroughly enjoyed moving to the new onsite hospital where there were tall windows for her to perch, doting servants (the vet staff) and she loved to hide in anything she could find in rescue bay.  But most of all she could be found curled up on one of the staff’s chairs.

Katniss observed a lot of vet procedures from the safety of her cat condo. Little or small Katniss was not pleased they were in her space.  On days the vet staff wasn’t there, she would sit by the back door near her leash and pull up the door carpet insisting someone else take her for walks.

This confident girl quickly became a favorite, especially of the staff that firs said, “No cats living in the hospital.”

Katniss always had her ups and downs with health and weight but this last month was different. She continued to slowly decline despite all the testing and treatments.

As difficult as the decision was, we had to help Katniss pass on. Her compassionate vet team, staff and interns lovingly surrounded her as we said good-bye.

Katniss, may you be unleashed forever and know you were loved beyond all borders.  You touched the hearts of many wide and far.