We have had an emotional past few weeks at the Ark. Twin left this world peacefully and on his terms.
For those of you who have followed his story, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer six months ago. We brought him back to the sanctuary in hospice care to let him live out his days in the place he called home. Twin was a teenager and he called the sanctuary home for a number of years.
While we are not quite sure how he got his name or his circumstances, we know he was a feral cat with a guardian angel. Because he was feral there were not a lot of alternatives for him. A kind lady saw something in him worth saving, but then again she always finds something special in all of them. She was able to get Twin into a foster home for a few years, but then his foster mom passed away. It was then that Twin made his way to the Ark.
(Courtesy of Lorraine Monfils)
He flourished in his new environment and quickly had all the female cats in his room in love with him. We called him our little Casanova. Twin remained wild at heart, not welcoming the human touch, but that was OK. We allowed him to live his life the way he wanted. He was a magnificent creature who captured all of our hearts. We watched in amazement at how he lived his life and how he loved his roommates.
When we got his cancer diagnosis we were heartbroken, and we made a promise that we would let him live out his life with us and that we would wait for him to tell us it was time.
In the months that passed the cancer took its toll on his body, but he was still content. He lost weight and energy but kept on being Twin. His appetite never slowed down.
These past few weeks we saw changes and knew his time was near.
Our volunteer Heidi was able to hold and pet him, she allowed him to roam the halls of the sanctuary which he loved. Our feral cat had finally realized we were not so bad. For the next two days Twin explored the sanctuary and loved every minute of it.
His breathing had become labored and no matter how much he ate he lost weight.
One morning was vet run day. Twin was out in the hallway. I put a carrier on the floor and opened the door. I said, “Twin, I need you to tell me what to do.” He walked into the carrier and lay down. I closed the door and we headed to the vet.
Dr. Monteith did a thorough exam. Twin’s breathing was not good and he was dehydrated. So today we decided to let Twin go on a good day rather than a very bad day. He was put on a soft blanket and given a smorgasbord of all his favorite foods which he gladly ate. He was given a sedative, and then after few moments the final shot. It was quick. He was ready and it was peaceful.
These decisions are difficult to make. They are never made lightly. Twin knew that and this morning he made that decision for us. In the end he came full circle. This once feral cat had learned to trust us. That meant everything to us.
Feral cats do not choose that life. We as humans choose it for them. Thank you, Karen (Twin’s guardian angel) for seeing something more than just a feral cat. Thank you for saving his life. We could all take a lesson from that. Every life is worth saving.
Twin was an amazing cat and we all loved him dearly. He will be missed dearly, but he will be remembered as more than just a feral cat. He was a beautiful soul who lived life on his terms, and in the end he trusted us and loved us.
He will never be forgotten, and while we are sad now, we will think of him and smile because he brought joy to our lives. We will never forget a cat that gave us so much to remember.
Rest easy, Twin. You have earned your wings tenfold.
The Ark Animal Sanctuary is located at 102 Old Woodstock Rd., Houlton. Visit them online at arkanimalsanctuary.org/home, call 532-7387 or check out their Facebook page.
