By Lorraine Monfils
On Thursday, April 11, the Ark took in a little buff colored cat named Ellie Mae. She came to us from another rescue organization that had no room for her. She is approximately one year old, and like most of the cats we have given a home to, she was found abandoned. She was in poor condition, very frail and with an upper respiratory infection. She was nursed back to health, but the infection had gone untreated for so long that she lost the sight in one eye. Her blindness in that eye is permanent.
Ellie Mae is one of the happiest little cats that I have ever met. She is a tiny little thing, weighing no more than five or six pounds. She purrs continually, even while eating her food, which makes it kind of difficult to keep the food in her mouth. She loves any attention, and because of her continual “music making,” we call her our little opera singer. Not only does she sing, but she also dances. She manages to get all four paws kneading at once, and she can do this either standing or lying down! All of these feline mannerisms demonstrate to us how very happy she is to have found people who will care for her. Ellie Mae loves life, and it is as simple as that. She loves to play with her toys and feel the sunlight on her face, but most of all she loves to be held.
Besides being blind in one eye, Ellie Mae has another disadvantage. She has feline leukemia. Like FIP, this disease has no cure and will eventually claim her life. The average life span for a cat carrying this disease is two or three years, but sometimes a cat may live longer. At this time Ellie Mae shows no symptoms of the disease. She is with a foster family that is wonderful to her, and she is isolated from other cats because the disease is contagious.
For every day that Ellie Mae is with us, we will give her love and the best of care. We will treat her as if she were our own personal pet. When Ellie Mae’s time is here, she will let us know. We will help her then with her journey. Until then she will live her life with us to the fullest.
I read a verse a while back which says: “Sing as if no one is listening. Love like you will never get hurt. Dance as if no one is watching. Live life like it is heaven on earth.” Ellie Mae does this every day. Quoting still from Mark Twain: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” In this case it is a cat…a petite little animal that will likely have a shortened life, but a young cat that at this time is “well” , has true grit, and a fighting will to live. With our help, she will have some time.
There are some, I’m sure, that have not read our mission statement. First, we are a “No Kill Organization.” Our mission is to rescue and provide food, shelter, medical assistance, love, and compassion to any animal in need, regardless of age or medical condition. Volunteers run the sanctuary. There are no salaried positions. All monies earned go strictly to the animals.
Since our inception, we have made a very significant difference in the lives of many animals in this area. We continue to believe that every animal’s life is meaningful, and they all deserve loving homes. However, this is not always the case. Many animals are out there fending for themselves. The AAS tries to promote spay/ neuter programs to help alleviate the burden of unwanted pets. We also educate the public about the responsibility of pet ownership. We continue to ask for your support and appreciate all who have contributed to our cause.
It is wonderful for us to realize that there are others out there who share the same love for animals that we do. After a very nice phone call inquiring about our Sanctuary, we were thrilled to receive a wonderful monetary donation from the Lyman Pope Foundation. For those who are interested, check out his impressive site on line.
The Ark Animal sanctuary took in two cats and three dogs this month. We adopted six cats and one dog. We currently have 34 cats and three dogs. Our expenses were $864 and donations totaled $1,118. The Ark Animal sanctuary will have a bake sale on May 7 in front of the Hollywood pet Salon. We will also be having a pulled pork sale on the 21st of May. Thank you for your continuing support and for reading our column.