Willow

We’re so saddened the time had come to say good-bye to our Bengal cat Willow. Her chronic health issues became too much for this little girl and it was time to leave her sick body behind.

Willow arrived in 2006 with 8 other Bengal cats from Colorado. A Bengal breeder was finally going out of business and our sanctuary agreed to take in and place all the unadoptable and unsocialized cats.

When Willow arrived, she weighed only 4.2 lbs. We thought she was a kitten, but her records showed she was 2 years old. She suffered from inflammatory bowel disease, common in Bengal cats, and soon after arrival needed emergency surgery for a prolapsed colon due to chronic diarrhea. No wonder she was so small. She wasn’t absorbing any of the nutrients she was eating. Over the years, it took a specialized diet, supplements and close monitoring to keep her on the right track

At her largest, she was a little over 6 lbs. It was a never-ending balancing act with several setbacks …but many good years, too. This little girl had a strong voice and loved to call to the birds. She enjoyed playing in her pool. Climbing logs and the cave in her outdoor yard was a favorite pastime. And she always joined her friends when treats were handed out! You can see her in the back and how tiny she was compared to the others. She loved to sleep on cat condos in her bungalow, and often would be found curled up with her sister Tahiti – also a very small Bengal with chronic health issues.

For being such a small peanut, she made a huge impression on all of us. She will be deeply missed by her human and cat friends.

Willow, you now get to join your family on the other side. You were small only in stature. Your sweetness and personality filled the sanctuary.

Each cat who passes is lovingly remembered with a custom rock, painted with their likeness, to add to the memorial rock garden in the Welcome Center.
It’s such a special way of keeping them in our hearts forever. If you’d like to help by purchasing Willow’s rock art, please email me at info@wildcatsanctuary.org. The donation for this rock art piece is $100. Thank you for loving Willow, too. It helps us all to know that she was loved from afar as much as she was every day here at the sanctuary.

With over 110 wild cats now calling The Wildcat Sanctuary home, something we have to think about every single day is raising money to be able to rescue and care for them. When it can cost as much as $10,000 each year just to care for one big cat, you can see why fundraising is a vital part of the work we do. Your contribution to The Wildcat Sanctuary goes straight to work helping save lives of wild cats in need — both at the Sanctuary and through outreach and rescue programs all across the country. Please consider donating at http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/