Posted on 10/26/2008 6:08:34 PM PDT by Daffynition
Scarlett the cat, a calico hero who drew worldwide acclaim after rescuing her five kittens from a 1996 Brooklyn fire, has passed away.
The aging cat - believed to be at least 13 years old - succumbed to multiple illnesses, leaving behind the sad Brooklyn family that adopted her after the blaze.
"She was the most precious and loving cat, and in our household, it was all about Scarlett," said her owner, Karen Weller.
Scarlett's ascension to stardom began in an abandoned Brooklyn garage, where she was tending her litter of five when a fire broke out in March 1996.
Firefighters spotted Scarlett, despite burns to her eyes, ears and face, toting each kitten out of the building to safety. Once outside, Scarlett nudged each baby with her nose to make sure she found all five.
The hero cat was taken to the North Shore Animal League with her offspring - and their story soon attracted attention from around the globe.
Calls about the fearless feline's health came in from Japan, the Netherlands and South Africa, while other admirers sent Mother's Day cards to Scarlett.
She became the main character of a book, "Scarlett Saves Her Family," and received mentions from Oprah Winfrey and CNN.
In her new Brooklyn home, Scarlett was top cat. Four of her five kittens survived the blaze and they were adopted in pairs.
Scarlett died on Oct. 11, after battling kidney failure, a heart murmur and lymphoma, Animal League officials said.
How true! This mama risked her own life to save her offspring, while we humans are sacrificing ours to the god of "choice" and convenience.
R.I.P., dear Scarlett!
Yes I do remember Scarlett and her act of love for those kittens to have saved them from the fire that she got hurt herself. RIP Mother Cat Scarlett. :(=^..^=
Good night with LOVE Scarlett, as well as to Pumpkin, and to Mildred also called Queen Mary Gray Spots, a senior rescue lady cat I was going to have taken home last week after living outside the majority of her life but only became a retired inside cat fulltime for about a little over a month at the age of 15 from cancer, bleeding gums, and hyper thyroid medical issues. Pumpkin had passed a month earlier at the age of 10 from liver. RIP Scarlett, Pumpkin, and Mildred. All three of yous have earned each your Heavenly rest at the Rainbow Bridge. =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=
I'm sorry, but I KNOW cats and dogs can, and do love. I've seen it, and been a part of it. I know it from the relationship my mother had with her "baby," Joshua. He was a big, short haired orange tabby. This tough guy in the neighborhood was her little baby. And while he was always a loving cat to her, when she was diagnosed with cancer, he seemed to know that something was really wrong, and when she was home, he rarely left her lap.
When she received a chemo-therapy pump, she'd get on the recliner for hours and endure the slow process, and Josh would climb up on her lap, lay across her chest, putting one paw on either side of her neck, and bury his head under her chin for hours, just holding and nuzzling her. And when she died, he pined and pined. He was a changed cat when his mommy didn't come home from the hospital the last time. This big, tough, outdoor cat didn't want to come out from under the bed anymore, and trying to coax him to eat was nearly impossible.
Eventually I thought that I was making progress, as he was starting to go outdoors a little bit at a time, but within about 6 months of losing my mother, he went out and never came home again. To this day I feel bad and miss him, and it's been nearly 24 years.
I really do hope, with all my heart, that my mother and Joshua have been reunited, because he LOVED her, and she loved him.
This is not anthropomorphism.
Mark
BTW, my mother is the only one he ever did this with. If someone else tried putting him on their lap, he'd put up with being petted for a while, but then leave. If anyone, myself included, tried putting him in a similar position, he'd give you this "what the heck do you think YOU are doing?" look, which would quickly change to a "just how much blood would you like to lose today" look, if you didn't get the hint from the first look.
Mark
I teared up for Scarlett too, sniff. Well, thirteen is reasonable for cats. I have had several who made it much longer. But, they were indoor kitties for life, with access to their own personal physicians and much pampering. Our Samantha died a couple of years ago at almost twenty three. My current senior is my fourteen year old Siamese. Can’t imagine life without my multiple felines tormenting me, lol.
Just glad THIS kitty ended up as a beloved member of an appreciative family. She deserved it. RIP Scarlett.
pattyjo
*snif*
What a brave Mom-Cat! I remember her. Bless her Kitty Heart.
*snif*
Don’t tar all humans with the same brush. Humans made the effort to save this mama cat’s life, so she could raise her kittens, and made the effort to provide good homes for all of them.
We keep them close and in our hearts. Thanks Biggirl. ;-D
Who could forget Scarlett? She will have a special place at Rainbow Bridge.
I never thought cats had a caring bone in their bodies until my cat and her kittens showed up.
Dang! Now you got me crying over that.
Last week I was so mad about the cat box that I told my children with the little use our cats are (I was VERY MAD) that I would give them away if things didn't start getting taken care of. The next morning my husband woke up and got ready for work. He said, "Apparently, the cats were listening to you and decided to prove their worth." There was a dead mouse on my kitchen floor.
Yep, it seems that any time that I or the gf is down about something one of the cats is there to comfort us. It’s like they have a sense for it.
I read an account of someone that saw heaven and he said that there are animals there. I don’t know how true his account is, but I’d like to believe that there are animals there. I know heaven will be wonderful, but it will be even better with my babies there with me.
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