Safe travels, sweet Kenya
Often times it’s difficult to find words for the way we feel. This past week has been a struggle and it’s only now that I can actually write about what happened. We had to make the difficult decision to let Kenya go. He was the first serval I had ever met and the first to rescue. He came to us as an 8 month old boy in 2000. His owners were already fed up with him. Wanting an exotic cat but not knowing the first thing about caring for one, Kenya was fed regular cat food, declawed on all four feet and because of the constant diarrhea he had from the incorrect diet, he was kept in a small laundry room. He was very thin and nervous and his owners couldn’t wait to get him out of their lives. For me it was love at first sight ❤️
The trip home was stressful, he wouldn’t stop rubbing his face on the crate and by the time we got back his face was rubbed raw 🙁 It was just one of many lessons Kenya would teach me over the next years that wild animals are not pets and thankfully we both survived 🙂
He thrived at the sanctuary for over sixteen years but early last week he became lethargic and just wasn’t himself. A complete physical exam showed congestive heart failure and spondylosis but we decided to try medication before making a final decision. He came home and stayed in the big crate in my office so I could keep an eye on him. He spent the next few days purring and talking to me, but continued to decline. Early Tuesday morning I called Dr. Lipanovich and I’m so grateful to her for coming out and helping make his final journey peaceful. Knowing that he is no longer in pain is comforting but my heart is broken once again. Safe travels sweet boy ❤️
