Going the Moonlight mile

Winnipeg

So, my wonderful readers know the story of Moonlight, the kitten my wife rescued from under our neighbor’s deck in the middle of January at 3 a.m. She literally had to unscrew the deck to get at Moonlight, and brought him into our house, and our lives.

That night, Marc, my daughter who was living with us at the time, held the little as yet un-named kitten, warming him up and giving him some of her cat Streaky’s raw food, which he took to immediately.

Weeks went by with posters put up and notices online, and no one claimed the poor little fellow, so the obligation for his care fell to us, which we gladly accepted, even with Jackie’s allergies. Marc assured us that when the 19-year-old Streaky eventually passed, she would take on that responsibility.

Moonlight has been a joyful companion, a distraction for the puppies, and overall not that much of a nuisance, other than his obsession with eating paper and cardboard. And even with Jackie’s allergies, since he is raw fed and gets Omega 3 oils, her discomfort was minimal.

Streaky having recently crossed the rainbow bridge (thank you Sunset Veterinary Care for your compassion and professionalism), Moonlight was welcomed into the home of Marc and Ryle, who were recently married (in a ceremony that included Leia, the flower dog).

You would think that living in a house owned by people that love animals and run a pet shop would be nirvana for any pet, and truly, Moonlight wanted for nothing during his stay with us. Foods, treats, toys, you’d think that he couldn’t do better.

Well, looks like he went from a great situation to one that is even better. Marc loves her animals, from the time as a grade schooler with a mouse, to Streaky and now Moonlight, she is dedicated to the care and wellbeing of those in her charge.

When Marc first moved in with Ryle, I wasn’t sure how well Streaky would fit in. But just days into the arrangement, Ryle coming to the shop just before we closed to get some kangaroo for streaky because he wasn’t liking his turkey showed me the true heart of my daughter’s chosen one.

With Moonlight stepping in now, he has definitely staked his claims, and Ryle is top of that list. And Ryle, who vehemently decreed that this cat would not be spoilt like Streaky was is now the one to get up at 4:30 a.m. to play with him.

It makes my heart full, both that Moonlight now has a permanent loving home, but also confirming that my daughter has found a loving soul to share her life with.

I wish that every animal that finds itself homeless or abandoned can find a place to live out the life it deserves. I know this is impossible, but we all can make it a little more possible for ones that enter our orbits.

There are rescue groups that are always in need of funding and volunteers, that have online auctions that need donations and bidders, or any of hundreds of different ways to help. Its hard to think of a better way to spend some time than by helping animals, and helping those that help them.