So, a cat showed up at my house last month. We tried to find the owners because she was clearly someone's pet... declawed, collar, very friendly, a bandaged wound... We went door to door in the neighborhood and put word out on Facebook and Craigslist. No responses.

Now, I'm pretty sure the cat was intentionally dumped. She has cancer and is declining rapidly. There is nothing the vet can do for her, so she is being put down. I really feel that this cat's supposed family dumped her because they either couldn't or didn't want to have her treated, but didn't want to deal with her dying either.

Now my kids are crying 5 days before Christmas as a cat they had gotten attached to dies.

I sincerely hope I am wrong. I sincerely hope that someone is missing this cat and just didn't see any of my ads looking for her owner. But, I can't help but feel that with the obvious previous Vet care this cat had received that the illness was known and the cat was dumped.

Either way, I'm glad I could give this cat a warm loving home for her last days. She walked in my door and chose to stay, so I feel like she felt safe here and that is somewhat a comfort. I just, it's hard not to be angry.

EDIT: Thanks everyone. I know it was kind of an overreaction to assume the cat was dumped because of her illness, but I just can't shake the feeling. She literally just walked in my door one day and never left even when given the opportunity. I think she was just looking for a warm place to die.

It's not surprising to me that a dying animal would come to me. I have been surrounded by death for as long as I can remember. Death and illness have been a common part of my life since I was an infant. From extensive family history of cancer and death related to that to working in facilities with severely handicapped individuals who are elderly and often immunocompromised (I started this path by volunteering to do activities with the clients when I was 12, my dad worked at the first facility), I have witnessed more than a dozen deaths and attended far more funerals.

Maybe the cat sensed that I would be able to handle her death? I don't know, but I am thankful I was able to give her some comfort and help her be comfortable for the time she had left.