Replying to @saffronsalt I realized that some of you may not know that Luce passed away. She died on February 18th. That morning, I opened our bedroom door like I always do, expecting her to come down from her tree, stretch, and run into the kitchen to be fed - just like every other day. But she didn’t come down. I knew something was wrong. Just a couple of weeks before, I had taken her to an oncologist for a second opinion on her squamous cell cancer. Before moving forward with treatment, he recommended checking her kidney values. Our regular vet did the bloodwork and gently told us her kidney levels had tripled. I didn’t expect that she would pass away - it didn’t hit me at all. That morning, she didn’t want to eat, and I had a sinking feeling. I stayed close to her in our bedroom, just sitting with her. At one point, I turned my head and saw she had stretched out, with her mouth open. I screamed for Chris and he came running, and we realized she was in cardiac arrest. He started chest compressions immediately, and we rushed to the emergency vet just five minutes away. When we got there, I just kept screaming, “there must be something you can do.” We had lost Manny only six weeks before, in almost the exact same way. We were already shattered trying to get through that loss, and losing Luce felt like our world had stopped spinning. I think part of why her loss has affected me so deeply is because I know she must have suffered for so long before we rescued her. I don’t know how long she endured that suffering - how many people walked by and did nothing and it breaks my heart. But maybe we were meant to find each other. Maybe she was meant to cross the rainbow bridge with us by her side. We only had her for ten months, but it truly felt like a lifetime. She changed our lives forever. What helps me in the healing process is knowing that her story has touched millions of people. Knowing that millions of people know her name gives me comfort. And I hope that maybe her story will inspire you to take action the next time you see a cat, or any animal, in need of help. We can’t look away. We have to act. I hope Luce inspires all of us to keep helping, loving, and showing up. Thank you for loving her along with us 🤍🫶🏻 #catloss #rescuecat