Eighteen years ago he was the patriarch of a colony of nearly 30 homeless cats living in a park in downtown Kerrville. All had been trapped, neutered and returned to this park and were being cared for by local volunteers. As the years went by it was clear that he was regularly being challenged for alpha cat status by many of the younger and stronger males; every other day it seemed, he would show up with new injuries or battle scars. It was also clear to the volunteers that he would never willingly relinquish his king cat status. Eventually his wounds became so frequent and severe that an effort was organized to trap him and bring him to the sanctuary.

Apparently he was relieved to not be in fight mode 24/7 and readily took to his new life of being doted on by volunteers. He still carries many of the battle scar reminders but has mellowed in his old age; his favorite activity these days is sitting on laps - preferably in the sun and with lots of treats at the ready.

​Little Brother is a sweet, mild-mannered guy who lived for nearly a decade in a city park in downtown Kerrville. He was part of a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) colony that was cared for by local volunteers. When he entered his senior years he was trapped once again, but this time to come and live out his days at Rainbow Journey. Now at age 18, he’s one of our oldest residents and still going strong.

​Visiting with a friend one day, she told me she was feeling concerned that something wasn’t right with her health. Before I Ieft, she asked me if I would consider taking her favorite cat (with the unfortunate name of Broken Tail) to live at the sanctuary. I agreed and brought her back with me that day. A month later my friend passed away. She had rescued Broken Tail as a small kitten after finding her tied up by her tail and left to die. They had forged a special bond over the years and I knew how much the cat meant to her. I renamed her Patsy, after my friend, and am so grateful every day that she entrusted this lovely lady to my care.

People often ask me where our cats come from – over the years many have been rescued from Animal Control, and still others like Little Brother have been relocated to our sanctuary from TNR colonies. And then, there are those, like 12-year-old Che, who literally show up on our doorstep. She had suffered a pelvic fracture and was dragging her rear legs, was dying from dehydration and chronic diarrhea, blind in
one eye and totally deaf. My vet took one look at her and said he didn’t hold out much hope she could recover. She was so sweet and loving, and had such a strong will to live that we decided to do what we could to bring her back to health. A month and a half later she is using her back legs again, gaining weight (wow, does she love to eat!) and enjoys nothing more than sitting on laps. Che’s guardian angel
certainly brought her to the right place.

​Before coming to Rainbow Journey, Miss Kitty spent almost two years in a crate so small she couldn’t stand up. Because of this her legs had become bowed and deformed. She had chronic dermatitis from stress and had lost most of her fur. She hid for a full year after joining us; nowadays she holds court on a sheepskin pillow and bosses the boy kitties around – just because she can!

​Phantom was rescued from the same hoarding situation as Miss Kitty. She also hid for a year before finally venturing out. As you can tell from her new confident posture she’s no longer afraid of anyone or anything!

Buffy came from a Trap, Neuter, Return colony of homeless cats in Kerrville, TX. A shy but friendly guy with a big appetite, he disappeared one day last year and was gone for many weeks. When he was finally spotted once again, it was clear he had been involved in some type of serious physical trauma. It may have been a car, or more likely, a kick from a deer hoof. As he limped slowly toward the feeding station it was obvious that he had sustained a broken front leg and the joint of one rear leg was severely swollen and red. He had also lost about 50% of his body weight. No doubt because of his weakened condition we were able to easily coax him into a carrier and take him directly to the vet for treatment. 

The vet said the front leg would heal but that the rear leg appeared to have chronic inflammation syndrome and would probably always be problematic. Six months later he is not using his rear leg at all and doesn’t move around much. It has also become evident that his injuries are worse than we originally thought – the pupils of his eyes are now permanently dilated and it’s doubtful that he can see much, if anything. His trauma has been so debilitating that we must keep him in a quiet, darkened room most of the time. He still loves to eat and purrs happily when we sit with him and pet him. We’re definitely not giving up on him and hold onto the hope that though his healing process is slow, he is progressing.
 

Sojourner’s story is one that will make you a believer in the idea that there are no coincidences in this life and everything happens for a reason.

In October of 2018 we arrived home to find an extremely ill, emaciated, totally blind and deaf girl curled up on our front door mat. It was one of those sights you never forget. In a neighborhood of 100 homes, somehow she had found us. We gathered her up and put her in crate filled with soft blankets and plenty of food and liquids. She was so fragile and in the final stage of life we chose to not subject her to a stressful vet visit; clearly there was nothing to be done but make her as comfortable and loved-on as possible.

In her final few days of life she received around-the-clock love and care; it was gratifying to know that she knew at long last someone cared about her. As Lyndsey slept next to her crate with her hand resting on Sojourner’s side, she quietly slipped away.
 

Sometimes being picked up by Animal Control is the best thing that could happen to a cat! At the tender age of 3 months, Pumpkin found herself being held by the scruff of the neck by a frantic woman standing on a street corner in Kerrville, TX.

The woman was shoving her at passing cars in a desperate hope that someone would take her. Pumpkin was suffering from calicivirus, a painful condition that causes sores in the mouth and makes eating extremely difficult. She also had an upper respiratory infection and severe malnutrition had caused 90% fur loss.

An Animal Control officer happened to pass by the woman and stopped to take Pumpkin back with him. Because of her terrible condition Animal Control decided not to attempt to find a home for her but before resorting to euthanasia contacted us to see if we would take her – which we did. She received treatment for her respiratory infection and was fed liquefied food via syringe day and night for 3 months. Not surprisingly she was lethargic and nearly lifeless.

With love and lots of TLC she slowly began her return to health and as she did, an amazing cat personality began to emerge. Today she is hands-down the most playful cat at our sanctuary. If she can’t find anyone to play with her, she will amuse herself for hours with boxes, kitten toys, rugs or whatever is handy. Many times she’s been observed outside lying on her back on the lawn (looking very much like an otter) happily playing with a rock. Her love of life and gratitude for being alive is palpable and the beautiful long orange coat that also emerged is glorious. Definitely one of our favorite success stories!