A Tribute to Chloe
Chloe and her sister Cleo originally lived with an elderly woman their entire lives until she was no longer able to care for them and needed to enter an assisted living facilities. With their best efforts, family members were unable to accommodate the two girls and they were surrendered to animal control. Within a few weeks, they were both invited to the Sanctuary in 2019 to receive the care and love they needed to start the next chapter of their lives. Originally thought of as a bonded pair, it was much to our surprise when Cleo didn’t seem to enjoy spending time with her sister, Chloe. Chalking it up to old age or change in environment, Cleo was given her own room while our laid-back, go-with-the-flow girl Chloe was brought to one of the social living rooms.
Initially meeting Chloe, you can certainly tell something was a little…special about her. She would constantly walk around the room, following any movement or noise and even a few of her friends. At 13 years old and having arthritis, she put the Energizer Bunny to shame with her nonstop walks, curious to see what each of her friends were doing, until something else caught her eye and she was ready to inspect the next trail. Though her cat friends initially found her behavior a bit too strange, they eventually accepted this awkwardly social sweetheart as one of their own. Even at all hours of the night, Chloe would be getting her steps in for the day with curious determination and an even-paced walk. Given that her behavior was a bit abnormal, we ran a few tests to make sure there wasn’t any medical concern. With the tests coming back inconclusive, our guesses pointed towards a neurological reason, though none was ever found.
When Chloe was ready to rest and have some “alone time”, you would find her relaxing in her small green carrier, face first, with her cute butt and tail sticking out. Without a fail, any time she wasn’t walking around the room with her friends, she was enjoying a well-deserved nap in her favorite spot, the little green carrier. One of our favorite things about Chloe was that any time you picked her up, she would melt into a cuddle puddle and would almost instantly fall asleep after a few minutes of pets and affection. Anyone that came across Chloe’s path knows that she was an exceptionally quirky, unique girl. She never failed to give us a giggle with her peculiar, sweet demeanor and tranquil, un-bothered lifestyle. We would always ponder as to what was going on through her mind or what she would be thinking since it seemed she lived in a Zen world, beyond our imagination. She was certainly an oddball, but she was our oddball and we wouldn’t change anything about her!
During our search for the perfect home for this perfect girl, Chloe started experiencing some gastrointestinal issues and didn’t seem to be quite herself, which was saying something for Chloe. After getting some bloodwork done and running a few tests, it was apparent that the issues she was experiencing pointed towards a neurological cause. As days went on, we closely observed Chloe to make sure additional symptoms weren’t arising or getting worse to help us figure out the best treatment plan for her. She seemed to be continuing on day by day, unfazed and unbothered, just living life for herself and enjoying the company of others. Up until one day, staff came in to find that Chloe had passed away in her favorite green carrier sometime in her sleep.
Though it was hard to deal with the unexpected loss, knowing that she passed away in her sleep in the place that she felt the most at peace, brings some type of comfort to our hearts. She may have been a bit misunderstood, she always marched to the beat of her own drum, literally. Before she left, Chloe gave us inspiration to live our lives for ourselves, despite what others may think, since you never know when the time has come to settle down and be at peace. Thank you Chloe for all that you have given us- the laughs, the cuddles, and the perspective.
