The Cat Lady of Sri Lanka

Compassion cannot be inculcated…it is embedded in our heart and soul. When human companions are lost, animals are still there for us. Here’s a live example of unique human-feline bond.
She once lived a fulfilled life but destiny had other plans for her. In her time of need all cruelly abandoned her. She had lost everything- her home, her husband, her children and her dignity.
But this tragic 41-year-old woman shunned by humanity, has the love and companionship of her animal friends – 40 cats and a loyal dog. They live with her on the bank of a polluted stream and every day the woman dutifully brings food for them. Unlike humans, animals do not abandon you in bad times…their love is unconditional.
She once saved a pup from a giant lizard, but the lady sustained injuries. When we heard about the Cat Lady, we were eager to meet her and help her. In a place where few will ever care for life of a mere animal, we were truly inspired by her warm heart and compassion.
When we arrived at the cat lady’s home across the putrid, mosquito ridden stream, she came to meet us with compassion. She was not concerned about her own health and squalid living condition, strangely, she seemed resigned to her fate. But, she was concerned about her pets and keeping them as healthy as she could, with no funds.
Surprisingly, most of the cats appeared in good health, a credit to the care she was providing under such harsh conditions. We gave her supplies of cat food, wormers, treated some of the cats for ear infections, and applied tick and flea treatments. We also gave the 40 cats and her dog a feast of a lifetime! As we placed the fish on the ground, the woman rushed across the stream to collect some plates. She insisted that her cats only ate from plates…only the best for her pets! It was an amazing sight with her cats swimming across the bank to get to the food. We also gave the cats some milk.
This exceptional lady, who suffers from respiratory problems due to her harsh life and living conditions, touched our hearts and souls. And we all contributed by our best means to help her.
Our organisation-Animal SOS Sri Lanka, will continue to support the Cat Lady of Sri Lanka, and when we achieve our goal of securing enough funds to obtain a base for our animal welfare work there, we will ask her to come to live with us, along with her children and pets. She will assist us in our endeavours to provide hope for the animals in Sri Lanka and be part of leaving them a legacy for the future. It is a unique bond that few in this world will ever understand. For their loyalty and devotion to us humans, we owe them a duty of care.
(Animal SOS Sri Lanka supports the Cat Lady of Sri Lanka. To help the organization in this noble cause, for more information, email at: kim@animalsos-sl.com )