Back in gentler times, Parliament Hill here in Ottawa offered a unique attraction: a cat sanctuary.
Alas, the sanctuary is long gone. The cats were neutered and spayed many years ago, so their numbers were dwindling. And when the volunteer-supported sanctuary’s original caretaker passed away, the remaining cats were adopted and the sanctuary was abolished.
One of those cats was all-black Coal, adopted by a gentleman named Danny Taurozzi. Coal is 16 this year, still alive and kicking, the last remaining Parliament Hill cat. Coal is also a cancer survivor.
Cancer can kill cats quickly (as we sadly know all too well) so I am glad to learn that Coal is doing okay for now. I hope he has a few more years left, because when he closes his little eyes for the very last time, it will truly mark the end of an era.
Good story about Coal though not that good about the Sanctuary. I should tell it to my wife – besides having 4 cats ourselves (not sure I can include image here) we sometimes visit local “cat-cafes” on her request. I imagine how it will be if there is such a larger-scale cat institution… Though some travelers report that Turkey may be regarded as such to some extent. The whole country (^.,.^)