Deserted kitten finds loving hands

Lately, The Buddy Foundation is rescuing felines that find themselves in immediate harm's way, usually by the hand of their previous owners. The volume of animals is too great to say, “Fluffy fled out the door.” So what is going on?

I recently lost two cats to extreme illness. I would have spared no expense to keep them if I could, so long as they were not suffering. The Buddy Foundation has to be the voice for these defenseless felines.

We are here to remind you that cats are not disposable like objects you discard. They are emotional, caring, fearful and in need of constant care. They feel the pain of abandonment, sometimes for life. The loss of love may be a trauma they never shed.

I would like you to meet Xena, “Warrior Princess,” through her own voice as only she can relate her fear and plight. Xena is so named, not because she is an unfriendly feline, but for the situation she had to endure and her remarkable survival.

Xena is a petite, black and white female that is under a year and has endured more peril and fear in a very small time frame.

Hi, my name is Xena. I remember having a home. I thought I was going to be loved and cared for forever. My owners said I meowed too much, and I was pesty for rubbing on their legs and rolling on the floor. They decided they would drive me far away so I could not find my way home.

To them, I was just another object to go bump in the night. I was released on a dark, cold, rainy night. The sounds of tires peeling away are etched in my mind. They did not pause to look. No brake lights here.

I was scared and disoriented. I would hide under some bushes in a mulch area to get out of the rain. There are too many wild animals out here for me to stay. They are making noises and eyeing me like a small meal.

What to do next? I see a tall tree and I make a break for it. Up I go. Something is chasing me. I dare not look back so I do not break my gait. I go higher and higher to safety without a thought to how high this tree is. I am safe!

By dawn's early light, I see I am at least 100 to 125 feet up in this tree. I cannot find my way down. I freeze up here. I see cars and people but no one stops to help me. I'm in this tree another night. I don't see any help in sight.

It is daylight again and I am exhausted. I can't hang on much longer. Oh no, I misstep. I am falling. Thud, I hit a house roof. It only slows my continued way to the concrete. Ouch, I hit the concrete on my continued descent. I pass out.

I wake up at an animal hospital I must have been at for days. I move slowly to the sound of cheers made by the animal hospital staff. Someone does care that I live or die.

TBF's veterinarians have been caring for me. They are in awe of me because nothing is broken. I used up one of my nine lives for sure. Now I need my for-real “forever” home. I am now spayed so I will not meow so much, but I'll still need lots of love and attention.

Comcast CaresComcast cable company sent 30 volunteers to The Buddy Foundation April 30 as part of the company's 10th Annual Comcast Cares Day. A supervisor contacted Buddy's board members to see what our needs would be. We were told they would bring all the supplies they would need to take care of our tasks.Show up they did. Men, women, teens and children arrived in Comcast vehicles and in their own personal cars. They brought rakes, shovels, cleaning supplies and trash bags to place any unwanted items in our Dumpster.The volunteers did landscaping on the outside tirelessly, as well as the inside. Comcast showed TBF it really does care. We saw supervisors working side by side with their employees. I have to say, it is a warming sight to see some of the volunteers recognize their cable guy and see him volunteering to help our cause: the animals.Thanks of meows and barking to Comcast because we know you believe in the shelter.Rummage SaleOur rummage sale runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 2 and 3, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5, in the former JoAnn Fabrics, in the PetSmart mall, 65-75 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights.We need donations: clean, usable household items, clothing, furniture, small appliances, etc. We do not want exercise equipment, mattresses or computers.Drop off dates and times: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, May 22; 4-8 p.m. Tuesdays, May 24 and June 1, and Thursday, May 26; 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 18; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, May 21 and 28.#376; Contact The Buddy Foundation at (847) 290-5806; visit us at 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights; or online at thebuddyfoundation.org. 36482432Comcast employees and their families performed tasks such as landscaping and cleaning for The Buddy Foundation as part of the companyÂ’s 10th Annual Comcast Cares Day.