LAMBERTVILLE: Community cat was fixture at Station restaurant

To the editor:
   This weekend Lambertville said goodbye to a beloved outdoor “community cat” named Mama Kitty, who has made her home at the Lambertville Station for the past 13 years.
   Mama Kitty was a pretty white cat with a few large dark spots on her head and body. Her favorite pastime was laying in the sun in front of the train as customers walked by, or sitting on the back deck enjoying yummy bits of tuna and lobster while greeting customers.
   Years ago she had a litter of kittens but was smartly trapped and spayed. Mama Kitty had a guardian angel named Trisha, who fed her faithfully every single day for 13 years, as well as a huge fan base in the community who would visit the restaurant or stroll by looking for her. At Christmas time visitors would send cards to the Lambertville Station addressed to Mama Kitty!
   Sadly Mama Kitty had a tough winter and her guardian angel noticed that the skin on her nose was looking very bad — in fact, a chunk of it was gone and we feared the worse, that a white cat laying in the sun all of these years might surely have skin cancer.
   But Mama Kitty could not be caught to be taken to the vet. Lambertville Animal Welfare stepped in along with our fantastic ACO Nate Barson and we tried to catch her for the past five weeks, but she is very clever — not going into traps or cages and sleeping in an area that is impossible to get to.
   Mama Kitty’s nose was getting much worse, her eating had stopped and she seemed uncomfortable, so we called in the “Master Cat Catcher” from Tabby’s Place. While Mama Kitty was sleeping, our Tabby’s Place friend snuck up behind her with a net and we were able to get her. A moment of relief to finally have her, but a pang of guilt knowing that she would never return to the place she called home.
   Dr Jessica Greendorfer at Lambertville Animal Hospital confirmed our worst fear that Mama Kitty probably had serious nose cancer. With a heavy heart, Mama Kitty’s guardian angel held her as she was peacefully put to sleep.
   The life of an outdoor cat is a tough life but Mama Kitty survived the odds and lived for many years in good health — perhaps it was the love and care she received from her guardian angel and all the folks who watched over her and made her feel loved and wanted.
   The story was posted on Facebook this weekend and people, including a man who said she attended his wedding at The Lambertville Station, are sharing their memories of Mama Kitty. Many people are sad that her sweet face will no longer be there to greet them when they walk by or have a meal at the Station, but they will always remember her.
   Lambertville Animal Welfare works tirelessly to spay or neuter our free-roaming community cats, to make sure they have adequate housing, to supply their caregivers with food donations if necessary, and most importantly, to monitor cats who become sick and give them medical care. If they are suffering, then we are committed to giving them a peaceful and dignified final ending.
   Rest in peace, Mama Kitty. We all loved you and we will all miss you.
Lori Stagnitto
Heather Edwards
Lambertville Animal Welfare