So sad to hear Sassy didn’t make it, but she was loved and fed and warm in the last days of her life, and that’s so much better than the fate she could have had had you not taken her in.
I am so sorry to hear your news! Sending supporting thoughts your way.
Thanks
I heard from a friend on FB last night that one of her cats had been poisoned, don’t know if it was deliberate or accidental, but it’s not the first of her cats to ‘vanish’. Knowing that Sassy didn’t suffer that sort of a fate has made me feel better about her short life.
Let me share a nice story just to show we cat lovers are out there.
A few days ago I heard a cat inside a hedge. It talked but wouldn’t come out. Later that evening I caught a glimpse and talked to it. A nice long haired marmalade tom who was very timid but keen to be friends.
Long story short I spent two evenings enticing this lovely adult cat to trust me and gave him some food. My Siamese was not impressed but decided to sleep rather than make a fuss. In the meantime I went online and contacted a local veterinarian who runs a lost pet service. Sure enough the owners contacted me and after a lot of false starts I captured the cat.
When the owners turned up, puss hid under the table and declined to come to them. I knelt down and called him…and he came to me.
That was a meaningful and harmonious moment. I’ve always been good with cats and it meant a lot to have that affirmed.
Funny thing - after only two days of intermittent contact, I miss him. But glad to return him to his family too.
no idea how common it is, but I know there are things around (antifreeze, for example) that a cat might eat and be accidentally poisoned. 
it is a bad way to go.
Sassy was lucky to have someone to care for her.
and now? it wouldn’t be heaven if the cats weren’t there!! 
I have a horrible feeling (I didn’t want to ask) that it may have been deliberate. There are a lot of cat haters around here.
How true!
So sorry, Corcaigh. As others have said, at least Sassy knew some comfort and some love. You done good.
Nice story. I’ve been adopted by 3 of them over the years. Good luck with giving kitty a bath, I wouldn’t try that without heavy duty gloves.