After a month of being missing, Kitu, the black cat who hung out around the local Bluffton Marathon gas station, is being presumed dead.
Kitu was last seen in early August. He was showing signs of deteriorating health. His vision was failing, he had become very lethargic and he was losing weight rapidly.
Marathon employees are assuming that Kitu wandered away to find a quiet place to die peacefully. Cats are known to do this when they know that death is imminent.
The wooden box outside of the Marathon where Kitu was known to nap. Photo by Claire Myree.
Not only was Kitu well-known to many Marathon employees and local customers, but he was also known and appreciated by Bluffton University students.
“I always chose to go to the Marathon instead of the other gas stations in town just so I could see Kitu,” said Taylor Best, Bluffton University alumna. “He was a staple in my four years at Bluffton, and I always looked forward to seeing him. It saddens me that future students will not get the chance to know him.”
Even though Kitu is missing and presumed to have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, the little wooden box where he used to sleep, with a zebra-striped fleece blanket inside of it, still sits outside the entrance to the Marathon and serves as a reminder of his friendly presence.
