We were in the city today, driving down a busy 4-lane street.DH caught  a
glimpse of a small cat lying by the curb; he thought it was rolling around,
like kittens do when they're playing outside, and said, "That cat is going to
get hit by a car if it doesn't play somewhere else."  We turned around just to
be sure it was okay, and it wasn't playing, it had been hit by a car and was
writhing around. It (she, it was a she surely because it was one of those dark
calicos). Anyway, she had been lying there panting a long time because her
little mouth was full of dirt and completely dried out. We wrapped her in a
towel and started toward the closest vet.. It's weird, the thoughts that can
run through your mind. I thought, really thought, okay, we're going to take
this cat to the vet get it fixed up and keep it, and I'm going to name it
Cosmic. Although I knew better.. I knew it was in bad respiratory distress,
just like Jacky was right before he died and was too far gone. I scooped some
ice out of my Coke and put on her little dry  tongue and just stroked her and
talked to her. We gott to the vet's, and they sent us right in, we laid her on
the table and she passed away, right then.
Rest in peace, little calico kitten. You were so thin I suspect you didn't have
a home or anybody who cared.
My heart hurts for this poor little thing and I am angry beyond belief to
think how long she laid there.  
Sherry