This is not what I planned to write about today but sometimes life throws you a curve.
I was sitting here reading blogs when my sister called asking for if I had any words of advice for keeping a baby kitty alive. Seems their neighbor has a whole herd of cats and does nothing for them. My brother-in-law went out to collect the mail this afternoon and there in their driveway was a tiny, tiny kitten, soaking wet and very weak. He brought it in the house and my sister dried it off and then called me.
She was going to give it some warm cow's milk and I told I knew of something that might work better. I hurried as fast as I could to the grocery store and got some kitty formula and took it back to my sister. I was too late. The kitten had died in her arms. At least it did not die alone and it was warm and dry at the end. My sister was beside herself but she had done all that she could do.
What makes me sad, and yes mad too, is people who do not take care of animals. That helpless little kitten sat out in the rain and the cold and nobody cared until my brother-in-law found it. People who do not take care of their animals and allow indiscriminate breeding are not worth the powder to blow 'em to Hell! If the cats are feral, they can always be live- trapped and taken to the shelter where they will be spayed or neutered and at least have a chance at a normal life. I do not understand people who are cruel and neglectful of innocent animals.
My sister is going to call the county animal control on Tuesday and see if anything can be done about this situation. Unfortunately, even if the cats are rounded up and hauled off, it is people like this who will just end up with more animals to abuse or neglect.
So my soapbox for today is please spay and neuter your pets - and I know I am preaching to the choir here. There are so many unwanted and uncared for animals out there and seeing that tiny dead kitten today just really underscored the need to limit breeding whenever possible.
Oh, I am so very very sorry. That poor little thing. All I want to do is cry. But like you, I am also so mad at people. Dogs and cats bring such joy and love into our lives and people can be so cruel to them. Spay and neuter is the answer and yet people don't. That's one of the things I had a hard time with on the Indian Reservations. The dogs just run wild. Some of them are beat up so bad, others have a broken leg that's never been taken care of. But they really don't belong to anybody so nobody takes care of them. Broke my heart and all I could do was love my girls a little bit more.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first moved here there were a couple of cats left behind. The previous owner told us they were "outdoor cats" and they couldn't be taken along. So we began feeding them.
ReplyDeleteOne was quite aggressive and attacked my cat. I trapped it in a small room that had doors to both the inside and outside. I called the SPCA and they came and got it. I didn't want my cat hurt or given any disease and I knew these cats didn't have shots.
The second one hung around for several months and I put food out for him. Then I noticed he was getting skinny and not eating. I trapped him in the same way and was dismayed by the fact that all his teeth were rotten. I couldn't afford to doctor him so I again called the SPCA and I knew he would be put down mercifully. I don't go to heroic measures for strays, but I hate to see them suffer.
P.S. We always called maple bars Long Johns in Milwaukee.
I have experienced the same thing many times in the past. In fact, I keep a baby doll bottle in my house in order to be ready if I ever need to help feed a tiny kitten. I've saved many but I've had some die in my arms as well. My heart breaks every time. I have taken feral cats to my vet and had them fixed, given shots, and treated for fleas, then released them back into the wild. This is costly but I don't regret one cent I have spent on making their lives a little easier. Some people just need to be punished harshly for their continued neglect and abuse of animals.
ReplyDeleteI read this article just before I read your blog. Now I am really sad. There is just no excuse for animal abuse.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newser.com/story/119559/bound-shot-dog-buried-alive-survives.html
I agree -- some people just shouldn't have pets -- period! If we lived in a perfect world, those who abuse & neglect animals would not be allowed to have animals, but unfortunately, that's not how it works. Poor kitty.
ReplyDeletethere are no words!..just plain out and out anger for people who mistreat animals!..I copied and pasted the link from the previous commenter..I wish I hadn't! :*(
ReplyDeleteI am so mad and sad both! I hope your sister's calling will help the situation.
ReplyDeleteBecause of my love for animals it is hard for me to comment without a burst of anger. I can't even watch movies with animals in them because at some point the story is generally sad. I know it's only a movie but still can't watch. Can't even begin to tell you what I think should be done to people who abuse or neglect animals!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad, what can I say?
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for the loss. Your sister truely has a big heart. She is doing the right thing by notifying the authorities. Maybe after enough warnings from them, they will think twice about getting more animals. I don't get the concept of having something and not taking care of it.
ReplyDeleteAgree!
ReplyDeleteSadness quickly turns to anger at the disregard so many have for life. People who can't care for their animals deserve to be ... well, I won't go there, but I think you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donna, and all the people who commented on this blog. I am Donna's sister and it is she who has modeled such compassion for her family through the years. There is never a stray that Donna does not take care of. There is never a dog running loose that Donna doesn't stop the car, round up and return it to the owner. (Boy, have we ever found some stupid owners) My sister is the A #1 pet lover. Hopefully we can get some help from animal control...get all these feral cats rounded up and taken care of. No animal deserves to be left in the cold rain to die that way. We are just grateful that we were able to warm and comfort her as she died. At lease she was not freezing and alone!!! Thanks to all who responded.
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