Well, crap
I just got home from the emergency vet. I found a little black kitten in my neighbor's yard with one of its front paws stuck in a mousetrap on the other side of a chain-link fence--that is, the kitten was on one side of the fence and the mousetrap was on the other. I managed to get the paw out of the mousetrap, but I could tell immediately the situation wasn't good; the paw looked mangled and I could smell what I figured had to be gangrene.
I popped the kitten into one of my carriers and took it to the emergency vet I took my Pretty Princess cat to about a year ago and, at their advice, signed it over as an abandoned/stray animal. Even though they say they won't tell the people who turn in the animal what happens to it, the vet tech came out to let me know that they were going to put the kitten down. The paw was necrotic, as I suspected, and the poor little thing was already septic. Humane euthanasia was clearly the best option, and while I'm glad that I could help to put the kitten out of her suffering, I'm sad that she had to suffer at all.
I saw two other kittens nearby when I rescued her; they were distressed by her cries but ran away when I got near. If I see them again, I'll try to catch them. I think the mom's around, too, so I'll see if I can nab her and at least get her fixed.
Although there was no charge once I signed the kitten over, I gave the emergency clinic a donation to cover some of the costs. It's good to know that there's a resource like that if I find another injured stray.
I popped the kitten into one of my carriers and took it to the emergency vet I took my Pretty Princess cat to about a year ago and, at their advice, signed it over as an abandoned/stray animal. Even though they say they won't tell the people who turn in the animal what happens to it, the vet tech came out to let me know that they were going to put the kitten down. The paw was necrotic, as I suspected, and the poor little thing was already septic. Humane euthanasia was clearly the best option, and while I'm glad that I could help to put the kitten out of her suffering, I'm sad that she had to suffer at all.
I saw two other kittens nearby when I rescued her; they were distressed by her cries but ran away when I got near. If I see them again, I'll try to catch them. I think the mom's around, too, so I'll see if I can nab her and at least get her fixed.
Although there was no charge once I signed the kitten over, I gave the emergency clinic a donation to cover some of the costs. It's good to know that there's a resource like that if I find another injured stray.