This Year's Winter Cat
So, every year I seem to adopt a cat, not because I need another one but because I am too soft-hearted to leave them out to die. Contrary to popular belief, cats (and dogs) are not able to "fend for themselves" in the wild. They are called domesticated for a reason. I am not talking about outdoor cats that live on a farm and are taken care of but cats just tossed out into the cold. I know that right now times are economically tough but would you toss your kid out into the cold because you couldn't afford them anymore? No, because you have a responsibility to care and raise that little germ factory. When you chose your pet you made a commitment to be responsible for its well-being as well.
That being said, this year's cat is an outdoor cat that I have seen around the neighborhood quite a few times. It often stops by my house to get a drink of water out of the bucket up front that collects when it rains. I noticed the other day that this cat was now painfully thin and breathing hard. Today I noticed that it had a lot of discharge around its eyes and its eyes (from what I could tell were pretty much swollen shut. Now I have put some food out for the kitty but I am thinking I am going to have to find a live trap so I can catch it and take it to the vet to be put to sleep. Most cat eye infections are fatal (or so I've read) and I can't stand to see this poor kitty freezing and starving. I also can't get close enough to it to give it the eyedrops required for most eye infections. It makes me sad but I have to choose the kinder of two deaths for this poor animal. What makes me sadder, is that I know it was someone's pet and they are now neglecting it. This is supposed to be a joyous time of year and all I can think about is how much I hate people for being such useless assholes.
I think after it's been put to sleep I am going to post a flyer on the mailboxes with something along the lines of "To the owner of the long-haired black and white cat, because you wouldn't take care of your cat, I ended his suffering. I hope you rot in hell." Ok, maybe not that last line but you know...
That being said, this year's cat is an outdoor cat that I have seen around the neighborhood quite a few times. It often stops by my house to get a drink of water out of the bucket up front that collects when it rains. I noticed the other day that this cat was now painfully thin and breathing hard. Today I noticed that it had a lot of discharge around its eyes and its eyes (from what I could tell were pretty much swollen shut. Now I have put some food out for the kitty but I am thinking I am going to have to find a live trap so I can catch it and take it to the vet to be put to sleep. Most cat eye infections are fatal (or so I've read) and I can't stand to see this poor kitty freezing and starving. I also can't get close enough to it to give it the eyedrops required for most eye infections. It makes me sad but I have to choose the kinder of two deaths for this poor animal. What makes me sadder, is that I know it was someone's pet and they are now neglecting it. This is supposed to be a joyous time of year and all I can think about is how much I hate people for being such useless assholes.
I think after it's been put to sleep I am going to post a flyer on the mailboxes with something along the lines of "To the owner of the long-haired black and white cat, because you wouldn't take care of your cat, I ended his suffering. I hope you rot in hell." Ok, maybe not that last line but you know...