dilemma (OT)

[Guest guest]

Hey Melody,

 

I do alot of volunteer work for the Humane Society where I live. I would try

to " catch " the cat for the purposes of saving it's life (and that is exactly

how I would look at it!) and then make arrangements with the local humane

society. (Im not talking about the city pound, yes they most likely will put it

down after 3 days of no one claiming it and if the " Mom " is as neglectful as she

sounds, she most likely won't go through the effort of claiming this kitty)

 

Of course you have several choices regarding the " Mom " . One is to talk to

her directly about the cat....she may be non responsive as MANY neglectful

owners are....or she may tell you to take the cat if you want. I have seen a

large number of responses (Unfortunately none included....you know your

right....let me start taking care of my responsibility for my pets!) ....but the

fact

remains that the cat should be your first concern.

 

Humane Society's sometimes have a long waiting list....so be sure to call

first. And if they are unable to help in a reasonable period of time....ask

them for other resources. Sometimes putting a picture on a supermarket board

with " looking for a good home " can be just the trick to get the cat into a safe

situation. And if you go the route of adopting the cat out yourself (Vs. using

the humane society).............. If your willing...getting the cat spayed or

neutered would be a very kind act on your part and would help the cat and

society. (You probably know this but sooo many animals get put down daily due to

being unwanted/ " un needed " . Spay/Neuter programs protect animals from neglect

and living a harsh life).

 

Good luck to you and bravo for not turning the other way to what you know is

wrong!

 

Suzanne

P.S....you mentioned the ASPCA -- They ARE a humane society and do everything

in their power to help control pet population by spay/neuter and adoption

rather than killing animals that are already born. Watch Animal Precinct on

Animal Planet if you have that cable channel. Here in OHIO it's on

10pm....frequently they feature NYC's ASPCA and you can learn more about them --

it's also

an AWESOME show!! My family and I don't miss an episode!! (I attached a

website below!!)

 

Suzanne

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=animalprecinct

 

> hi all--

>

> i'm at somewhat of a loss as to what to do about a cat i found on sunday. i

> was walking home from the supermarket, and found a very sweet, very skinny

> grey cat. it was STARVING. i happened to have some cans of cat food in my

> bag, and the cat barely waited for me to open the can before he tore into the

> food; he was that hungry. i asked a few people who were coming out of the

> housing around me, and they all said that the cat belongs to a woman in the

> house across the street from where i found this cat. apparently, the cat's

been

> there for years, and has always been starving. the neighbours are the ones

> feeding this cat-- not the owner. we knocked on the door of the woman's

> apartment but never found her. my boyfriend won't let me take the cat home,

and

> i'm afraid to call the aspca (i don't want this cat going to the pound). any

> thoughts?

>

> melody

>

> http://www.melodysmusic.net

 

 

If the Lord brings you to it....he will bring you through it!

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

hi all--

 

i'm at somewhat of a loss as to what to do about a cat i found on sunday. i was

walking home from the supermarket, and found a very sweet, very skinny grey cat.

it was STARVING. i happened to have some cans of cat food in my bag, and the

cat barely waited for me to open the can before he tore into the food; he was

that hungry. i asked a few people who were coming out of the housing around me,

and they all said that the cat belongs to a woman in the house across the street

from where i found this cat. apparently, the cat's been there for years, and

has always been starving. the neighbours are the ones feeding this cat-- not

the owner. we knocked on the door of the woman's apartment but never found her.

my boyfriend won't let me take the cat home, and i'm afraid to call the aspca (i

don't want this cat going to the pound). any thoughts?

 

melody

 

http://www.melodysmusic.net

[Guest guest]

Oh my, another person got suckered in! It's hard not to aint it

Melody (pathetic meows, no tummy and a cute face)? Whereabouts do you

live if it's not too personal (general area anyways). I'll try to get

some answers if possible but no guarantees.

 

S. (fell free to email me offlist if you like...if i get something

I'll shoot it to ya offlist as well if ya dont mind..otherwise I'll

post it short and sweet onlist)

 

, Nadiana1@a... wrote:

> hi all--

>

> i'm at somewhat of a loss as to what to do about a cat i found on

sunday. i was walking home from the supermarket, and found a very

sweet, very skinny grey cat. it was STARVING. i happened to have

some cans of cat food in my bag, and the cat barely waited for me to

open the can before he tore into the food; he was that hungry. i

asked a few people who were coming out of the housing around me, and

they all said that the cat belongs to a woman in the house across the

street from where i found this cat. apparently, the cat's been there

for years, and has always been starving. the neighbours are the ones

feeding this cat-- not the owner. we knocked on the door of the

woman's apartment but never found her. my boyfriend won't let me take

the cat home, and i'm afraid to call the aspca (i don't want this cat

going to the pound). any thoughts?

>

> melody

>

> http://www.melodysmusic.net

[Guest guest]

Now why are you letting your boyfriend tell you what you can

and cannot do? Is he allergic to cats or something?

I agree you should not call animal control as this cat will likely

end up being put to sleep when caught. In my experience the

only time the animal control officers are johnny on the spot is

to tell you when a nosey neighbor has complained about your

dog barking, then they use that as an excuse to check to see if

your dog tags are up to date.

I think if I were you I would just feed the cat outside. Apparently

the neighbors that claim they have been feeding this cat aren't

doing a very good job of it if the poor little guy is still so skinny

and starving. So heartbreaking...

 

~ pt ~

 

Love is a great beautifier.

~ Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~~~~~>

, Nadiana1@a... wrote:

> hi all--

>

> i'm at somewhat of a loss as to what to do about a cat i found on

sunday.

i was walking home from the supermarket, and found a very sweet, very

skinny grey cat. it was STARVING. i happened to have some cans of

cat

food in my bag, and the cat barely waited for me to open the can

before he

tore into the food; he was that hungry. i asked a few people who

were coming

out of the housing around me, and they all said that the cat belongs

to a

woman in the house across the street from where i found this cat.

apparently, the cat's been there for years, and has always been

starving. the

neighbours are the ones feeding this cat-- not the owner. we knocked

on the

door of the woman's apartment but never found her. my boyfriend

won't let

me take the cat home, and i'm afraid to call the aspca (i don't want

this cat

going to the pound). any thoughts?

>

> melody

>

> http://www.melodysmusic.net

[Guest guest]

Well, I'll tell you what I would do -- and have *done* (recently).

 

There's a family who lives across the street from us. (Picture pretty nice

middle class neighborhood.) The father of the man who lives across the street

owns an independent oil company and bought the home for the family, paying cash,

10 or so years ago. The wife is a nail tech; the husband sells used cars.

Three children, now 14 or so, ~17, and 21+. Oldest (son) has a meth problem;

got out of prison a little over a year ago for armed robbery (convenience store

up the street). Family also has serious domestic violence problems. As of June

of this year, oldest son lived back at home with his girlfriend, her five year

old daughter and their three-month old baby.

 

Lots of background, I know. Anyway, as of June of this year, the police had

been out *16* times. At one point in June, the boy pushed the girl down the

stairs (while she was holding the baby) and, after the police left, there was no

one at the house for about three weeks.

 

There are four dogs in the home. A small poodle mix, a mini schnauzer (each

probably 7+ years old and *always* all over the neighborhood), an unspayed

Westie of about 4 years old, and a less-than-one-year-old intact male boxer.

When they left the dogs unattended, I finally filed a neglect complaint with the

city. I couldn't get in the backyard, but ran a water hose over and made sure

there was some food there. I *swore* if they were ever left unattended again, I

would put them in rescue (I coordinated Airedale Terrier rescue for the state

for several years). Well, last week it happened. The two older dogs were out

for several days, then the Westie. On Wednesday, the boxer was running wild

(great dog, just young and has no manners). I took my kids to school, came

home, dragged some extra crates into the garage, and started calling rescue

groups. Got the boxer crated and taken care of; crated the Westie and delivered

her to breed rescue Thursday afternoon. The @#$% schnauzer, OTOH, took a big

piece out of my left hand (not good when you make your living as a massage

therapist). Had to get a tetanus shot AND had to endure listening to my doctor

read me the riot act about rabies. So, at the moment, I'm waiting out the

two-week incubation period and using lots of herbals to help my hand heal. And,

for now, the remaining two dogs will have to fend for themselves.

 

Would I do it again? You bet. I'd exercise a little more patience next time,

as the bite was, essentially, my fault (stupid human trick).

 

Do you know the people haven't even put up signs or ask around the neighborhood

if anyone has seen their dogs? Maybe they haven't noticed ... ?

 

[head shaking]

 

Paula J.

 

-

 

 

[Guest guest]

I've done something similar. Our previous next door

neighbors (they eventually defaulted on their home

loan and had to move out) brought a puppy home one

day. It was pretty obvious that they had drug

problems and were most likely dealing drugs out of

their house. In any case, we would often hear the

puppy crying in the back yard, but, although the puppy

wasn't being properly socialized, they seemed to be

feeding it, so there wasn't a lot we could do.

 

Then one day, everyone except the puppy disappeared

from the house. The puppy dug under the fence and

apparently sat at our back door all night waiting for

us to wake up (the automatic sprinklers went off

several times during the night, and when I found the

puppy, she was soaking wet). Anyway, in the morning,

when I opened the door to let my two dogs out, there

she was, dripping wet, muddy and cold (but not

malnourished, at least). I dried her off and over the

next five days made numerous attempts to return her to

her owners. No one was ever home, and the notes I

left piled up at their front door and in their

mailbox.

 

Finally, after a week had gone by, I went back to

their house and retrieved all the notes I had left and

decided to just keep the dog, since she had bonded

with me. I took her to the vet for shots and a

checkup the same day. Three days later, when we were

gone for three hours at a concert and had left the

dogs out (something we rarely if ever do, but the

puppy wasn't completely housebroken yet, the weather

was mild, and the hole under the fence had been filled

in), the neighbor finally returned home. He went into

our yard and grabbed up his dog, put her back in his

back yard and tied her to a short chain.

 

When I got home that night, the puppy was in their

back yard crying while they sat in their living room

watching television. I sent my brave husband over to

their house. He knocked on the door, and when they

answered, he just said, " You can't have that dog

anymore. " He then proceeded through their home to the

back yard where he got the puppy and brought it home.

There was no argument from them at all.

 

She has turned out to be a great dog. She's an

English Shepherd named Shadow (because she follows me

everywhere). She fit in very well with our " pack, "

mostly because she seems to be a naturally submissive

dog who lets the older girls run the show.

 

My other two are both rescues as well. I got the

first one, and American Eskimo, from my ex-boyfriend's

sister, who was looking to find her a new home becuase

her husband used to get all methed up, then take his

frustrations out by beating on the innocent family

pet. He eventually moved up the food chain and

started beating his wife and kids as well.

 

The second one, a terrier mix, was rescued out of a

dumpster in Puerto Rico. She was young, starving and

bald with mange.

 

All three are great companions, and I love them all.

 

--- Paula Joseph Johnson <welshaires

wrote:

> Well, I'll tell you what I would do -- and have

> *done* (recently).

>

 

 

 

 

Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears

http://launch./promos/britneyspears/

[Guest guest]

No doubt...GOOSEBUMPS! May I share the occastion? S.

 

, Lori <mrsshf> wrote:

 

>

> When I got home that night, the puppy was in their

> back yard crying while they sat in their living room

> watching television. I sent my brave husband over to

> their house. [[[He knocked on the door, and when they

> answered, he just said, " " " " You can't have that dog

> anymore. " " " " He then proceeded through their home to the

> back yard where he got the puppy and brought it home.

> There was no argument from them at all.]]]

>