Cat makes me feel so bad. Did I do the right thing?
By ctryhnny
@ctryhnny (3460)
United States
November 7, 2012 9:01am CST
There was a stray female cat coming to my window every night and making my 2 cats crazy even though both of them are neutered. She was tearing my screen apart and making that scary sound that female cats do when their in heat. I told the office where I live and got one of those traps that doesn't hurt the animal in it. I put cat food in the trap and didn't catch her for 3 days. Finally I put tuna fish in it and caught her. She was in really bad shape with cuts all over her body. Obviously her owner didn't care about her. The animal control guy told me she would be put to sleep because she looked so beat up. I put ads on craigslist and posters in my neighborhood hoping to find her owner but I never did. I sat ouside with her to keep her company and talk calmly to her. She wasn't very receptive to me and always hissed whenever I got near her. Now I'm feeling bad that I am responsible for putting an animal to sleep. How would you have dealt with this? Did I do the right thing calling animal control knowing what the outcome would be?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
7 Nov 12
Unfortunately, this cat sounds like she might've been abandoned and was going feral. Sad as it is, it might've been the kindest thing to do since you didn't want to take a chance at her getting your cats sick. I take all new cats to the vet to be medically screened before letting them interact with the rest of them.
Probably having her put to sleep not only ended her life, it ended her suffering, abandonment and making more unwanted kittens.
There are many hard choices we have to make, and that is sometimes the only one left.
I'll admit I have the facilities to take a cat and get her spayed and return them to their site, but I also understand that some people don't.
1 person likes this
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
7 Nov 12
I think that in the end, you did the right thing for the cat. It doesn't seem like she had any owners taking care of her and she seemed unfriendly and not too healthy. I think you did the right thing by calling animal control even though you knew what they would do. Not every animal is adoptable in a shelter and this cat was probably in all sorts of pain. It's better to have done what you did rather than let her suffer or mate with another cat and create kittens that have no home and nobody to care for them.
@lumenmom (1986)
• United States
8 Nov 12
What you did was actually humane. She was obviously suffering, frightened and not being taken care of. She was subject to all kinds of disease or being hurt by other animals or humans. It would have been great if she could have been adopted by a loving family but that does not always happen. I think you did the best you could in this situation.
@sjvenden27 (1840)
• United States
7 Nov 12
First of all this cat is not so friendly with you.. Even through you are trying to show her lots of TLC.. Its sad but who ever owned her previously really hurt her.. I think you did the right thing, calling animal control.. The safety of you and your other cats should come first.. It is unfornate that someone would treat their animals so badly and then dump them, or the cat ran away..
It is a sad fact that some animals are put to sleep.. Just remember you did everything that you could.. Some problems are bigger and need help of others.. Even if the outcome isnt so great. I am sorry to hear that you are in such of a mess I hope you feel better soon
@blaqwynter (218)
• Canada
12 Nov 12
The feline was obviously badly abused in the past and or is perhaps feral. Due to her hissing at you when you drew near her, that says a lot! You did the right thing because she unfortunetly would never have become adopted with her attitude toward humans.
@sheilanewton (58)
•
8 Nov 12
This is such a sad story but I agree with everyone who says you did the right thing. A few years ago, the cat who had been a regular caller to our house and my two cats, came back to call after a three year absence. He was in such bad shape, with boils and abcesses all over him. He was stick thin - emaciated really. Over a weekend, he never left our garden and only came into the house on the fourth night. He wasn't eating or drinking. I went to call at the house where 'Sidney' used to live but they didn't know where Sid's owners lived now.
We took him to the vet. The vet said he was at an advanced stage of Cat leukaemia. I held Sid in my arms while the vet put him to sleep. It cost a lot of money - but it was worth it to put poor Sid out of his misery. Sometimes you have to make a tough choice.
