I guess it was Tanada that posted the humorous Freecycle ad.  I loved it.  I
also subscribe to my local Freecycle email.  And yesterday, someone posted
</rant>:

[BBINFreecycle] Wanted: Baby Kitten
We are looking for a baby kitten...we prefer a male, however we'd take a
female also. We're especially looking for a kitten who is very friendly,
likes to lay on laps, and be handled. Our ideal kitten would have unusual
markings of any kind..we're open to any color except Calico as we have a
calico already, and wanting this one to be different. We'd love to take a
look at any kittens you have that need a good home.
Thanks!
jen

That kinda burned me, so I replied directly to her email address:

Try the local humane society http://www.monroehumane.org/ Sure, there's a
fee, but it is up to date on all vaccines and already spayed/neutered, so
you won't have to pay a vet to do it.
Or Pet Finder http://www.petfinder.com/
A lot of shelters list there, and also rescue organizations
Check out http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/IN162.html and
http://www.animalsanctuaryinc.org/

And this was her reply:

I realize that about the shelter, however quite frankly, it's a pain to go
through adoptions there...just thought someone on freecycle might have one,
which is why i asked here...the money isn't the issue, being able to go and
pick out a kitten without filling out lots of paperwork, and taking lots of
my time is.

Well, that *really* burned me!  I stewed about it for at least 20 minutes
before I fired off with the following (and I admit I held back)

Well, then I guess I'm sorry that I wasted some of your precious "time".

Just wondering, if you don't have the "time" to fill out a simple form
(while somewhat invasive, or a pain in your terms, it is found to be
necessary in order to ensure the well being of the adopted pet), how do you
have the "time" to care for one cat, let alone a second????

While not affiliated to any of the shelters I listed, I have done rescue
work (on my own with no assistance from outside sources, except Pets Alive
who listed them on Petfinder for me), and believe me, you get attached to
the animals and have their well-being in mind when you adopt them out. I
couldn't take the heart-break of sending them to their new homes any more,
so I stopped, and kept the remaining kittens I had been offering. I now have
several well-fed, well-adjusted 'teenage' cats (one raised from just a few
days old - talk about a "time-killer", not to mention "sleep-killer", but it
amazes me that this kitty I see now, on the window sill, chasing a bug
that's caught between window & screen, was just a tiny little fuzzball less
than 2 years ago). and yes, I do still keep in touch with the people that
adopted from me, send them birthday & holiday greetings and reminder of when
their pet(s) are due for their yearly checkup & shots. (for pictures of any
or all of my cats, go to http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep ...
Yeah, some of them have silly names, but that's the fun of having a cat)

Sorry if I sound so harsh, but there are so many people who don't have the
"time" to fill out a form at a shelter, so they pick out a kitten from the
free ads in the paper... Then they don't have "time" to get the kitten
spayed - which, in as little as six months time, leads to more kittens. Then
they don't have the "time" to take the unwanted litter to the shelter, so
they just dump them somewhere to fend for themselves, to die a horrible &
lonely death either at the hands of some lunatic, in the mouth of a coyote
(yes, there ARE coyotes in Indiana), starve because they have no clue as
what to do, or get crushed by a car. If you go to the Bloomington Petsmart,
there is an orange cat there, and taped to her cage is her sad story, very
similar to what I've just told you.

On another note, there is a nice article in today's Herald Times titled
"Lets Be Pals" about the local shelter.

I will end my rant now, and hopefully you won't think of me as some PETA
nutso-freakazoid.
Nancy Lee
</endrant>

Do you think I did the right thing, or should I have totally flambasted this
chick and not apologized at all?  I have yet to hear from her since I just
sent that last one a few minutes ago.  She probably won't reply.  If she
does, I will post an update on this.  OH, and her email address was a gmail
account, but I *do* have her full name, so she won't be all that hard to
find if I feel the urge to go postal all over her.  Maybe she should tour
the local shelter on euthanasia day??? (IMO, a pre-requisite for pet
ownership for all humans beings)