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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / March 2005disposing of stray cats?
Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed a sick or injured cat in your neighborhood. Which in your opinion would be the lesser of two evils. ... take it to the pound ... take it to your veterinarian and have it put to sleep (killed, euthanized, whatever) I realize it's easy for some to say they would take care of it better than that, but I'm only interested in hearing about what your hard choice might be. Try really hard, however difficult imagining that money is an issue (while talking on the Internet). Thank you. > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thank you. Take the cat to the vet. At least it can be put to sleep in relative peace. The cat can pass on knowing someone cared. But, and this is just me, I would have the cat put down if it appeared too far gone for help. I am the sort that would use my own money to help a stray.  Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG >If you noticed a sick or injured cat in your >neighborhood. Which in your opinion >would be the lesser of two evils. >... take it to the pound >... take it to your veterinarian and have it >put to sleep (killed, euthanized, whatever) I think they're equally bad and IMO neither is worthy of consideration. You're creating a false dilemma here and I'm not going to respond the way you want because neither of the "options" you present are ones that I would ever consider, nor are they the only options. AFAIC the only option I feel is the right one ethically and morally is to rescue the cat, treat it, and either adopt it or find it a home. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray > >If you noticed a sick or injured cat in your > >neighborhood. Which in your opinion [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > option I feel is the right one ethically and morally is to rescue the > cat, treat it, and either adopt it or find it a home. I agree with you, Megan, 100%. >>If you noticed a sick or injured cat in your >>neighborhood. Which in your opinion [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > respond the way you want because neither of the "options" you > present are ones that I would ever consider, If in your opinion they are unworthy of consideration and you would never even consider them, then you wouldn't know they are equally bad. > AFAIC the only option I feel is the right one > ethically and morally is to rescue the cat, treat it, and either > adopt it or find it a home. I think that's great if in real life you practice what you preach on the Internet. > Megan > [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Content-Disposition: Inline > Xref: newsmst01a.news.prodigy.com rec.pets.cats.health+behav:357554 >If in your opinion they are unworthy of >consideration and you would never even >consider them, then you wouldn't know >they are equally bad. Of course I would. I already know they're equally bad which is why I don't think they're worthy of consideration as options. >>AFAIC the only option I feel is the right >>one ethically and morally is to rescue the >>cat, treat it, and either adopt it or find it a >>home. >I think that's great if in real life you >practice what you preach on the Internet. If you have any doubts you're more than welcome to peruse my photo album and start counting (link below.) :-) Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray <snip> > I think that's great if in real life you practice what you preach > on the Internet. FWIW, Megan does practice what she preaches. -L. >I think that's great if in real life you practice what you preach >on the Internet. Many people do. As I mentioned in my last post, my mom and I spent over $700 and the cat didn't even live. I would do it again. Granted, I don't go looking for strays. But when I find one, I feel obligated to see to their future. I can't just hand them over the the unknown. I know of another example. A couple moved into a house down our street and they had two dogs.. One was an old blind sheltie. They were quite new, so nobody knew they had dogs. Well, somebody left the gate open and the blind sheltie got out. A truck stopped and picked up the dog, asked a neighbor if they knew whose it was, and of course, the neighbor said the only shelties around were ours. My mom told him it wasn't ours. The next day, signs went up for a missing sheltie. My mom remembered the name on the truck - a local business, but it was saturday and the business was closed. She called the dog's owner and let them know that the dog had been picked up and a message left on the business' machine. That night, at dinner with some church friends, she told the story, and one of the friends knew the last name of the business owner and said they went to the same church. So, my mom looked in the directory, found the home phone number, called the peopel, and went and picked up the dog. Not only had these people taken great care of the dog, but they had taken her to the vet, had her nails trimmed, and gotten arthtris medication. Pretty nice for people who found an old dog on the street. There are a lot of good people out there that do take in strays and pay their vet bills. We do practice what we preach. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > >I think that's great if in real life you practice what you preach > >on the Internet. [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > There are a lot of good people out there that do take in strays and > pay their vet bills. We do practice what we preach. Amen. If I came upon an injured stray I would take care of it one way or another because I would feel compelled by compassion to do it. I would not feel I had a choice. If I did not have the ready cash on hand I know I could talk the vet into payments or donating some of it. I agree. Compassion and kindness can never be doled out in too great a quantity. Sometimes when I am unsure about a situation, I think "how would I want to be treated if I were in that position?" It makes the answer very clear :) Just a note, Meghan. I went to bookmark your site for a later checkout and found the initial horse photo absolutely breathtaking! With the snow flying about his/her legs as he cuts a turn, I could only think "wow!" Now I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the site! Melody >> >I think that's great if in real life you practice what you preach >> >on the Internet. [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > If I did not have the ready cash on hand I know I could > talk the vet into payments or donating some of it. > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > ... take it to your veterinarian and have it put to sleep (killed, > euthanized, whatever) I'd do neither. I would probably take it in and feed it, get it sorted and perhaps find someone who would look after it on a more permanent basis - if not keep it myself. ..but then I am lucky in that I can afford to do that I suppose. SignatureI.P.Freely Anonymity is synonymous with longetivity > "John Doe" <jdoe@usenet.love.invalid> wrote in message >> Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical >> United States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > sorted and perhaps find someone who would look after it on a > more permanent basis - if not keep it myself. I should have explained that clearly as one of the well-known courses of action. Hopefully there won't be a dozen of the same replies. I pray the holy will at least be creative and not just redundant. > ..but then I am lucky in that I can afford to do that I suppose. Or maybe you live in an area with fewer stray animals. For one thing my vet would not put to sleep a cat that I personally did not own. Unless the cat were not to recover at all and I showed up with it and asked to have it put to sleep because it was a stray she would insist that I take it to the pound first. I can't see any vet putting to sleep a cat just because someone brings it in saying it's a stray anyway. Celeste > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thank you. > For one thing my vet would not put to sleep a cat that I personally did not > own. Unless the cat were not to recover at all and I showed up with it and [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Celeste If the cat is suffering, and fatally injured, most vets will. It becomes a humane issue. -L. > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed > a sick or injured cat in your neighborhood. Which in your opinion > would be the lesser of two evils. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > ... take it to your veterinarian and have it put to sleep (killed, > euthanized, whatever) I'm assuming this scenario involves a cat with extensive injuries. If it just appeared sick, or was limping or such, I'd take it to the vet and end up keeping it or homing it. The only times I've been faced with that decision was once with a cat I picked up off a street in the city that had been hit by a car and was severely injured. I took it to the first vet office I could find, and asked for the best euthanasia money could buy. (i.e., to sedate the cat first as if for surgery, before administering the euthanasia drug) It cost $65. Almost the exact same scenario happened later, only it was a dog, and it was about a mile from my house. I took the dog in to my regular vet, who euth'ed the dog for free since he knew it wasn't my dog to begin with. I think the real question, in the case of a severely injured animal, is whether or not you've got the stuff to take responsibility for it, and get vet care immediately, which is the most humane thing to do. Humane Societies can't be expected to do it all. I don't expect to pass off responsibility for a cat I can take care of myself. Sherry >Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United >States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >Thank you. I'd get the cat treated if its condition was treatable and then neutered and aggressively fed and watered. If money was a problem I'd either scrimp a bit or do the necessary overtime and use the charity PDSA service rather than a commercial vets. Then, if I could not find the cat a home I'd return it to where I found it. A bit like Trap-Neuter-Return, I suppose. If I did not like where I found it then I'd take it to the edge of the city where it may co-exist between country and town. Of course, I say this in Internet text but (in reality) I'd take the animal in and home it for the rest of his/her days. If the cat is truly feral then this is where the fun would really begin!!! Actually John, you are just presenting your two fixed choices, kind of black & white. In reality there is plenty of gray in the between and my 'hard choice' would always be to put myself in the cats position and then work a solution from there. Iain.H >o< Rescued Cats & Kittens Needing Homes >o< >o< www.celiahammond.org >o< >o< www.cat77.org.uk >o< > I'd get the cat treated if its condition was treatable and then > neutered and aggressively fed and watered. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > where I found it then I'd take it to the edge of the city where it may > co-exist between country and town. I was agreeing with you up until the last graph :-) The only candidates for TNR are the very feral. Dumping a cat is never the right thing to do. I'd rather see people euthanize than dump a cat they've been taking care of back to starve, or fall victim to predators or traffic. All cats can't hunt well enough to sustain themselves and there are just too many opportunities for the cat to simply die a horrible death. Sherry >I was agreeing with you up until the last graph :-) > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Sherry Yes, you are right there. I should have clarified the point it would only have been if the cat had been totally wildly feral and 100% unhomeable. I'm not sure, if given (long!!!) time and infinite love (and patience!!!) there really is such a cat. But as I said, in all reality I would make every effort to home it and probably never would dump the animal. Probably just responding to the unrealistic set of fixed choices originally presented by John. Healthy cats are quite efficient predators in their own right and can cope quite well in the city border into the countryside. Inner city I don't estimate their chances as being as good which is why I'd suggested the out of the city approach. But in either case, if push comes to shove, I'd rather see the animal go out with a small chance than no chance at all - which is what killing it would be. So I am in favour of TNR when the alternatives are limited. Iain.H >o< Rescued Cats & Kittens Needing Homes >o< >o< www.celiahammond.org >o< >o< www.cat77.org.uk >o< > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thank you. If those were my *only* possible choices--that all other choices would be impossible to carry out--I'd rather have the vet put the poor creature down, allowing it to be put at peace humanely and mercifully and at least being comforted in its last moments in the presence of caring persons, than to take it to the pound and risk compounding its agony with fear, loneliness, and absence of compassion. >Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United >States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >... take it to your veterinarian and have it put to sleep (killed, >euthanized, whatever) If it goes to the pound it will be euthanized period. Take it to a vet and let him/her make the decision as to whether the cat can be saved. If it is too sick to survive, the vet will put it to sleep gently. I wouldn't want to be the one to make that decision without expert advice. BarB > >Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > >States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > BarB Perhaps at a "pound." Most shelters have working relationships with vets in the area, even if they don't have a veterinarian on staff. We're lucky enough to have both. And really... no one works harder at saving the cats in our shelter than the medical staff. Our staff may decide that euthanasia is the most humane option, but to say outright that it WILL be euthanized is simply assinine. > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed > a sick or injured cat in your neighborhood. Which in your opinion > would be the lesser of two evils. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > ... take it to your veterinarian and have it put to sleep (killed, > euthanized, whatever) C.) Take it to your local private animal shelter (Humane Society, etc., not city run) whether or not they are a "kill" shelter. At least at an HS or similar, if it is an owned cat, it can usually be claimed. -L. > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > choice might be. Try really hard, however difficult imagining that > money is an issue (while talking on the Internet). Considering the emergency vet is about a half mile away and I have their number in my cellphone? Well. Do the math. For an injured stray, they treat it and send it to the shelter anyway when it's stable. >Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United >States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >choice might be. Try really hard, however difficult imagining that >money is an issue (while talking on the Internet). If it was sick or injured - vet. As it is, 4 years ago, my mom fund a cat by the side of the road. His jaw was broken. Eye injured, very bloody. She took him to the nearest vet (and spendy). She really liked him, and her description of his temperment hooked me. We paid the $700 for his treatment and brought him home. He was severely underweight, and while his injuried improved, he did die after 2 1/2 weeks. I still believe we did the right thing. He had a much better 2 1/2 weeks with us and reall love and attention than he would have gotten at the pound or just being left at the vet to die. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Getting right to the point. In the context of the typical United > States big-city which runs a kill type animal shelter. If you noticed [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > than that, but I'm only interested in hearing about what your hard > choice might be. IOW, you want to know if I would chose death or death. Your choices are asinine. As my aunt and Godmother always said "Everyone is entitled to their own ridiculous opinion." Their choices are asinine in your opinion only. That does not make them asinine. > IOW, you want to know if I would chose death or death. Your choices are > asinine. >As my aunt and Godmother always said "Everyone is entitled to their own ridiculous opinion." Their choices are asinine in your opinion only. That >does not make them asinine. You're right.. Death or death are perfectly reasonable choices.... Okey dokey. > IOW, you want to know if I would chose death or death. Your choices are > asinine. Oops, sorry, response was to wrong post Phil ! *red face* M. >>As my aunt and Godmother always said "Everyone is entitled to their own > ridiculous opinion." Their choices are asinine in your opinion only. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> IOW, you want to know if I would chose death or death. Your choices are >> asinine. (...) > IOW, you want to know if I would chose death or death. Your choices are > asinine. Oh, it could be worse. He could be this guy... http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=308461 I think it's worth bearing in mind that this part of Usenet ain't representative of some of the realities out there... S. |
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