Do the Right Thing
23 October 2006After much thought we decided to take the kittens to the Benicia/Vallejo Humane Society. It was a hard decision, but we were not in position to feed and take care of three more cats. The neighbors took poor care of the dog they had (chaining him in the backyard and not looking for him when he got out), so they could hardly be expected to properly take care of the cats. The Humane Society had a no-euthanasia policy and would try to adopt them out after spaying/neutering, administering first shots and micro-chipping them. They were still young, cute and adoptable. Had we not taken them in we would have felt an obligation to continue feeding them and take them to the vet when they got ill. At the point where I realized our potential future the decision became whether to make them our own inside cats or take them to be adopted.
Saturday morning we got the cat carrier ready and waited to see who would show up. Eventually the two more frequent guests, christened Stripes and Snowball by the boys across the street, came by for chow and we loaded them into the car. The first few minutes passed by without a peep, and then the reality set in. These cats had never been caged, and most cats dislike car rides. There was the requisite mewing and clawing at the cage, but then something completely unexpected happened. Someone lost control of their bowels and things got ugly. Picutre two scared cats inside a cat carrier which was now coated in a bad case of the backdoor trots.
Luckily we were only about 2 minutes away from the shelter. We rushed in explaining how these poor guys needed to be taken out of their filth infested home, fully expecting to have priority because of the barbaric conditions they were being subjected to. It was not to be. We were second in line, and had to wait our turn. At that point it was just too much for me to take. It was heartbreaking bringing them in, followed by the shame of seeing them sit in their own excrement, and then to not have the front desk person understand the urgency of the situation. I put on my sunglasses and went outside for a quick cry. By the time I was done it was our turn, and they gave us their full attention. The kittens were taken to the back and cleaned up. Our carrier was given back to us with the mention of a hose on the side of the building and we were done. I left a (guilt money) donation and away we went.
It was truly heartbreaking taking them in and leaving them there. They were so cute and sweet but we had to make the decision that made the most sense in the long run. They needed a home that would keep them indoors, feed them and give them regular medical care. They had a much better chance at a good life by going to the shelter then staying outdoors. After all, our boys were rescues from ARF and they’ve got it made. The idea that they will find a good home is comforting in what was otherwise a very troubling experience.