A Moral Cat Question

[Mags 112]

A 5/6 month old kitten turns up on your doorstep in an appalling condition. Covered in fleas, half bald from a flea allergy, it has ear mites and is severely malnourished. You have a good idea where it lives (in appalling conditions) although this is not concrete. What would you do? Please pick from the above.

B)

Edited October 15, 2007 by Mags

[SMOKE 1,426]

mags,

why even ask? you know you're gonna take it in & add 1 to the family. you're not gonna let the kitten suffer or go back to that other house to suffer an even worse fate.

[mybackpages 0]

Definately keep her. If i couldnt for some reason, then act as a foster home until the PALS group could find a good home.

I'm a little worried about how the oll resutls are gonna come out.

[Jenn! 918]

Poor thing. As I am not in the position to have another pet, I would give it some basic care and then turn it loose. I also don't feel that it would be my position to take a cat that belonged to someone else, regardless of its condition. Instead I would call the ASPCA so they could check it out.

[Mags 112]

mags,

why even ask? you know you're gonna take it in & add 1 to the family. you're not gonna let the kitten suffer or go back to that other house to suffer an even worse fate.

You know me so well. I took little Billy (for that is his name) to the vets today to get him FiV/FLV tested (all clear luckily) and get his worms, ear mites and fleas sorted out. He is half the body weight he should be for a cat his age aswell. They also gave him his first shots.

It's hubby however that says he has seen this kitten on the porch of a house near us. I'm aware that this cat probably has an owner. But what sort of an owner is it that lets a cat get to this point of neglect? In my eyes people who treat animals like this don't deserve to own them in the first place. The house that hubby saw the cat outside is falling down and is owned by a violent drunk who shoots things in his back yard.

My main reason for posting this is not for everyone to say "oh you did the right thing! Take him in!" but rather to gauge different points of view regarding it.

Jenn ~ We are in a position to take the cat in and I fear that if the ASPCA were called and took them away to be re-homed that they might end up being destroyed instead. There are millions of cats waiting to be re-homed, hence why I just took this little fella in.

Edited October 15, 2007 by Mags

[Jenn! 918]

Jenn ~ We are in a position to take the cat in and I fear that if the ASPCA were called and took them away to be re-homed that they might end up being destroyed instead. There are millions of cats waiting to be re-homed, hence why I just took this little fella in.

That's a good point, though it really is a shame. I'm taking my two to be fixed this weekend. Did you know that one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in 7 years? Just terrible.

[Mags 112]

Jenn ~ We are in a position to take the cat in and I fear that if the ASPCA were called and took them away to be re-homed that they might end up being destroyed instead. There are millions of cats waiting to be re-homed, hence why I just took this little fella in.

That's a good point, though it really is a shame. I'm taking my two to be fixed this weekend. Did you know that one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in 7 years? Just terrible.

I know it's shocking really. And all those little babies will need a home...

[caybee 21]

Does it have a rabies tag? A collar? Any ID? I would take it in and care for it, take it to the vet for treatment and so they could scan for an ID chip, and if it had none, given my present situation, I'd keep it it unless and until I knew someone was looking for it. A reasonable owner would post notices nearby and maybe notify the vet, so if someone is looking for it, you'll know. But it doesn't sound like anyone has cared.

[almaty 19]

mags,

why even ask? you know you're gonna take it in & add 1 to the family. you're not gonna let the kitten suffer or go back to that other house to suffer an even worse fate.

You know me so well. I took little Billy (for that is his name) to the vets today to get him FiV/FLV tested (all clear luckily) and get his worms, ear mites and fleas sorted out. He is half the body weight he should be for a cat his age aswell. They also gave him his first shots.

It's hubby however that says he has seen this kitten on the porch of a house near us. I'm aware that this cat probably has an owner. But what sort of an owner is it that lets a cat get to this point of neglect? In my eyes people who treat animals like this don't deserve to own them in the first place. The house that hubby saw the cat outside is falling down and is owned by a violent drunk who shoots things in his back yard.

My main reason for posting this is not for everyone to say "oh you did the right thing! Take him in!" but rather to gauge different points of view regarding it.

Jenn ~ We are in a position to take the cat in and I fear that if the ASPCA were called and took them away to be re-homed that they might end up being destroyed instead. There are millions of cats waiting to be re-homed, hence why I just took this little fella in.

i agree with brother smoke..just let us know the name ..you picked out

[one...two...tree 2,762]

What if 100 more little kittens show up at your door step over the next 6 months? It's Superman's dilemna...knowing/accepting that he can't save everyone.

[Mags 112]

What if 100 more little kittens show up at your door step over the next 6 months? It's Superman's dilemna...knowing/accepting that he can't save everyone.

Oh, it's something that has gone through my mind many times. Will I be able to stop? Will I be able to live with myself if one day I can't take in anymore?

[boo boo 1]

Very sweet of you...if it is the neighbor's....you should take pic's of the condition it is in right now...because if your neighbor is the owner...he should be fined for cruelty to animals. I have a feeling that that poor little kitty mean's nothing to the neighbor...and now that you have brought it in for the proper care and give it all the unconditonal love that it needs.....in a week or two....that neighbor would not even recognize it....bless your heart I think you did the right thing.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I thought it had too few choices--either ignore or put outside.

It would have been nice if there had been a choice of "feed, treat, vet, take to humane society".

[Mags 112]

I thought it had too few choices--either ignore or put outside.

It would have been nice if there had been a choice of "feed, treat, vet, take to humane society".

CherryXS ~ I have yet to see a poll question in this forum that meets with your approval.

[trailmix 77]

I would also take it to the vet etc. However I would wonder if it belonged to someone other than the BYS (backyard shooter omg!).

Anyway, it is possible it was a stray that just hangs around BYS's house and really came from somewhere else - maybe someone loves that kitty and it's just far away from home.

However, if it doesn't have a tattoo or chip, no way to know.

I said I would take it in etc, I would then look for a new home for it (just personally, I think it's nice you took it in).