Pets & foreclosures – Cruel solution: Abandon them.

In today’s Letters to the Editor’s of the local paper: There is this woman in one of the neighboring towns down here in the sunny South of Florida. A little while ago, she noticed a little kitten in front of one of the neighbor’s house starring at the door like cats usually do in the hope and with the knowledge that sooner or later that door is going to open up and they can get in. Well, the problem with the neighbor is that he’s no longer there. He became victim of the latest foreclosure wave and abandoned house including his cat. I’d say, not the greatest of neighbors. If he does show that much respect and consideration for his own animals. A just recently appeared “fashion”, which I don’t get anyway. I understand, being foreclosed upon creates a lot of pressure on a house owner, but does that justify how many of these people act with regards to their pets? What’s next, you’re gonna leave your kids on the porch without food, water and shelter and pretend they don’t exist? Anyway, since the woman noticing the problem already has a cat, she’s temporarily feeding her and providing care, but she says she simply can’t afford to take care of another companion cat for various reasons. So she’s trying to place the cat with one of the many rescue/adoption Humane Society operations around here. She wants to make sure that she spares the little creature’s life and it doesn’t end up in one of those places where the solution is: Euthanize them. But she isn’t too successful. So far, and she has contacted quite a few of them, everybody tells her that they have a full house and all have reached their capacity levels to their fullest extent. Now that probably is nothing but the truth, but what’s the woman supposed to do? God bless her she only wants to do the right thing. No wonder she’s totally frustrated and calls her story an eye opener and the entire deal around these Humane Society organizations a mirage. I understand her frustration. I’d take the cat, but I have already 5 and they for me are a hand full enough. I understand these local organizations too. We support many of them all over the country in numerous ways as much as we can. And it is nothing but the truth when they tell us they have a full house. Our local one comes to my mind. They have a capacity for about 50 dogs and about 150 cats. Yet typically at any given time they always have about up to 100 dogs and 200 cats under their care, providing shelter, food and veterinarian care. Quite an accomplishment and I compliment them on their efforts. What I am trying to say is, we have to understand their situation too. It’s not that they don’t want to help. It is just that there are limits as to what they can do and have capacity for. So what should the woman do with the kitten? I’d put an ad in the paper (there are papers which will let you do that at no cost). And honestly, now don’t tell your local Humane Society that I said that, I’d still take the cat to one of them and drop it off. See what they are going to do. I seriously doubt that at that moment they tell you to get lost. Finally, if all your efforts don’t come to fruition, may be it’s time to face the naked reality of our today’s life and society. We can’t always be the kid in the candy store. Don’t get me wrong, you know by now that I love animals as much as I love my family. Just, sometimes we have to make tough decisions in our life. This may be one of them. And it probably at that point may be in the abandoned cat’s best interest.