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People who don't look after their pets.
Mar. 11th, 2013 10:17 pmI wanted to write a lovely long post about how awesome Buffycamp and the SFW have been. And I will, I promise. But since packing up to come home this morning I have been gently fuming about something...
While loading stuff into the car I saw a beautiful little black cat wander past and being me I then had to go looking for it. I called out and it came trotting down the road to me and put it's head straight into my hands and started purring like an idling engine. I noticed that she was very thin despite the season, that her fur was patchy around her hindquarters and halfway down her tail was stripped bare, and she had conjunctivitisish eyes and dirty ears, and she looked a little wobbly on one of her paws. Having stayed and chatted with her for a bit I was getting quite concerned because, frankly, she looked like a poorly stray and I didn't want to leave her unreported if that was the case. She actually let me pick her up and carry her around in my arms, and off we went to start knocking on random people's doors.
After a couple of tries I found a woman who could positively identify her and also pointed out another cat, Dave (a female tortie) who came to join us. Turns out these two cats are of four who belong to another woman around there who can afford, it seems, to go to the pub every evening and drink herself silly but can't afford to take them to the vet or even to buy them flea or worm treatment. The lady I was talking to puts out extra for them so that she knows they're getting something, but the RSPCA have repeatedly said there's nothing they can do about it.
It just makes me so cross. I was glad to meet her because she's a mad cat lady too and I know there's someone looking out for the cats. I do sympathise as I am currently learning all about being poorer than one would like. That said, if I had to choose between the cats' health and nutrition or alcohol, or even food or heating bills, the cats would come first, because when I took them in I undertook a duty of care to them and it's not their fault if things are screwed up for me. If it looked like I would not be able to afford them for a long period of time then the hard horrible situation of finding them someone who could would come up, and there are charities who can help with that. But I would never, never put them anywhere but at the top of the priority list and certainly not if the alternative was alcohol.
I think I was very restrained not to bundle Black Kitty and Dave into the car and bring them home with me! At least the people around there know to look out for them and hopefully if it gets worse will be able to get the RSPCA involved again. I just can't believe anyone would treat a tiny little life like that when they've taken them in. People like that don't deserve cats. I couldn't wait to get home and see my little brood - and even as I type this they have been clambering all over the keyboard and me. I hope the Belper kitties are okay.
While loading stuff into the car I saw a beautiful little black cat wander past and being me I then had to go looking for it. I called out and it came trotting down the road to me and put it's head straight into my hands and started purring like an idling engine. I noticed that she was very thin despite the season, that her fur was patchy around her hindquarters and halfway down her tail was stripped bare, and she had conjunctivitisish eyes and dirty ears, and she looked a little wobbly on one of her paws. Having stayed and chatted with her for a bit I was getting quite concerned because, frankly, she looked like a poorly stray and I didn't want to leave her unreported if that was the case. She actually let me pick her up and carry her around in my arms, and off we went to start knocking on random people's doors.
After a couple of tries I found a woman who could positively identify her and also pointed out another cat, Dave (a female tortie) who came to join us. Turns out these two cats are of four who belong to another woman around there who can afford, it seems, to go to the pub every evening and drink herself silly but can't afford to take them to the vet or even to buy them flea or worm treatment. The lady I was talking to puts out extra for them so that she knows they're getting something, but the RSPCA have repeatedly said there's nothing they can do about it.
It just makes me so cross. I was glad to meet her because she's a mad cat lady too and I know there's someone looking out for the cats. I do sympathise as I am currently learning all about being poorer than one would like. That said, if I had to choose between the cats' health and nutrition or alcohol, or even food or heating bills, the cats would come first, because when I took them in I undertook a duty of care to them and it's not their fault if things are screwed up for me. If it looked like I would not be able to afford them for a long period of time then the hard horrible situation of finding them someone who could would come up, and there are charities who can help with that. But I would never, never put them anywhere but at the top of the priority list and certainly not if the alternative was alcohol.
I think I was very restrained not to bundle Black Kitty and Dave into the car and bring them home with me! At least the people around there know to look out for them and hopefully if it gets worse will be able to get the RSPCA involved again. I just can't believe anyone would treat a tiny little life like that when they've taken them in. People like that don't deserve cats. I couldn't wait to get home and see my little brood - and even as I type this they have been clambering all over the keyboard and me. I hope the Belper kitties are okay.
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