I know this isn't my own cat, but I can't get his story out of my mind. Here is the ad my no-kill shelter friend recently put in the paper about him:

"Don't feed him and he will go away."
Go where? Obviously there was no home. He slept in the snow under the bushes at -27 C., skin and bones, fur matted, limping on 3 legs for the last 8 months or so, as the front leg was caught in his collar, cutting off circulation, making it grow into the leg and neck, causing deep, infected wounds that gave off the smell of death and rotting flesh. Trying to find garbage to eat, he made his miserable rounds through downtown. Not in my backyard - someone else can help him. Such was the thinking.
We have him now. Luckily, the leg could be saved. He's starting to use it. It will be a long way to recovery, but the worst is over. There was a little heart-shaped tag attached to his collar, with his name, "Sparky", and a phone #. "He is sick? Have him euthanized, I never had a cat," said the voice at the other end of the line. How sad.
When I clean his wounds, I think of the suffering this cat went through, for so many months. He trusts me and purrs loudly. He will not be euthanized. As long as there is hope, euthanasia is not euthanasia, plain and simple - it is killing. We have hope for this cat and hope that one day, people and their att*itudes towards animals will change. For a more kind and gentle world....."

This cat looks like a smaller version of Alley, Paula's dear one. He has a whole-leg cast on and is shaved on his chest. I'm sickened by this story, the 'guardian' who didn't give a rat's a**, and by the people in this town who wouldn't try to trap this suffering creature, to help him, even after all that time, in the dead of winter yet! The woman who finally agreed to try and trap him left him sitting in the trap ALL NIGHT LONG on her outside porch, with no protection from the elements! She thought she'd done MORE than enough. This cat was living in hell, and so am I and my friend. I have my own griefs to deal with, yet I can't help but also take on the sorrow for little ones so terribly treated, such as this guy. This story has haunted me since I first read it, about a week ago. I tried to get to visit him, to show him that at least TWO humans in this lousy world cared, but my friend was too busy for me to come over that day. But he's on my mind every day, and I've cried for him, too, even though he's still alive. But what kind of mental and emotional state is he going to be in for the rest of his life?

This can't go on. People have to change, and open their hearts to what they're doing to animals. With grief over my Nissa-girl still so raw and deep, I can't believe what I'm seeing and hearing all around me.....so opposite to my own heart, and breaking it even further. I was told this cat is as good as adopted once he recovers a bit more, but that's not the point. Things like this should never happen in the first place! And his is only one of many such stories, and one who finally caught some luck. Others aren't as fortunate. Gawd....is it any wonder animal loss is treated so disrespectfully? The only way for me to heal is to hide from the world and the average Joe's in it.

I'm sorry to pass this burden on to all of you who are, like me, already grieving, but I just couldn't keep this to myself anymore. It's now a part of my existing grief, just because I care about each and every one of them.

Thank you for sharing this story. Yes, it sucks to read about them but we need to be educated and have awareness. I can't believe how insensitive people can be towards animals like that. They just don't "get it."

The other day I posted about Stealth, my black stray cat friend that I feed and let reside in the back of my garage. I worry about him everynight and one of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning is to check his food and water bowl to make sure he was able to stop by and get a meal and water. I would love to do alot more for him like give him a home but he won't let me get anywhere near him. He seems to be happy as a feral and is in good health though it seems and actually starting to get "plump"

I truly believe that people like that will pay for their actions someday. It breaks my heart to think of a little guy that looks like my Alley being so mistreated. Bless your friend for helping him and taking him in. Every animal deserves to know a loving home with someone who cares about him and takes care of him.

As for the previous owner, maybe they will get sick and someone will euthanize them!

The poor little one, what are people thinking? He has help now, so that is good. It's hard to put yourself out for other people, let alone 'just an animal'. We are blessed that there ARE people in the world, like your friend, that do care and do help.

I know that Karma works and someday all will be paid back. The bad AND the good we do.

Simba's Daddy

I think your relationship with Stealth is different. There aren't enough homes for all the strays and ferals. Stealth is happy, healthy and being fed enough (plump just makes me grin all over). He IS being taken care of, by you. For now he's okay, if you saw a problem I'm sure you would do what it took to take care of him. As feral as he is, he would probably never get a forever home and it's unlikely he would want one. Sometimes it's okay to do the best you can and leave them outside. In my mind anyway.

Love

God has blessed both your friend and this precious little furcat .

I love animals much more than I love most people, and, I don't think that that is unheard of, around here.

I watch animal planet every night at 10pm EST, and I cannot believe the horror that I see!! The "owners" <<-- (a term I use ever so lightly !!), of these poor, defenseless animals deserve the exact same treatment that they felt it fair for their animals to suffer through.
MAKES ME SICK..

Peace and Love to all of those who care,

Denise, Ben, Ms. Lucy and Mr. Yoster xo

I watch Animal Planet too...
What amazes me is how these people think they aren't doing anything wrong and the animal is fine. It is something how you see these starving animals and when the investigators knock on the door the guardian, or lack of, can barely fit through the door.

I adopted "Simba II" from the Michigan Humane Society in Rochester, Michigan. They show that place alot on Animal Cops Detroit.

Thanks for your interest, guys. It somehow lightens the load when I can 'spread it around' and find others who hate this kind of crap, too.

In fact, I was so furious about this cat's and a dog's story ('surrendered' to my friend's shelter by his mom's relatives after she'd died, at age 16 yet! This one she's keeping for herself, as he's got a heart condition, too), that I wrote a scathing letter to our local paper, wondering if ANYBODY but me ever even read her shelter ads, and asking just WHEN this horrid behaviour was going to stop! This dog's family was actually in Calgary, not our town, but that wasn't the point, as it goes on everywhere.

Yah, I've seen people like that, too.....rotund, to say the least, yet their animals are denied even basic nutrition. How they all sleep at night, I'll never know! Of course, on the other hand, I've also seen plenty of obese people with equally-obese animals......no good, either, as obesity can lead to so many health problems, too. So, no matter WHICH issue we're talking about, I'd settle for awhile to see just more balance. But it's like talking to a brick wall with people like this. They don't WANT to know they're doing anything wrong. It would be so nice if we could lend them a bit of OUR guilt, appropriate or not! We don't get Animal Planet...wish I did, for at least the communicator-type shows....but the others? I think I'd have to avoid those right now. ...too much sorrow, too much anger. I can only take it in very small doses now.

And I have to admit, even here, if I see that someone hasn't had their animals fixed, for instance....I just can't offer them much, if any, sympathy, because I can't condone the things I believe are adding to so many problems for the poor animals. It may not be the most open-hearted thing of me, but I can't be an enabler, either. It's not rocket science to see why rescuers have such a hard time remaining kind to humans. They must be so full of rage.....why I could never do this, I don't think. I'd explode, end up in jail and have no one to take over my work!

This story doesn't surprise me at all, unfortunately. The majority of humans have the caring and empathy levels of Tasmanian devils. (my apologies for insulting Tasmanian devils everywhere by this comparison)

That's it, in a nutshell. I believe the Taz's will forgive you for using them in this instance. But that reminds me... have you ever noticed how MANY terrible and grossly unfair expressions there are that involve animals? Like "greedy as a pig", "lazy as an ox", being "chicken" (chickens, when healthy and happy, are often quite assertive!), "a last kick at the cat" (that one's EXTRA distasteful!) and dozens more. I never use most of them if I can help it....or I'm apologizing like you, if I do! If you start picking them apart, it's so easy to see that whoever came up with them knew NOTHING about the animal they were unfairly disparaging! That makes me sick, too.

So even our language is rife with animal abuse. That's also why I agree with the ( too slow) movement towards changing legislation to use the word "guardian" instead of "owner". We need to get rid of that idea that animals are nothing more than just "property", or unfeeling objects that don't deserve a second thought. And we need to lead by example, at the very least.

How about "Daddy"

I like to believe that pets refer to us as "their human" or "human companion" or something of the sort... but they never refer to us as their "master" or "owner."

Dear Furkidlets Mom,

I work in animal rescue, doing those things that make everyone say "I don't know how you do that". There is a new heartbreak every day, and I have been awake many a night suffering for the pain of animals.

What gives me heart and hope is that there are people like you in the world. Thank you, from the bottom of my furry little heart. Oh, if only we could clone you, and get rid of all who are not like us.

If you would like to read a story of hope, check out Tony on my Rescue's web site:

http://wooffriends.com/wooff_beginnings.html

Dawn

Yah, if we're not Mommy or Daddy to them, we're something more like their "people", or as I like to say, their FURpeople! (I mean, I AM half cat, I SWEAR!)

Dawn, I took a look at these few BETTER stories, so mixed with heartache but with happier present realities.....but I still cried all the way through them! ...but more tears of relief and joy this time. I even watched Sammy RUN! And whoever is doing the blurbs for them.....good job! I still don't know "how you DO that", though! My heart can be TOO soft, to the point of ineffectiveness! I know my friend has told me far too many times of how she can't sleep, for a million reasons. If she's not awake feeding kittens every 2 hours at times (she HATES people who let them breed, and especially those who breed on PURPOSE!.....cuz SHE ends up with all their consequences, as they keep breeding and not caring), she's awake worrying and crying about one animal or another, or over yet another spiteful, malicious and viscious remark someone made to her, about her, rather than face the truth. So the only 'breeding' that should be going on is to make more of these angels of mercy, like you and her....cuz you folks ARE a "special breed"!

And I can't thank you enough, for doing the kind of work that many of us don't have the hutzpah for, even if our hearts are in the right place otherwise. Someday, maybe, for me....but not yet. I'd have to try it out and volunteer for a shelter that's in keeping with most of my own principles, then see if I could continue. Yes, this world needs more of us, whether we do it 'all' or not, as individuals. That's the only good use I could ever think of for cloning!

And speaking of which, there's ANOTHER issue I hate! Imagine.....paying $50,000 to have your previous animal cloned (and goodness KNOWS what abberations THAT'S going to bring out!), when there are literally millions of animals that no one is loving. People, and their stupid and utterly selfish ideas disgust me no end. Mucking with nature, and disregarding all the hundreds that also die terrible deaths during these experiments! GAWD....as my H is fond of saying, "I don't think it would be a bad thing at all, if we DO end up blowing up the world, or get hit by a big enough meteor....then it could start over and maybe we'd get it RIGHT the next time, or maybe better yet, humans would never come back again." My friend and I are also fond of pondering how beautiful the world would be w/o any humans at all, and just being left to the animals for a long, long time. Whereas, if there were no animals left at all and nothing but humans?.....how ugly it all would be. As you can see, I'm not terribly fond of my own species as a whole!

Maybe WE need to start our own city, with a strict screening for those who want to live there!

I'm not terribly fond of my species either...I'm right there with you on the cityhood thing. The citizenship test would be what do you do with an animal who is lost and alone.

I am so glad you watched Sammy run! Sammy was a happy, happy boy. That's why I do what I do, because of the Sammy's and the Tony's and the Misha's.

I would be honored to have you in my city

I'm running for Mayor of our new City!

Dawn (Jake's mommy)

Thank you for doing the work you do. I admire anyone who can. I'm sure you do a great job. I loved Tony's story, poor little guy, but he's okay now.

Simba's Daddy

I hope my guys think of me as 'mommy' . Hey I'd vote for you.

Love

Dawn

You should read the Rainbow Bridge - Rescuers poem I posted in the Tributes forum. It was written for people just like you.

Thanks Moose Mom and Alley's Momma. Thank you for being who you are, and loving your kitties. It lights my heart up, the pure force of love on this forum, animals who were well loved and had happy lives. That is all it takes to make the world alright for a rescuer, a happy animal. And apparently those are plentiful here! I feel it everytime you say a word or post a picture.

I have an interesting story that not many have appreciated, but after reading about this poor kitty's suffering and our collective interest in saving the better species I was inspired to share it with all of you:

Last fall, after MoMo's adrenal tumor diagnosis, which was sort of the beginning of the end, Maisie had two mast cell tumors removed from her legs. She had been through knee replacements in the past and does not handle surgery well, so all three of us slept on the floor for a few nights while she was unable to make it up their little steps to the couch and bed. Both required a lot of care, it was a hard time, and in the midst of this I "rescued" another little companion, but one without fur.

I live near a reservation, and since I moved here last year, from May until October a 'family' of bullfrogs sat outside my door whenever it rained. One big one and four little ones. I would check for them each time I took the dogs out to make sure we didn't step on them. When I scooted them away from the front door in the hallway of my complex, they would appear outside the patio door. I got very used to them but never thought much of it.

One night in early October, I took the dogs out in my slippers and stepped right on one of the little ones. Not in the hallway, but out in the grass - in a bed of ferns, where I couldn't see her. (Internet research later identified her gender due to coloring, etc.) Anyway, I picked her up and realized that by my stepping on her she had lost an eye. She was in pain, and I felt horrible. I brought her in, called my vet, who didn't know of anyone but made a couple of calls for me, and everyone I talked to told me to just put her back outside to let her die. Their reasoning was that it was the most "humane" thing to do. This includes 'reptile and amphibian specialists'. No way was I going to put her outside to die, so I fashioned a makeshift house from a tupperware container, put some ferns and water in the bottom and tried to at least make her passing comfortable.

I woke up in the morning expecting her to have passed, but she had made it through the night! So I went online, learned her gender and what she needed to eat and set out to find her some food. I dug up worms and put them in with her. No interest. Still making calls for help, mind you, and no one was interested in saving her. So I bought her an aquarium and some crickets. I put a little frog pool and some earth and plants in with her and put her in front of the window in her house. I named her "Fern" because of where she was found. So about three days went by with little movement, and the next day I threw some crickets in (also had to house and feed them, so it was quite a production). She ate about 6 of them right in a row! To make a long story short, 2 weeks went by and she slowly healed and regained her strength. She hopped around and sat in her pool and I talked to her just like I did to Mo and Maisie, who were also recovering. Her eye was definitely gone but had closed up, and in reading about it I learned that they can survive with one eye in the wild once healed - it's the period right after injury when they are most vulnerable to being attacked by other creatures or fellow frogs. Precisely when everyone told me to put her back out in the wild.

One rainy, warm night in about the 3rd week of October, I opened my door to one big bullfrog and three little ones, all sitting there looking at me. So I brought out her house, turned it on its side (gently, of course), and sat on the steps for about 40 minutes to see what would happen. She eventually made her way out and under the steps, where she stayed for a long time, but the rest of them still sat in the hallway. By the end of the night, they all hopped back off together into the rain, with Fern in tow.

Everyone who heard this story laughed and thought I was crazy, but to me there was no other option. This is really the first time I've told this story to people who I believe would have done as I did, if not more..

Go Fern! What an outstanding example of humanness you are!

Mo & Maisie's Mom

Wow I am inpressed. Thank you for doing whatever it took to take care of a little live thing. I'm not sure there is any more anyone could have done. You are my new hero.

I love coming here and reading stories like this one. You made my world a little brighter today. The very best people in the world are on this board.

Love

God Bless You M&M's mommy!

Thank you for bringing some sunshine into my day .

I know that Fern will never, ever forget your love & kindness .

Peace & Love to you and yours,

Denise

God bless you, M&M's Mom! You're an inspiration to everyone! I don't even think I'd have thought of everything you did to save this little froggy. Naysayers be damned....THEY should do something so altruistic for one of God's creatures!

And those 'experts' should be totally ashamed! You should still call them back and tell them how full of poo-poo they were/are....maybe they'll LEARN something!

I'd love to tell your story to all the selfish, 'superior' types of people I know...but I know they'd react just like the others YOU told. There are none so blind as they who will not see.

But for us here....Woo-HOO! Fern The Froggy was SAVED!