I love Spring. I love the that the weather is warming up, there are cool breezes, and flowers start blooming. The humming birds come back to buzz around our porch. The trees leaf out in their light greens. I can get outside and sit on the porch with a cup of coffee in the morning without having to bundle up in a heavy coat and gloves.
But where I live, Springs brings a crop of unwanted kittens and puppies. Unthinking, uncaring, and dare I say STUPID people start dropping off their unwanted little kittens and puppies on the dirt road in our neighborhood. Every Spring it happens. Last week, I woke up to the pitiful mewing of a hungry little kitty. Here is where I have to tell you that I am NOT a cat person. I have never owned a cat, and that has been by choice. I just don’t like them. I know a lot of people do, and that is fine with me. But like with everything else in this world, on our planet, there are some things that should be a person’s choice, and I firmly believe that pet ownership is one of those things. Don’t hold it against me that I just don’t care for cats.
Even though I don’t like cats, I find it hard to understand why someone would just drop unwanted animals off on dirt roads in the country. It’s like they can’t bring themselves to take the cat or dog to an animal shelter because they know with certainty that it will be euthanized almost immediately. But let me tell you, dropping them off on a dirt road is not saving their life. There are other things that can happen to them out here.
While it is not an actual jungle, dropping these little animals in the country can mean a death sentence as well. There are a couple of families of Hawks and Owls that live in our woods. Do you know what Hawks and Owls eat? Small animals. They mostly eat small rodents and things like that, but kittens and puppies make tasty meals for baby Hawks and Owls, too. All a kitten or puppy needs to do is walk in the yard at the wrong time to be snapped up by one of these birds of prey.
The cars that drive up and down our dirt road most of the time are flying! Even the school bus driver is in a big hurry. Sometimes these unfortunate animals are hit by cars, and never make it to my doorstep. If you think you are saving a kitten or puppy from death, think again. Dropping unwanted kittens or puppies off on a dirt road in the country just gives them an extra day or two before they are killed in a more painful way.
Just because I don’t like cats doesn’t mean I will be taking it to a shelter. I am feeding it, and will be taking it to be “fixed” soon. I do not want to have whole litters of them on my porch. I hope no more unwanted kittens or puppies are dropped off out here this Spring. I can’t save them all.
we get them all the time!
How can people be so heartless. We’ve seen so many kitty casualties in our neighborhood. 🙁
Note: Being infuriated about the insensitivity of some people causes punctuation marks and grammar to fly out of the window!
I didn’t realize dropping them off along a road was a “thing.” How inhumane and dangerous for everyone involved!
It’s so sad to me that people do this whenever there are so many resources available now in every single area to help!
What a beautiful kitten, and obviously friendly, too. You are very kind to be taking care of it even though you’re not a cat person. I hope you are able to find it a home (I wish I lived near you; I’d be tempted to bring it home myself!). Perhaps the vet can help. Good luck!
Thank you for taking care of that poor cat even though you’re not a cat person. Just from the pictures I’d say it is happy & grateful to find a kind person like you. If I lived nearby I’d take it off your hands, it looks like a real sweetie.
I grew up in the country and this happened all the time. It was horrible. I wonder what the heck the people were thinking as they were chucking them out of the car? Why didn’t they just drown them at home? Dropping them off in the country is essentially the same fate…so sad.
It makes me so sad that people do this to animals. Get your cat or dog spade or neutered so this does not happen. It is cruel to do this to a live animal. The kitten is so cute, and I think you kept it! God Bless you!