A sad morning

[wildeabandon]

On the way to work this morning, I ran into a small cat. As is my wont, I went over to pet it, and unlike many of them, it came towards me rather than dashing away. Running my hand down its back I got a bit of a shock as I felt bump-bump-bump each bone in its spine. A closer look revealed no collar, and a very very underweight little cat.

I dithered about what to do for a few moments, before reaching the firm conclusion that I couldn't just leave the poor thing to fend for itself, so I picked it up (to not a hint of protest) and took him home to try and figure out how best to help. After calling work to let them know I'd be late I tried the RSPCA. They weren't a great deal of help at first ("Stray cats are often thinner than domestic cats." Yeah, not this thin.) but after a bit of discussion they suggested that I knock on nearby doors to see if anyone know of a lost cat. I didn't think it terribly likely, as if it was lost it had clearly been so for a while, but after a quick trip to buy some cat food I checked up and down the street anyway - no luck.

I then found the nearest vet and gave them a call. I spoke to a nurse and she suggested I bring the cat in so they could at least check if it was chipped. We don't have a cat carrier, and it really didn't seem happy when we tried to put it in a basket, so I just carried it in my arms. It was about a twenty minute walk, and by the end it was getting a wee bit stressed and fractious, especially as cars went by. I tried to keep it calm, stroking it and speaking soothingly. I told it we were going to find its family, or find it a new family. Of course it didn't understand, but still, I feel as though maybe I shouldn't have been making promises.

I reached the vet, and sat down in the waiting room. When the nurse brought out the scanner it started to get quite upset and tried to bite me, and unfortunately there was no microchip. After it tried to bite me she suggested we put it in a cage. I figured it would be okay for a little while, but of course the poor mite was scared (with, it turns out, some justification), and this time managed to leave me with some choice teeth marks in my hand.

Shortly the vet came down and examined it. He shook his head and looked grave as he said he didn't think it was long for this world. There were the usual euphamisms, and they were very kind in reassuring me that I'd done the right thing in trying to help it, but that the best thing to do would be to give it a lethal dose of anaesthetic. He very decently offered not to charge, since it wasn't my cat. I think it was the right thing to do, and that it was better than leaving the poor mite to die a slow and painful death from starvation, but it was such a sweet little thing, and I can't help but feel a bit of a heel for not being able to save it.


Rest in peace, little cat.

Comments

[barakta]

Ohno, but yes better that you took care of it and not just let it suffer alone.

How horribly sad. :(

[numberland]

You definitely did the right thing though it is all rather sad. Amazing that it let you carry it that far. Better then the suffering it would otherwise have experienced.

[smhwpf]

Meep. Very sad. :-( But you did all you could. It is a good and worthy thing to give succour to the dying.

May ze rest in peace indeed.

[ashfae]

This, very this.

[plumsbitch]

Puts it better than I ever could. This is a sad thing, but well done you.

[the_lady_lily]

Yes. It was a hard thing to do but the right thing, and you gave comfort where otherwise there would have been none.

[gnimmel.livejournal.com]

Yes, strongly agreed. You did a good thing, even if in the end the ending was sad.

[(Anonymous)]

poor little creature. but, as has been said, better to have been able to go out painlessly, than a lingering death.

if adoption and all the costs/responsibilities to go with were impossible (and lets face it, that path leads to madness and looking after 200 cats...), then it was certainly the right thing to do.

you cant' help still feeling sorry for him, though.

(JGE/Suzerain on lj)

[silverhare]

Oh goodness, looking at the picture I'm amazed it made it so far. Well done for helping the cat and doing the best thing for it. Rest in peace little cat.

[ludy]

o the poor little thing!
You are a hero for taking the time and effort to try and save it and when that wasn't possible for making the right but always horrible decision to give it a good ending.
Mixed feelings are only natural but you should be proud of yourself

[khalinche]

Poor wee thing. At least it didn't suffer any more and had your warmth and affection be its last experience.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi, it's Medieval_bunny (don't have dreamwidth but had to say something to you).
I think what you did was wonderful, and above and beyond what many people would bother to do.
You gave that poor little creature some tenderness in its last hours, and although it was scared at times, you secured it a merciful quick release, which it could not otherwise have had.
I think you should be extremely proud of your compassion and not at all feeling like a heel.
It's terribly sad that it didn't work out as you hoped, but I am pleased there are people like you who will take the time to care.

[(Anonymous)]

you could have taken the cat in and looked after it, fed it, it may well have lived for 1-2 more years, if you couldnt you could have asked a friend to take it in, instead you took it to a vet and the cat was killed, your kidding yourself if you think you showed compassion, you should have left well alone and the cat would have had a chance, you should be ashamed of yourself

[valkyriekaren]

And you're a vet, now, are you? You saw the cat?

No, you're not, and you didn't. You don't know what you're talking about.

Kindly take your anonymous trolling elsewhere.

[(Anonymous)]

You should be ashamed of yourself laying into someone who obviously thought they were doing the right thing. How dare you come onto here and abuse them when the post itself shows they acted to the best of their capabilities and with a compassion that not many people would show.

They could have taken the cat in, fed it and it could have died the next day of some other kind of problem. they could have walked past and left the animal to starve to death in the street. They weren't to know what was going to happen. To blame them for doing what many other people would have done in the same situation is neither helpful or useful and simply proves you are sick in the head.

[shreena]

To be honest, even if it were true that you could have done more (which I'm not sure it is), that's true of us all all the time. I could have packed my lunch today rather than buying it and put the difference in a charity box. I could have stopped to see if the crazy old man on the street needed help. We all fall short all the time, all we can do is try anyway.