CatTails

I’m angry, and here’s my rant… Some people have trouble relating to animals and don’t seem to realize those animals we call pets may not be able to survive without us. There are people who have pets and shouldn’t. Besides the abuse and/or neglect some animals suffer, here’s another reason why they shouldn’t be allowed to have an animal. I live next door to a dairy farm, as most of you know. Barns have cats. For the most part these cats were born in the barn, have been taught to hunt and fend for themselves by their mothers. These cats generally aren’t sociable; their survival depends on the job they do. They catch the mice and other critters that would otherwise decimate the grain needed for the farm animals.
A house cat is not a barn cat. It is cruel and thoughtless to dump a house cat at a farm because its owner no longer wants or cares for it. There is a pecking order amongst cats, and a new cat often has to fight its way to acceptance. A house cat may or may not know how to catch mice. And some cats are unable to catch a mouse even if they wanted to. One such cat appeared at our door last week. She was a lovely and loving black kitty, not even a fully grown cat, and she was starving. We sat on the deck and she came right up to us, winding around our feet as best she could. She could hardly walk, she was so emaciated. We debated whether or not to put out food because we really didn’t want another cat, but she seemed so pathetic we couldn’t help but feed her. Two days later she showed up with four kittens in tow; not newborn kittens, these were perhaps four weeks old, still nursing. It takes a lot of calories to nurse babies, and it takes everything a mother cat has to feed herself and those kittens. She had hidden them in the dry creek bed near our house and they were definitely wild. If we came anywhere near them they’d run back into the weeds and hide. So we put out food near the “nest” and watched as the starving kittens fought over the food dish.
After much discussion about whether or not we should permanently take in the mama cat, we gathered her up and took her to the local veterinarian to be checked out. Much to my surprise, she had no ear mites, no fleas, and did not have feline leukemia. She was a healthy cat, except for the fact that at some time in her short life she suffered a broken pelvis and her hips had healed unevenly. She can hardly climb steps, and when she eats, she lies down so as to not put more stress on her hips. She can’t jump on furniture and she can’t pounce. This cat was starving because she couldn’t catch mice to survive. Please tell me who would dump a cat like that to fend for itself! On second thought, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know the kind of person who does such a thing. Just don’t do it again!
I personally know two individuals who take in stray cats, and the number of homeless cats and dogs are mounting every year. I’m sure there are others in the area who take in stray animals and I want to say thank you to them. Their hearts are in the right place. These special people are devoted to keeping these cats and dogs as safe as possible, giving them a warm place to sleep and food to eat. But it is expensive to care for them and they can’t possibly manage this problem on their own. Westfield is blessed with stray cat and stray dog rescue groups, but they too are overwhelmed with the number of animals needing good homes. It breaks my heart to see these unwanted animals. The kittens we found will be turned over to Westfield Stray Cat Rescue, where they will be spayed or neutered when they are old enough. The mama cat will remain with us for the time being, and will also be spayed as soon as possible. We must be responsible for the animals humans domesticated. Please, spay or neuter your pets to help control the animal population. Adopt from the shelters or rescue centers if you can, rather than from breeders. Call these numbers for more information: Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue – 716-326-7297; Westfield Stray Cat Rescue – 716-581-0463; Chautauqua County Humane Society – 716-665-2209