Conference misery::feline_v1

    One brings a sick cat to a veterinarian immediately, whether
    one intends to pay for it or not.  Vets are humane people who
    will take it upon themselves to either restore the cat to
    health or put it humanely to sleep.  The cost of the injection
    is minimal and I'm sure any vet would prefer to incur the cost
    him/herself, than to have the animal suffer unnecessarily.
    
    Please act humanely and bring Cinnamon to the vet immediately.
    Anything less is unconscienable.
    
    Donna

    I agree with reply #1...you can also check with the humane society
    in your area.. but please do it today..
    regards
    Kate.. pookies mom..
    P.S. you should also have your other cats examined at the same time..
    and fro your own peace of mind youmight want to call your family
    doctor and have your child examined.... good luck..

    Please, in God's name, take Cinnamon to a vet and soon!   She is
    obviously suffering, and as previous noters have said, they will
    put her to sleep with no cost to you.  Or they could find what's
    wrong, and recommend a cure.  And of course, take your son to a
    doctor just to be on the safe side.
    
    You sound like a humane person--you care enough to give a good home
    to strays.  That's wonderful, and I applaud you for it.  Along with
    giving the home goes a responsibility, too, I believe, in NOT ignoring
    the fact that your cat is sick.  You certainly wouldn't let your
    boy suffer;  a cat has a life, too.
    
    Please don't let Cinnamon suffer needlessly.  Please stay in touch
    and let us know what happens, and if we can help.
    
    Jane

    I'm afraid that I am so upset by this note that I am having a hard
    time expressing my feelings from the keyboard in a non-flaming manner.

>                                                            I take in
>    stray healthy cats and give them a good home but if a cat gets sick
>    then I do not feel I have any obligation to take it to a vet.
    
Children learn from the example their parents set for them. Part of being a
pet owner is taking full responsibility for the animal. This means more than
just providing food and a warm place to go to the box; it includes neutering,
shots and medical attention when the animal needs it. Cats (and dogs) are not
inanimate objects, they are living, loving creatures that actually become part
of the family. To not meet their basic needs is a form of abuse, and there
are too many abused beings these days. Having a pet as long as it is convenient
is not responsible ownership, and it teaches children a very distorted sense
of responsibility.

Deb

    RE: -1
    
    I should point out that the previous note is my person opinion,
    and it is something that I have very strong personal feelings about.
    I wrote it wearing my FELINE noter's cap, not my moderator's hat.
    
    Deb

    RE: .5
    
    I'm with you, Deb.  I'm not going to flame.  I'm just going to be
    glad I didn't eat breakfast.
    
    Marion

    I had to wait 24 hours!!!!!   
    
    Should I ask....How is Cinnamon this morning???
    
    
    cin...
    

    Sounds like you have a cat hater in your area - if I were you I
    would keep the animals indoors - they may be poisoning cats.  Tell
    your child not to eat ANYTHING outside of your home.  
    
    Please take your cat to the VET - if you need help with the bills
    send me mail.  Contact the Lowell Humane Society - or bring the
    cats there - Broadway St. Lowell - 617-452-7781.  This is 
    probably too late, but TRY!  

    re:  ALL replies
    
    PLEASE BE SURE TO SEND THE .0 AUTHOR A *MAIL COPY* OF YOUR
    REPLY.  THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE READING THESE NOTES REGULARLY.
    
    Thanks,
    	   Penelope
    

    	I am the author of this base note....

	The original note was not quite truthful. A few weeks ago when
I noticed that Cinnamon was sick I took him to the vet. His condition was
a minor problem that was easily corrected. The experience of finding
the dead feral cat on my lawn and of Cinnamon getting sick started me
thinking so I wrote this base note with the following paragraph yesterday 

<	The following may sound cruel....
<
<    	Although I like Cinnamon I do not wish to spend any more money
<    at the vet. I do not want him to be in any pain either. I take in
<    stray healthy cats and give them a good home but if a cat gets sick
<    then I do not feel I have any obligation to take it to a vet.
    
because I wanted to see how people would react when they thought they could
save 1 cat. Now I want to know how all of you will react to the plight of 50
cats, or 100 cats or the thousands of feral cats around the country.

    	I live 2 houses away from a trailer park. The people that live
there stay for a few months and then leave. They also leave their 'pet'
cats. At present there are about 50 cats in the trailer park. In
fact over the past 5 years there has always been about 50 cats there.
Each time I go through the trailer park I notice that many of the
cats are kittens. This means that most of the cats that are born
there do not live for more than a year or 2.
    
	I have no answers. I only have sadness for all these cats.

RE: .10

I don't quite understand.  Are you saying that Cinnamon is really not
sick now and that you put in the base note, purposely distorting the
facts, to stir us up about the plight of homeless cats?

I am reserving a response until the facts are clarified.

Pam

    I am unclear as to what your intention was in putting in the original
    base note.  So I will reserve comment on that until the intention
    becomes clearer.
    
    In answer to the problem of the "left behind" cats and feral cats,
    I have a suggestion.  Mary Tamir (one of our fellow noters here)
    has a similar problem.  She will probably be able to give you more
    details, but she traps the cats with a "Hav-a-heart" trap and takes
    the cats to local shelters.  This may be especially good if these
    were once pets that were left behind because these cats are probably
    already tame and will be able to make a loving pet again for someone.
    Kittens or younger cats may be able to be retrained to accept human
    affection.  Older ones may be able to be placed as barn cats with
    a farm in your area.  
    
    This is just one idea.  
    
    There are lots and lots of homeless and unloved cats in the world.
    If we all do just a little, maybe we can help.  I still have to
    state my feelings....if you take a cat in, you are responsible not
    only for feeding and loving the animal, but providing for its good
    health as well.  
    
    Please let us know about Cinnamon....
    
    cin
    

    I would like this matter clarified, also.  Is this some kind of
    joke???!!!  I don't see the reasoning behind this madness.
    
    Where is this trailor park??  Maybe a call to the Humane Society
    in your area would prove to be worthwhile.
    
    I am not going to sleep very well tonight knowing that there is
    a trailor park full of homeless cats.  I love cats (any animal for
    that matter) and it just makes me sick when I hear of them being
    left behind to fend for themselves.
    
    Please don't wait too long before you give us "feline" lovers all
    an answer, even though it sounds too creul to be true.
    
    anna (tears being shedded)
    

    Heck, I'm confused, too.  Our hearts go out to *ANY* cat we think
    needs urgent care.  As for 10 cats, or 50, or 100, tell me about
    it.  You're right, Cin, I have the ultimate problem with feral cats.
    And, I have my very own Hav-a-hart trap.  I spend $15 a week feeding
    the feral cats that come into my yard; a gift from the local barn.
    I cannot turn them away.  Several times a year, I get out the trap
    and do a round-up.  They poor kitties go to the shelter and are
    very humanely put to rest.  I now have 12 regular guests and a
    few that stop by the buffet from time to time.  All are wild.  When
    I see a cat that's sick, out comes the trap immediately and off
    the cat goes to final, peaceful rest.  I know that feeding them
    just makes the problem worse, but they are God's creatures and I
    cannot stand to see them eating out of the trash.  So I feed them.
    And I put out boxes for them to sleep in out of the rain.  It always
    amazes me that they appear to do so well out there.  They have bright
    eyes and shiney coats, and a certainly well feed!!
                                  
    So, what do you do?  The humane society will loan you a Hav-a-hart
    trap.  You set it up, the kitties go in, and you take them to the
    shelter.  Then you go home and cry your eyes out.   If you can't
    stand to see them suffer, do something!  Left alone, the problem
    only gets worse.
    
    Mary
    
    

    This bothers me a lot, too.  I have learned that no matter how many
    unwanted animals there are out there, helping even ONE makes a
    difference.   No one person can help them all;  hopefully we all
    do what we can.  
    
    I am encouraged by what Mary is doing, and give her a lot of credit.
    If someone(s) will join me, I'd be willing to go to this park and
    do what I can.  But I can't go alone--I know I can't handle it.
    
    Anyone care to join me in this?  We can pool what resources we need,
    and spend an hour or two "rounding up".
    
    Contact me thru this file or on VICKI::BULLOCK.
    
    We can try, anyway.
    
    Jane

    Hi Jane,
    
    I'ld be willing to go and help if this is within a reasonable drive.
    
    cin
    

    GREAT--as I understand from the basenote, the park is in or near
    Shirley, Mass. (Rt. 2??).  I live in Tewksbury, so it really isn't
    a hardship for me.  It's just getting up the courage to go.  We
    would also need to find out what vet/humane society/animal shelter
    is in that area.  We can let them decide, based on the condition
    of the cats, what to do about them.  Hopefully, homes can be found
    for some, anyway.  
    
    I've never done this before, so maybe we should check one of the
    above places first to get the Hav-a-Heart traps or whatever we need.
     
    If anyone else reading this has more info, please write in.  Perhaps
    if we can get enough people we can get this over with soon, and
    end some unnecessary suffering of our feline friends.  Any help
    of any kind would be appreciated.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Jane
    

    I live in Fitchburg....Shirley is just over a town or two....I think
    I probably know what trailer park they might be refering to.  I
    am familiar with a few vets in the area, and may be able to make
    some calls.
    
    cin
    
    ps...you can call me at work at DTN: 273-3187
    
    

                I really don't want to throw a wet blanket on this, but
        - consider that at least some of those cats could be owners of
        people in that park. (Let's not get into the pros and cons of in
        vs out again.) I'm not sure how that possibility should/could be
        handled.
                
                /s/     Bob

    I would like to help, but I live in Manchester, NH.  But - if you
    do need more people, send me mail (RATTLE::LANDRY) and I will see
    what I can do.
    
    anna
    

    Hi,I was on vacation,, am i too late... i also live in nashua..
    i can try to help.. send me mail.. aimhi::mccurdy.. dtn 264-4040
    this is usually busy.. ties tin to 800 line.. my home phone
    is 603-8884426.....this is so upsettting.. when i read the base
    note.. i agree
    with anna.. i was in tears... let me know....
    regards
    kate pookies mom.. p.s., i also agfree with bob.. we have to make
    sure we  dont accidentally separate kitties from thier parents...
    we would not want any distraught parents and kitties on our
    consceiences..

    Just an aside ...
    
    I cannot believe that nobody is royally pi**ed off at the deceptive
    way that this note started.  It really bothers me.  I would help
    in the effort to round up stray cats in the trailer park if I didn't 
    feel that my nurturing feelings twards cats had been abused in order 
    to catch my attention.                                  
    
    Marion

    re:  .22
    
    I'm feeling exactly the same as you - used.

    The person who wrote this base note still hasn't explained anything
    yet.  Could you be so cruel???!!!  Why didn't you just state your
    purpose?  The people who write in this notes file are cat/kitten
    lovers, why didn't you just ask for help.  It also seems to me these
    people are very caring and are definitely willing to help.  Maybe
    you should go see a vet!
    
    But anyway......
    
    In regard the the humane societies in the Shirley area....
    
     There is Dayglyn Kennels & animal shelter in Pepperell, MA, 433-2332
    Pepperell Animal Shelter, 422-8585
    Voluntee Humane Society, Harvard, 456-8048.
    
    There are also a number of Vets in the area, Pepperell, Groton,
    Gardner, etc. that may be able to help.  Just check the phone book.
    
    Good luck.
    
    

    Re last few:
    
    In .10, the author said
    
>	The original note was not quite truthful. A few weeks ago when
>I noticed that Cinnamon was sick I took him to the vet. His condition was
>a minor problem that was easily corrected. The experience of finding
>the dead feral cat on my lawn and of Cinnamon getting sick started me
>thinking so I wrote this base note with the following paragraph yesterday
>  ...   
>because I wanted to see how people would react when they thought they could
>save 1 cat. Now I want to know how all of you will react to the plight of 50
>cats, or 100 cats or the thousands of feral cats around the country.
      
    This is clearly a case of someone doing an "end justifies the means"
    bit.  I refrained from responding immediately because I was irtritated
    enough so that my answeer would probably have figuratively melted
    the keyboard.  However, now that I've cooled down a bit, I'll add
    $0.02 to this aspect of the matter.
    
    1) A straightforward appeal, based in part upon finding feral or
    simply abandoned cats would probably have done the job without leaving
    a bad taste.
    
    2) Needs almost invariably exceed resources.  I obtained all of
    my cats from vets or animal shelters (save the late Morlock), and
    while I took those I took, I was always aware of the many I _couldn't_
    take.  I wished often I were wealthy enough to create a Cat Haven
    for all those abandoned or "up for adoption" kittens and cats, but
    I am glad I've been able to provide for those I "saved."
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

    Marion, I'm sure most of us have our noses jointly out of joint!
    
    Methinks the base noter is either sicko for not caring properly
    for an animal living in the house, or sicko for placing the note
    phrased the way it was phrased.  
    
    Mesuspects, in addition, that perhaps all was not "hypothetical"
    as base noter claimed;  that after getting blasted, base noter may
    have tried to cover up the lack of care...
    
    flame off, I guess,
    
    	Penelope
    

Re last few noters.. we all feel the same way..!!!!.. but this is really
    a moot point at this time...whether or not the person told the truth
    is currently a non issue....(understand i am not defending this
    person in any way shape or form!!!!!!!!!).. we know have kitties
    that we might be able to help....of course, Iam hoping we
    get to meet this person.. i am sure all of us would like to make
    his aquaintance...... and indicate to him how we feel how his"deceptive
    and or creative writing skill set..."" but he is really not
    the issue.. it is the poor kitties that are.. i agree with  steve..
    we cant save all .. but we can try to help some at least.....
    thanks for listening...
    regards
    kate.. pookies mom..