It was a sad morning for me. I pulled up at my Garson spot, where I rescued Gemma last this past winter and who is still missing from her adoptive home in the city after a month, and I walked across the expansive grassy field to the back where the shelter is set up behind a long brick garage type structure.
I bent down to straighten out the towel inside, and noticed a dead kitten. As I looked beyond that, there was another one. They each were maybe 5-6 weeks old. Little baby tabbies. Their tiny bodies - the lower half to be exact, were stripped down to their little skeletons. Something must have eaten them. It was definitely not a sight for the squeamish, and for the first time in long time, tears welled up in my eyes. I have become quite hardened to death out there after having picked up so many dead cats off the streets over my lifetime. But when you see innocent babies like that, your heart breaks.
I gently picked each one up by its scruff, and placed them close to one another on the towel, swaddling them. When I got home, I placed them in another soft little blanket someone made and donated to me, with kitty prints on it. A hole in my yard was dug, a prayer was said, and they were buried together peacefully. May God rest their tiny souls.
This is the reason why TNR - trap neuter return - is so important. We must stop the cycle of cats having babies out there. I can feed them and shelter them, but I can't protect them. Please do your part in helping with the overpopulation of animals in our world. Whatever you can do - if each person took responsibility for the life of even just one animal, we wouldn't have tragedies like this.
Thanks, and have a great day.
Chronicling the adventures of one woman who is feeding and caring for the feral and stray cats in the Beechwood neighborhood of Rochester, NY
You are a kind and gentle soul..... - carol
ReplyDeleteThat is the saddest thing I have heard in a long time. It is not something I want to picture in my head, those poor kittens. I am sorry you had to see that. =(
ReplyDelete:'( poor babies. Thank you for burying them. It is so very sad.
ReplyDeleteJanine,
ReplyDeleteYou have a special place in Heaven (Cat Angel) for all you do for these poor defenseless felines. Believe me when I tell you all your tireless work is making a big difference. If more of us would do a fraction of what you do daily the lives of these Cats would be changed drastically for the better. Thank you and may the good Lord keep you healthy and safe while you make your daily rounds.
Walt & Karon Simoni
Oh Janine :( What a sad morning!
ReplyDeleteTraumatic morning for you Janine, but it had to be told, you cant change what you dont acknowledge. TNR is the answere, I dream of the day when you and those involved in TNR will get public monies funded to them for this most deserving mission we are on, it is by far the kindest thing we can do for these voiceless creatures that have no control over being born and then struggle to find food to survive. :(
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