Thursday Ponderings

Have you ever driven down a city street and seen a cat dart from here to there, into a bush, across a road, in a field, under a porch.  Have you ever even noticed?  Twenty years ago, I wouldn't have noticed, until I opened my eyes to the little things that go unnoticed in our daily lives.

Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. Ensuring animal welfare is a human responsibility that includes consideration for all aspects of animal well-being, including proper shelter, management, food, spay neuter and shots, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia.

I do strongly believe that humans have the obligation and responsibility to protect other animals and to provide for them lives free from fear, hunger, or suffering. Humans are the only animals capable of providing these things. We should always try to think of ways to decrease the suffering of animals. If there is a way that all our interests can coincide without infringing on each other, then that is the path we should take.  As humans, we are able to think of ways to not only improve our own lives, but also those of others. 

Its up to everyone.  The city of Rochester is OUR city, whether you live in the suburbs, the country, on the Finger Lakes, our city is still the heartland of the surrounding counties.  These are OUR CATS.  YOUR CATS.

This morning was just like any other, nothing out of the ordinary.  My shelters remained in place in the vacant lot next to JULIO's 'house'.  I didn't see all the kitties that are normally there - its traumatic for this to happen to cats, to have their only 'home' taken away like this jerk did yesterday.  I need help reestablishing this shelter - I need to replace straw, replace the tarps, etc.  There is so much work to do when you are readying a shelter for the winter for these cats. Unfortunately, the totes - styrofoam - were waterlogged, and were of no use to the cats to begin with.  I felt bad as I poured out the rancid water, and wet straw.  Where to these poor babies sleep. 

This is the second morning I have seen head tilted yellow eyed black kitty with a hernia, just waiting for me under a car on Webster and Ferndale - and without ML lurking in the shadows.  I was also able to pet for a while the white kitty on Niagara, and am pretty sure she is pregnant - she looks bloated and her belly feels hard.  I was only able to get two appts. Tuesday, no more this week, so I wasn't able to get her and have her spayed.  We don't have enough vets to offer low cost spay and neuter.  RCAC is convenient to me because I have a full time job on top of trying to do this.  My vehicle is over 10 years old, I can't drive too far without fear of having to spend that extra $500+ work it already needs, so I am just pushing my limits with my cars.

I have only spotted one white kitten out of the white kitty's three original babies, and the little black kitten hangs across the street behind the fence where there is a large apartment complex.  There are a TON of unspayed/unneutered cats behind this fence.  I need help here.  A mass TNR sweep must be done.  There are many females.

I pulled up to my 7th Street location, where I just let the mommy cat back Tuesday evening after I had her spayed to be with her five kittens, and the board that covers the shelters was down, and I did not see one kitten this morning.  Two bowls were missing also.  I am not sure what happened here, but I am hoping they were around, just not visible - its so dark I can only see their illuminated eyes with my flashlight normally.  I need help getting these kittens also. 

Reports on Squirt, Tig, Emmett, Pip, Maizy and Murphy (formally known as Haven and Meadow) are all positive.  They are getting used to their new digs, some faster than others, but all are in good hands.  What a great feeling it is to know you rescued these babies from the streets, socialized them enough to be able to find good homes for them.

Have a good day.

At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.

We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.'

Hungry not only for bread -- but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing -- but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks -- but homeless because of rejection.