Yesterday Sucked.
It just flat out sucked.
I couldn’t get a fucking thing done because of the horrible miniature tragedy occurring in my backyard. I swear animals come to me - and always have - because they know I’ll help them if I can. I can’t bear to see an animal or a child or an elderly person suffer.
Let my dog out first thing in the morning and I heard him barking viciously at something…it was a black cat, a ripped to shreds black cat that looked like it had been run over by a lawn mower and it was really, really sick.
I ran out the back door, grabbed my dog and stared in horror at the poor thing, terrified that one of my own black kitties had been hit by a car and this was the result, but no…it was a feral cat and it had dragged itself into my yard somehow, and now it waited to die, but death apparently decided to take a bloody fucking holiday.
I locked my dog and my three cats in the house - closed off their cat doors - and called animal control. The officer showed up, twice, but both times when the cat saw him, it hauled itself under my deck where he couldn’t get at it. I begged him to shoot the poor thing but he said he’s not allowed to do that - if he couldn’t catch it, he just had to leave it here.
“But what if it has rabies?” I cried. “What if Old Yeller’s weaving his way down the street, foaming at the mouth? Can’t you shoot it then?”
“Uh, no,” he replied.
“Well, what the hell do you do?”
“Run.”
“This is not a solution,” I told him. “I can’t let my own animals out and I’m afraid to go into my own backyard and what if it crawls under the fence into the neighbor’s yard? They have three little kids! It could endanger them. Besides, it’s suffering terribly. Can’t you kill it? Please kill it.”
“No, ma’am, I can’t.”
I called a police officer who also happens to be a friend of mine and begged him to send someone to kill the poor thing and he confirmed that they cannot shoot an animal. Oh…the inhumanity…
I did try to coax the cat into a cage, but believe me, it was impossible and I put myself at risk in the attempt.
Thank God my kindhearted, pet owning, animal-loving, elk-hunting neighbor finally came home and put the poor thing out of its misery with one shot from a 22. What a relief. Watching the cat suffer right beneath my big picture window was horrible. It made me sick.
I come from a rural area. I’ve had to watch as my beloved horses were put down because of a serious injury or illness. Believe me, it’s a kindness. To relieve the suffering of our animal friends is the least we can do and in this case, it was a last resort.
Yeah, I know, there are so many people suffering in this world that the suffering of one little cat doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. Well…the fuck it doesn’t! Our lives revolve around our lives. There isn’t a whole lot we can change in the big picture - and that’s not cynicism, that’s experience. We can only change the view from our own window, and even then, it’s not always pretty.
The good news today? It’s National Bird Day! I love birds - have two myself! When I commute my twenty miles to work, I count raptors. This past Sunday I counted twenty-three!
Other good news? My daughter drove through her first blizzard, at night, on the Interstate, in the Midwest - yeah…you Midwesterners know what I’m talking about, and she survived. PTL!
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January 5th, 2010 at 8:44 am
Oh Julia! What torture to be so helpless in this situation. Poor thing. And thank GOD for your neighbor.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:48 am
Thank you, Regina. It was an awful feeling. Just awful.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Yes, I could not believe that there is no way to deal with a situation like this. My neighbor was so great. We both felt bad because we are both animal lovers, but that’s also why we felt it had to be done.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Thanks, Kat.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Thanks for the hugs, Bron. Yes, I am so grateful she got through safe - her alternator went 40 miles into her drive. Fortunately, her boyfriend was able to come get her, but that meant she had to do the drive home (7 hours) in the dark, blowing snow - insane! I’m from Iowa and I cannot tell you how many times I had to drive home from Iowa City in a blizzard! Always!
January 5th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Hugs, honey. Your neighbor is a true hero, and you’re a smart, caring woman!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Ugh! I can see why your day sucked now! That would tear me up too! I’m glad you were able to finally end its suffering. Sometimes we are able to be more humane to animals than we are to humans. I do know about the mid west blizzard stuff all to well. i am in Kansas City. we are supposed to have another 5 in fall on top of our current 15 tomorrow and Thursday. Glad she made it safely. I’m glad you were able to help the kitty!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:04 am
OMG! That is horrible! I helped at the pound when we had one- training the big dogs so that they were adoptable and humanizing the ferals, and luckily our dog catcher was a country boy. He had a tranq gun and would put them to sleep before taking them off to kill them if they were unsavable. That is just SO wrong what they did! Thank goodness for the neighbor!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:25 am
It must have been painful but you and your neighbor did the right thing.
XXOO Kat
January 5th, 2010 at 9:35 am
{{{Hugs Julia}}}
That poor kitty.
Thank goodness for you and your neighbor. I’ve had to put down animals before - my own and unsavable strays and it never gets any easier. Wishing you a peaceful heart. You already helped the kitty find his peace.
Bron
PS - I’m glad your daughter made it through safe and sound. Blizzard driving is an acquired skill. So not looking forward to my eldest learning to drive…
January 5th, 2010 at 11:31 am
You all are amazing! I appreciate the support. j
January 5th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Bless you, girl! You have the heart of a lioness and the soul of an angel. You did the only thing you could do.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Julia,
Bless your heart, I think you’re right. They just know when they show up that you’re the one they needed to turn to. I hope someone gave you a big ole hug after it was over.
I’m glad your daughter made it through the storm. I’m in the midwest and blizzards can be downright terrifying.
Hugs,
Paris
January 5th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Still bothering me that the poor thing had to suffer all day long.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Yep. I lived in the rural southwest where vets were far and between and animals had to be put down by caring individuals who were strong enough to do the job. Thanks for sticking with the kittie.
January 5th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Thanks, wonderful Chantal!
January 5th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Julia,
What a relief that you were able to get help from your neighbor.
I’m sorry