Thread: Starving Kitten: AKA...What the Hell Is Wrong With People?

Originally Posted by Shot From Guns

Okay, I have been drooled on by one of my boyfriend's cats. (Sometimes she gets really into it when you pet her.) But that's not remotely comparable to constantly trying to lick any exposed bit of skin you can find, especially my face, with a big slobbery tongue.

Also, yes, cats shit, but you don't need to let them outside for them to do it, nor do you have to pick up big stinking globs of shit.

And I've never met a cat who had anything approaching the funk most dogs do on a regular basis.

You have obviously also not meant my cats.

Both lick anything they can get their tongues on, and one has... litterbox issues. Fortunately confined to the basement, but there is still a lot of kitty poop to pick up.

I'll admit that they don't really smell, but their breath sure does.

I could rant and rave, but in the interests of brevity, I will try to keep this short and simple. If not sweet.

About five years ago, I started working at a bar. About a year after that, I went to my manager's house to take her "groom's gift" boudoir portraits. (I moonlight as a photographer.) I went outside for a cigarette break, and a small fluffy tuxedo kitten basically attacked me. My manager said that he was one of the last of a litter that a stray cat had given birth to, and she hated him and his remaining sister so much she was thinking of either feeding them to her friend's pit bull, or taking them to the pound to get euthanized.

I grew up with cats, but I was in no condition to have a pet. Of any kind. I was gone all the time; it would have been cruel to subject a social animal to my constant absences.

But the kitten was nothing if not charismatic, and I fell for him anyway, and a week later she called me to tell me he was about to meet a gruesome death. By dog or euthanasia.

I took him home, in spite of myself. He will be five years old soon. He is a fat magnificent catshark. (His sister was saved by my co-worker.)

Anyway, cut to this month...I find out that this woman (no longer my manager or even my co-worker, because she got pregnant and quit) has another kitten in her yard. Tiny, tiny tiger-striped baby girl with white paws. She refuses to feed this tiny kitty, because a.) she hates cats, and b.) she claims she can't afford another pet, and c.) according to the City code, if you feed an animal for three days, it is considered yours. And you are responsible for it.

So she won't even leave water out for it. Much less feed it. It's so hungry it was spotted eating ants yesterday. ANTS. ANTS???

I found this out at work tonite, and I couldn't help mentioning it to my boss, who also despises cats.

But even he--he of feline hatred--was incensed enough to call her and tell her that the kitten would be gone tomorrow if she'd feed it tonite.

Problem is, he was lying. He just wanted to get the poor starving baby some food. His pit bulls would eat it. He can't take it. I have two cats in a tiny apartment; I can't take it.

But I'm taking out messages on Craigslist and Facebook; I have offered to pay for the kitten's spaying and shots, and even her food.

WHO THE FUCK CAN WATCH A TINY BABY KITTEN STARVE TO DEATH???

I don't understand. I figured she'd last a couple days, and she'd break down and feed the little girl. Apparently she throws this kitten over the fence into her neighbors' yards, hoping it will go away, and when she picks it up to toss it, it purrs like mad. She says she "feels bad."

But just not bad enough to GIVE THIS KITTEN WATER?

I don't fucking understand. I don't fucking understand watching a purring affectionate little tiny baby kitten starve to death in your own fucking yard. It would be kinder to take her to the pound, where at least she'd be put to sleep without dying a slow horrible death. I don't understand denying WATER to a tiny baby creature like this. I couldn't do this to a rat, or a mouse, or even a feral raccoon. It would make me feel like an asshole. I would BE an asshole. And a cold-hearted bitch. Better to grab a hammer and kill this kitten. That would be kinder and quicker.

I'm fucking pissed. I am finding this kitten a home. I'm gonna paper the city. I'm gonna find this happy purring hopeful little thing a home, goddammit.

I just wanna know what the fuck kinda person can watch an animal starve to death--especially a tiny affectionate loving baby animal--and actually talk about it, like it's nothing to be ashamed of. What the flying fuck???

Okay, in what universe do dogs actually eat cats, outside of Tom and Jerry cartoons? From the way people are talking, throwing kittens to dogs to get eaten is something that happens on a regular basis. I've never heard of it.

Originally Posted by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Who trusted God was love indeed
And love Creation's final law
Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine, shriek'd against his creed...

Baby animals evoke sympathy, of course. But nature is red in tooth and claw.

Originally Posted by fachverwirrt

Both lick anything they can get their tongues on,

Being licked by a small, raspy tongue is not the same as being licked by a big, slimy tongue.

and one has... litterbox issues. Fortunately confined to the basement, but there is still a lot of kitty poop to pick up.

Get a better litterbox? This is what my boyfriend uses. Unless you mean the cat's just pooping outside the box, period, instead of scattering it after depositing it in the box. (Isn't that something you could train it out of? Also, very not typical of cats--at least not healthy ones.)

This is recent, and is the result of some sort of health issue that is the subject of ongoing investigation (which reminds me that I need to schedule an appointment for her). We don't know whether it's physical or behavioral at this point. We know she has behavioral urination issues, but the weird thing is, when she's not having an episode she'll usually pee in the box. She just won't poop in it.

Anyway, that's entirely unrelated to the thread, and way too serious for my purposes. Back to smart-assery.

Originally Posted by Shot From Guns

Even if your animals are all kept indoors, all it takes is one escape at the right time for them to either impregnate a stray or be impregnated by one. That's a hell of a glib attitude to have.

I think the attitude that the only way to solve 'pet overpopulation' is for all people to sterilize their adult dogs and cats is ridiculously glib. This blog post sums up how I feel pretty well.

I've never had a pet 'escape', and I've sure never had an accidental mating or litter. But I do spay my female dogs and cats after their first heat cycle for several health reasons, and I live alone in an apartment so no one else can let them loose. I prefer males intact and it's been a non-issue for me (I've lived with 3 different intact dogs in the last 5 years).

I am puzzled as to why this woman apparently keeps getting stray kittens hanging around in her yard. It has never happened to me (I see cats about occasionally, but they don't stay). Also, if they are not getting food or water there, why do they stay? Cats have legs, and feral cats can usually find sources of food in a city quite easily. Are you sure she is not secretly feeding them?

rhubarbarin, is there any reason you prefer intact males? I'd always heard that most dog bites come from unneutered males.

I know you said you couldn't take it in since you already have two cats in a small apartment but is there something keeping you from going over and taking it to the pound? There's the chance that it could be euthanized but it seems to me cute little kittens get adopted pretty quickly.