Taking responsibility for your pets. (Martin Gee/Chicago Tribune)
I received this letter today:
Dear Joan: Last night my husband and I witnessed something that no one should ever have to see. Two dogs attacked and tried to kill a feral kitten in our yard.
We heard a loud noise that sounded like dogs fighting and saw them latching onto the small cat. We yelled, made them to look our way, and safely got the dogs out of our yard. A neighbor helped us corral the obviously injured kitten and we were able to get the cat into a towel and a box for transport to the Antioch East Bay Veterinary Specialists and Emergency. As I write this I have no idea of the condition of the kitten, and I do not know if he/she will survive.
I blame the owners. Two large dogs out without leashes are never going to be manageable. And the kitten…this is the second litter in two years that has either been born in our yard or in the field behind our house. Last year we were able to notify the mama cat’s owners about the babies. This year we have no clue as to who owns the mama cat, but we had two very skittish kittens out and about.
Please, spay and neuter your pets. And keep them under your control. No animal deserves to be attacked the way the kitten was last night.
Kathy Mason
Oakley
Kathy is exactly right, and there is plenty of fault to go around — none of it Kathy’s.
I know there are many people, including close friends of mine, who let their cats wander outside. Most of them believe their cats are just enjoying the outdoors and freedom, and not causing any harm. They are — killing wildlife and using other people gardens as litter boxes. They also are in great danger from just this sort of attack.
Indoor cats live longer, healthier lives and there is no evidence that they are deprived because they can’t experience the great outdoors. As long as they have toys and perches and windows, they are content. If you insist on them having an outdoor experience, then you need to create a safe outdoor room for them where they are protected, and wildlife is protected from them.
Not having your pets neutered, especially if they are going to be allowed to roam, is another huge wrong. Although there are groups that work to capture, neuter and return cats, the problem with feral cats and kittens continues, so obviously, that’s not working as well as we would hope. Love your cats enough to not let this happen.
And lastly, the owners of the dogs that allow — or allowed — the canines to roam are at fault. Who’s to say the dogs wouldn’t also go after smaller dogs or children. When confronted by Kathy and her husband, they might have been so worked up that they could have bitten them in an attempt to guard their “prey.”
If you have a pet — any pet — you accept responsibility to care for that animal, to love it, nurture it, train it, play with it, feed it, take it for medical care, keep it under your control and protection, and do your level best to keep that animal from becoming a problem for someone else. If you can’t do that, then you have no business with a pet. These animals rely on us to make good decisions about their care, and these people failed on all levels.
Kathy, her husband and neighbors have done what to two irresponsible pet owners didn’t. They took action on behalf of all three animals and, at risk to themselves, did what was right.
Think about those things the next time you open the door to let your cat wander, or fail to keep your dogs in check.
