I've never been able to look at his picture without having an urge to cry. This was our little Munchin Kitty that a neighbor had palmed off on us back in the day. I believe it was 1994 and I learned a lesson that I would rather have avoided.
Hubby was visiting the neighbor the night this little guy was born. He has the softest heart when it comes to any animal and he told the couple that we'd take one of the kittens. He'd go over there and play with his baby every chance he could. I only went once and found myself with some serious reservations about the whole thing.
None of the kittens eyes opened when they should have. According to the wife of Hubby's friend, it was bad mothering on the part of the Mama Kitty. She claimed she had "Instructions from the vet" on what to do and she had begun the process.
About a week before they were old enough she showed up at my door with this baby. She was upset, claiming that the dog was killing the kittens and we needed to take ours now rather than wait. Like everything else she'd said about the situation, that was a lie that we didn't find out about until their daughter told on them.
Among the lies we had been told was that they had taken the Mama Cat from a friend who was moving and had been told she was spayed only to find out when she took a supposedly sick cat to the vet that she was having kittens. And of course the bad Mama Cat wasn't doing any mothering because she was sick with Feline Leukemia Virus. Something they knew since they had exposed the Mama to their own unneutered male who had died from FeLv before the kittens were born. The dog wasn't killing the kittens, they too were dying from FeLv. All except Munchin.
His eye made me call our vet the day we got him and make an appointment for the next day. He didn't even weigh a pound, but the vet thought he was doing ok, otherwise. The eye ointment didn't cure the problem, so it was back to the vet. He'd gained weight even if the eye problem didn't get fixed. Another type of ointment and no change so another visit had to happen. By then the vet was suggesting bloodwork which yielded the information that his eye was never going to get better, he had FeLv. We decided to give him a chance since he had gained weight, and although we weren't able to keep him to a ripe old age, we did get 3 years.
Someone was watching out for us as our existing cat Bashful didn't contract the disease. We had her innoculated and let Munchin become a thorn in her side until he couldn't fight anymore. He was a playful, happy cat until the last week of his life. Content to let Bashful rule the roost as long as she let him sleep in our lap. She didn't mind, she wasn't the lap kitty kind.
This experience taught me that when it comes to pet ownership, not everyone does the right thing, even if they're saying they are. My caution saved our youngest son's family from heartbreak last week. They were looking for a ktten and had found a breeder that they were planning on purchasing from. I went with him for the visit, saw a few things I wasn't happy with and suggested that we see the vet bills so we know what they would be dealing with. The breeder, and I use that term loosely, wouldn't allow that.
Youngest declined to purchase a kitten, and he decided to report our suspicions to the local Humane Society for investigation. Sure enough, she's running a kitten mill. Sometimes I really just don't like people.
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It makes you wonder, doesn't it, Sherry?
ReplyDeleteThe older I get, I find that people (present company excluded, of course) are less and less desireable to me.
peace
hey Sherry, I have a friend who hoards cats in, its awful. She loves them to death I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteTerrible thing, Feline Leukemia. My dog did actually kill some kittens when I was living on an old farm that was infested with stray barn cats. It was awful. We ended up adopting the mother, who was feral, and having her spayed. Of course, more wild cats got into the barn by and by, but on the plus side we didn't have a rodent problem...
ReplyDeleteSherry,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there are too many callous people out there who have no regard for animals. The worst case scenario occurs when these people have an animal business and put profit motive above the needs of the animals.
Paul, apparently the last complaint couldn't be proved, but this time they have her since she only has the one female and with this complaint they have proof she's breeding at every cycle. They're Himalayans and she's charging $300 per kitten. Claiming they've had first shots and a vet visit. Not true.
ReplyDeleteThe Mama, Sire and all the kittens have been removed. They all have worms and once taken care of will be available for adoption. Youngest will look into taking one then, AFTER he's assured of the kittens health.
Bella, hoarding is a disease and although they mean well, these cats become sick through poor care and exposure to a sick animal when she takes in another one. It's sad because they suffer.
ReplyDeleteJohn, as I know so very well, people have a habit of dropping off unwanted cats and kittens near farms. My brother-in-law has a horse farm and if he didn't take care of things would have a mess of barn cats. Actually, we got our Butterscotch from him after Bashful died.
ReplyDeleteWhit, the cats removed from this place have worms and the Sire was matted pretty bad which was what made me wonder. She tried to keep us from seeing him. Didn't work.
ReplyDeleteTAZ, I do believe you're right. If I needed reminding of that fact, I always have this picture.
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