Greetings and Salutations;
This may be a bit of a downer, but it is important…and should not be lost among the tsunami of Evil that is flooding America today.
I have been involved, to one level or another with rescuing Companion Animals for decades. Sadly, the supply of discarded animals is still FAR too huge. This was a disgrace in the 60s, and continues to be just as bad today. What does this mean? Well, It means that kittens like this:
are routinely taken to shelters, and, typically within a few hours, or if they are VERY lucky, a few days, they are injected with a poison and killed. Black cats are STILL the last to be adopted and the first to be killed in a shelter. We have just passed the Summer Solstice. The Springtime months mean that shelters and rescue groups are overwhelmed with a flood of kittens and pregnant cats. These range from feral cats that have been caught by someone, to house cats whose owners have not had fixed, and have gotten out into the world. Instead of dealing with the kittens, these people seem to think that, magically, by dropping their cat off at the shelter, the kittens will all end up in a loving home, as will Mom Cat. This is, alas, delusional. Most of these animals face the needle in days or weeks (at most).
I have written about this before, but, until the problem lessens quite a bit, I will continue to bring it up…
What then, can we do?
- Rescue an adult cat from the shelter and give it a good home. Kittens are cute, but, Adults can be far better companion animals.
- If adding a Companion Animal to your household is not possible, that is fine. However, what about fostering a cat or dog for a time? This is inexpensive, and easy to do.
- Contact your local shelters and Rescue Groups and find out what they need. Typically, these needs include blankets, dry and wet food, cleaning supplies, etc.
- Pressure your local government to provide adequate funding and support to allow the shelter to become “No Kill”.
- If you see or interact with an animal that appears to be a stray, please do not just walk by it. If you cannot reach out and help the animal directly, then, keep the contact information of a couple of rescue groups in your phone, and take a minute to let them know about the situation.
- If you can take time to help a stray or Feral animal, please do so…Feed the cats on your porch, and, arrange for them to get neutered. There are rescue groups that will help with this, and many locations now have low cost or free “fixing days”
None of these actions are difficult, or expensive, but they will make the difference between life and death for an animal that has depended on humans for thousands of years. Most if not all of these animals have been mistreated by humans…and it is up to those of us who choose to be Guardians…or simply to help out a little, to balance that Karma a bit.
God Help Us All
Bee Man Dave
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