Humanely Treating Strays and Unwanted Animals Easier Said Than Done
Oh dear heavens, I am in a quandary. Over the weekend, my kids discovered a stray kitten who's been living close by. We have a large area of woods by us, but also a busy road, so the two combine to make a potent cocktail for potential tragedy.
I have always been an animal lover, especially cats, my whole life. In fact, the two cats we have now both came to us as strays, so I have no problem adopting a stray cat, but with two kitties already living here, and a child with severe pet allergies, we can't take in another pet. It's already a daily struggle to clean up all the cat fur and dander.
But I also can't sit idly by and do nothing. The animal doesn't deserve to suffer.
I spoke with my animal loving friends about what I should do and they gave me all kinds of names and numbers to animal shelters and adoption agencies, but when I called, they all said the same thing: we have no room, put your name on a waiting list. Great! How do I take care of a cat I don't want for months and months until a spot opens?
The first that needs to happen is the young kitty, a beautiful, friendly, loving little black and white female (see above) needs medical treatment. Even if we were to foster her until we found a permanent home, I can't let her be around my cats or kids without being vaccinated, treated for worms (which she has), spayed, and put on a flea protection program. Those services cost money, sometimes a lot. So now I am on a search for places which will offer low cost services to strays. Easier said than done.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati