My sad morning.
This morning, I was walking through the alley and I found this cat. At first I thought he was dead, so I jiggled the board he was on to be sure. He was just laying there, looking okay but not moving at all. He had his face down to the ground. I noticed he was breathing and I could see his sides going softly in and out. I touched his back and he picked up his head and looked at me. His face was all bloody and one of his eyes were practically out. I scooped him up and carried him home. I got my sister up and we rushed to the vet. I was covered in blood. When we got there we were told that they had a "good Samaritan" rule, which meant that they would scan it for a microchip. If it had one they would get in touch with its owners. If it did not, they would likely euthanize it, but I would have no financial responsibility although this also meant that I had no right to know what happened to the cat or to help make its decisions. I refused to sign the good Samaritan contract because I wanted someone who was not going to look at him like he was a bother to be making the decisions about his care:me, or if an owner could be reached, them. Basically, I didn't want euthanasia to be used because it was the EASIEST, CHEAPEST solution. So the clinic let me claim him and consult with the vet. The vet said that he was totally blind and that he had massive brain injuries. She said that he could be saved but it was going to cost a pretty penny. She also suspected he was feral because he was unaltered....I think he was somebody's pet because he was in perfect condition and friendly despite his awful circumstances. She gave us an estimate for the first day of care : $1,300.00 my sister and I only had 400 dollars between us. So I had to make the decision to have him euthanized. My sister and I stayed with him through the whole thing, stroking him and talking gently to him. It was hard. In the end, the thing that I was afraid would happen- happened. But i felt a little better knowing we were with him and that he did not have to die alone and frightened. I dropped $200.00 for the whole thing. I only wish money wasn't an object... I went home and took a shower. I was totally covered in blood...I felt sad washing it down the drain...like I was washing away the last traces of him on this earth. He was hit by a car, they think. I wish people would get it into their heads that stopping when you hit an animal is not something you do because you are "a nice person" or because you have extra time on your hands....Its ILLEAGAL not to stop and ATTEMPT to render aide to an animal you hit with your car, the minimal expectation is to call and alert animal control..The world makes me sick....
I named the kitty "Fighter" when I was filling out the papers to have him seen. I think Fighter could have made it through, if he'd had the proper care. I'm so glad I was walking down that alley so very early this morning. I hate to think of him laying there, in pain, in the hot sun...
Okay, I swear I'm not trying to be graphic...it was just a really hard morning...
RIP, Fighter!
That makes me teary-eyed just thinking about it. I don't know how people could just leave him there to suffer and eventually die. Thank goodness you were there and able to take him to the vet, although I understand your frustration and sadness about the eventual euthanasia. You did the best you could, though--100+ times more than the people who hit him and should have been responsible for paying to treat him. Thank you :)
A friend of mine couldn't find her cat for days, thinking she had been hit by a car; however, about 5 days later, her cat stumbled home with a bloody face and a partially intact eye. They thought she had fallen by the way her face looked (just one side was affected, so they didn't think it was a car). Come to find out, when they took her to the vet, someone had shot her cat in the eye with a pellet gun. They ended up spending $1000+ on x-rays, surgery, medication, etc. and the cat is doing fine (although only has one eye now), but it just shows how cruel people can be. Her cat had a collar with contact info and everything, so if people had a problem with a cat in their yard, they could have just called the number. No, instead they decided to shoot her. They suspect it was a group of teenage boys down the street trying to 'be masculine', whatever the hell that means. I love all animals, but cats hold a special place in my heart and it just kills me to hear stories like that :'(
I'm so sorry for what you went through this morning and moreso for what poor Fighter went through. :'( People never cease to amaze me with their acts of cruelty, but their are also many good people left in the world...like you. I can't even fathom hitting an animal and then not stopping! It was really nice of you to stop. I would have done the same thing. You're right, at least he was not alone and knew that in the end someone loved him. It is a sad state of affairs that healthcare, both for humans and animals, boils down to the almighty dollar. It's a shame that vet offices don't set aside some of their profits to help in such cases. I hope you start feeling better soon in knowing that you did the best you could. I send you a hug!
:'( :'( :'( How sad! How horrible! But you did the right thing, as you say he had a quick death surrounded by your loving vibes...the last thing he remembers is the feeling that someone cared enough to help him to peace. You did the best you could under the circumstances. Well done you. ((VHZ))
I am so sorry for you, your sister and Fighter.
He was one very lucky cat for you to have found him. He is now at peace.
The story brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes, I just don't understand people.
Thank you for giving him love in his last moments.
Di :'(
Aww... I'm so sorry! Please take comfort in knowing that because of you, he was able to pass on peacefully and probably knowing he was loved!
I am not one for euthanasia, but it DOES have a place when suffering can't be ended another way. You did the right thing. He didn't have to die alone outside, which could have taken many hours or days, while being thirsty and hot and hungry and unable to move. He died knowing that someone was there for him and cared. No animal deserves to die in fear and pain with no one to care about them! That is kind of the point of being vegan for most of us and you exempified this today, even though it was hard for you (your story made me cry).
So sorry you had to go through that today. That is so rough. You did the right thing. I've been there before as well (I came across a little dog getting that was getting "ripped apart" in a dog fight....I can still picture it now). :'(
My problem is with the vet. There are times when a vet has to "have a heart" and do the right thing as well. I understand that they have to make money, but there are times they need to just "look the other way" and do what is best for all involved. The vet I took the dog to knew it was not my dog, and even though I offered to pay the bill (euthanasia was the only option), she declined to let me pay. As you did, I held the dog and watched its last breath and watched the pain go away. It's something I will never forget. What I saw and went through that day effected me for the rest of my life.
Again I wanted to say......just know you did the best you could.....and what you did was right. You have nobody to answer to....only your own mind and heart.
:'( so horribly sad but you did the right thing! Fighter was a lucky lil cat to have you cross his path. BIG hugs ((())))
Yesterday feels like a dream, all disconnected. Thank you all for your kind thoughts. im sorry some of you have been in similar circumstances. i also agree that the vet should have looked the other way on some of the stuff. Maybe she was afraid too because she was not a permant doctor there? She was crying too. So was the tech. Its good to know that they still feel for the critters even though they could become desensitzed after seeing it all the time.
:-\
Part of my reservation about helping him out of his body was that I really belive he may have been a pet. His coat was in excelent condition, he was heavy adn friendly too boot....I wanted to let his owners make that decision. I would want to make that decision about one of my pets. On the other hand...If there was no way to reach me......Maybe Id be okay with that? Ive just never been okay with euthanasia before.
Do you guys think I should go door-to-door where I found him? Maybe its better to let his owners know. But maybe its better for them to think he got a new home...maybe I leave it as it is unless i see "lost" signs...Peace to all of you.
:'( It's a tragedy but you did the best you could under the circumstances.
I'm so sorry that you had to go through this. Reading your story made me cry!
I do agree with TinTexas though, you did the best anyone could hope for in a situation like that. It's a sad fact, but I'm pretty sure most people would have left him there to suffer (like the people that hit him did).
Big {{{HUGS}}} to you!
Zealia, I'm so sorry you had to experience that. Like everyone said, you did the right thing. It's people like you that make a difference. I volunteered at a wildlife rehab center for two years, and I know first hand that it's the people like you that stop to care for an animal and bring it in to the shelter that make all the difference in the world. Most people just walk on by.
Euthanasia is such an incredibly difficult thing to deal with. Many of the wild animals that were admitted to the center had to be euthanized either because there was simply no hope at all, or worse (which is the most difficult to deal with), there was not enough room during the busy season to take the animal in (ugh). And then they developed a policy that they would no longer take in non-native wildlife because of the limited room. On that premise, imagine rejecting an injured animal that some good soul has brought in (that's just sort of a crazy bias to me). That was frustrating to say the least. The center does absolutely wonderfully AMAZING things for wildlife (and has saved many thousands of lives), but some of the policies were *very* difficult to swallow.
THANKS for doing such a wonderful selfless act. You did an awesome thing. Most people would have walked right on by.