Final decision on Mr. Stray

[thistlechaser]

I've made "final" decisions on him so many times already, but I've only just now worked everything through and looked at the truth instead of the emotions.

When/if I catch him, I'm going to let them take him to the Humane Society (no kill, unless the cat is unadoptable for medical/behavior reasons).

There are two big reasons why I won't be keeping him:

1) Looking at it beyond the WANT WANT HE'S PRETTY I WANT HIM feeling, I'm happy right now. I'm happy with one cat and one litterbox and the amount of cat in my one bedroom apartment. As important as that, I think Ellie is happy now (or as happy as she's able to be).

2) He doesn't need me. He's beautiful and loving. People will line up to adopt him. I'd love to have him... but so would lots of other people. I'd rather take the cat that no one wants. There are kittens at rescue places with three legs, missing tails, one eye, whatever. I've been thinking about this kitty for weeks now. He needs me, pretty stray cat doesn't.

Stray cat does need to get off the streets, and I can do that much for him (if he'll be so kind as to go into the trap), but hopefully someone else will give him a great home.

I'm very sad, I feel like I lost him, but I think it's the right thing to do.

Comments

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

I understand your feeling. We have a blind cat, who is so sweet and adorable and curious and playful, and if he had to go for adoption, he would have been quite out of luck.

We have had to do some creative problem-solving, and he has some behavior issues (like inappropriate peeing if the boxes aren't exactly right) but it's not what I would call a hardship -- compared to taking care of elderly, diabetic and kitties with other health issues, Geordie is a breeze.

I think there's nothing wrong with taking the "advanced course" in cat-raising. It is a noble calling. But, it can be taken too far--I wouldn't want to take a cat who has anger-management issues or who won't be happy here no matter what we do. We're choosing the level of effort that's right for us, probably more than most cat people would want to take on, but less than others. I think for us the key is, can we take in a problem child and still have him be a positive addition to our lives. If it were all sacrifice and no upside, honestly I would say no, because there are still way too many cats and way too few good, safe homes.

Definitely try to ask a few neighbors, or put up the picture with a throw-away phone number. I found a cat who was clearly a stray a couple years ago and put up a sign -- turned out that her cat had escaped and trekked several miles, to end up close to the home she just moved out of, and she was quite grateful to get her kitty back. Might or might not have happened if he had been taken to the shelter... who knows.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Agreed, on all of this.

I'd be open to a blind kitty. It's not like sight is their primary sense, they can still have happy, full lives.

I saw a youtube video about a man who had a couple of blind kittens. He made all sorts of special toys for them. Made me happy to watch it.

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

ooo, I'd love to see that video... one of our challenges is finding/making appropriate toys for blind cats :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Looks like I was wrong in every way possible about the video. :P

Blind kitten playing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lNpeTCEPrRk).

I wrote: I saw a youtube video about a man who had a couple of blind kittens. He made all sorts of special toys for them. Made me happy to watch it.

Turns out it was one kitten, not a couple. He didn't make the toys, looks like just balls with bells in them. And for some reason it made me really sad, not happy! My memory is going!

There's another video of the blind kitten here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElzPZNSdd5w), and while it amused the owners, I didn't like it. The cat didn't know what was going on!

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

OK the music on some of those is quite weepy but I think Oskar looks happy in all of them. He looks like our Geordie, endlessly happy and curious.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Doesn't he look really happy? The music is an odd choice for the videos...

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

I think so, based on a quick look... tail up is a good sign

[felknight.livejournal.com]

I found, with some of our trap-wary strays in my neighborhood, that putting a small towel over the bottom of the trap, covering the trap mechanism, helps to keep stray kitties from being too cautious of the difference in trap bottom. Pair that with a strong smelling wet cat food (the strays around my house loved fish), and you'll probably end up with a cat in a trap soon enough.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea. I'll add a dishtowel tomorrow. Thanks. :)

[prettyredeyes.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good, well-thought out decision. He is definitely a beauty and you're right, will definitely capture someone's heart. Or even better, if he's chipped or someone put the word out to shelters, will find the family that may have lost him. :3

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yes! Either way, I'd be happy. :)