On my way to work this morning, I found a stray kitten, only about 1 month old, lying in the street, apparently it had been hit by a car. It was still alive, moving around, and yelping. So, I picked it up and took it home, and planned on taking it to the vet as soon as they opened. The kitty didn’t seem in too bad of shape. It had a few cuts and was bleeding from the mouth, but it was active and yelping so I thought it might be ok. However, as soon as I got home, it died in my arms. Now, that I think about it, the bleeding from the mouth was probably due to internal damage, and even if it had held out another hour or so until the vet opened, there was probably nothing he could have done either. Needless to say, I was absolutely devastated …
If I EVER see anyone dumping a stray animal on the street, or maltreating one, I swear to Almighty Buddha that I will give them a good 'ol fashioned ass-whooping. I love my two cats (even though one of them is the anti-Christ, but I still love him), and having to experience this this morning just shook me up too much. I’m going to start walking around my neighborhood in the evenings now with a flashlight looking for stray kittens. I can’t sit around and do nothing anymore!!!
The title of this thread alone made me very sad. There must have been and still be a lot of suffering stray animals out there due to the recent typhoon.
The day after another typhoon, a few typhoons back, I was walking around the block checking out the downed trees when I found a drowned kitten – more accurately just a totally soaking wet ball of fur – lying near the location where a lady leaves food every day for the homeless cats. Now I think of all the strays before each typhoon.
Good for you for at least trying, LittleBuddhaTw. The important thing to remember is that we must do something, or they have zero chance.
Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
I’m hoping that, once we are properly set up (it’s happening!), AnimalsTaiwan can have a disaster rescue team set up. We can’t save them all, but we can give many a second chance, which is all we’d ask for ourselves, right?
Keep up the good work, LB. Next time, feel free to call me if I can be of any help.
This is such a sad story LittleBuddha. Thank you for trying to save the baby kitten. Most people would have just walked on by. I know it must be a terrible experience having an animal die in your arms, but at least the kitten didn’t die alone on the street. You are a kind soul!
[quote=“Erhu”]This is such a sad story LittleBuddha. Thank you for trying to save the baby kitten. Most people would have just walked on by. I know it must be a terrible experience having an animal die in your arms, but at least the kitten didn’t die alone on the street. You are a kind soul![/quote]Yes, I hope you can take comfort that he went to kitty heaven being loved and that you were with him, and that you did all you could do.
I know I couldn’t have done any more, and it’s a bit comforting to know that at least he/she didn’t die alone, but I still feel so guilty that I couldn’t have done something more. sigh
This is going to be a long, sad weekend … I don’t get over things like this very easily …
This reminds me of the poem of the guy who walked in the forest and came across a dying (mother?) wildcat. Does anybody know who that was by? I must say just the thought of having to see a kitten die like that makes me really sad. I hope you can focus on the positive…the comfort you gave to the kitten…rather than the absolute sorrow of it.
Maybe you can use your weekend to spend extra time celebrating the life of you cats at home. Were they strays too? (by the way, how did it work out with the little one?)
Edit: Found it. To me it shows the horror and harsh reality of nature and death, but also the beauty of it…the powerful wildness and rage of the cat…
Gentling A Wildcat
Not much wild life, roared mine leonine Host
from the fringe of a forest of crackles
round an old dome-headed steam radio,
between hotel and river
Similar thing happened to me last night, driving home up a back alley and saw a cat lying in a very awkward poition on the road, so I parked my bike round the corner, and went back to see what I could do… Wasn’t feeling too good about it, my heart was pounding faster with every step I took closer to the poor thing, was just wondering what the hell I could do to help, it being late and me not knowing where any vets were… as I got closer though, some very kind nurses came out of a dental clinic and saw it, and got a box to presumably take the poor creature to the vet… looked in bad shape, meowing pathetically, coughing up blood… I just stood around trying to be helpful but it seemed there was nothing I could do… They took it away though… Looked like it was someone’s pet too, was in very good shape and not scared of people… Made me pretty damn depressed…
How a person can cry so much, I have no idea.
