moosmom
09-21-2003, 12:36 PM
For those of you (please keep in mind I am NOT pointing fingers at anyone) who don't think they should spay/neuter their cat, here's a day in the life of a shelter volunteer.
Get up at 8 a.m. after working on my feet 5 1/2 hours the night before till 11 p.m. Walk into the nursery of a shelter to clean cages, empty litterboxes, feed kittens (and 2 puppies whose barks could shatter glass).
There is a dead, stiff kitten (the product of an irresponsible pet owner who also felt it wasn't necessary to fix their cat) who died sometime during the night ALONE, cause of death unknown.
After cleaning most of the cages, I come upon a litter, one littermate is laying on his side, so weak, he couldn't even cry for help. Blood and stool were oozing out of his rectum.
I called out to the vet tech who got the authorization to put poor Fernando down. I held him in my arms promising I would be there with him when he went to the Rainbow Bridge, and would see him soon.
Because he was so weak, we couldn't find a vein. So the drug had to be administered through his stomach, which made his journey a little longer.
Both the vet tech and I were crying as he left us. Courtney's words to me were "I hate playing God".
Back to the nursery...where I kept on doing what I was put there to do. After all was quiet, I began working with 3 feral kittens. So terrified of humans that they hissed and spit while I tried to pet them, reassuring them that I was there for them. I managed to get one kitten purring. The other one will take some time. Again, all because some irresponsible pet owner who didn't take the time or money to fix their cat.
I'll end my story now because I'm too emotional and upset. I'm not bashing anyone here. I'm just trying to make a point about spaying/neutering your pets. If only people would do that one thing, the shelters wouldn't be so full and volunteers like us wouldn't be subjected to such depressing, horrible circumstances.
RIP Fernando. I am so sorry Little Unknown Kitten that you had to die alone in the middle of the night. I will see you both at the Rainbow Bridge.
((((((hugs))))))))
From a devastated shelter volunteer
Get up at 8 a.m. after working on my feet 5 1/2 hours the night before till 11 p.m. Walk into the nursery of a shelter to clean cages, empty litterboxes, feed kittens (and 2 puppies whose barks could shatter glass).
There is a dead, stiff kitten (the product of an irresponsible pet owner who also felt it wasn't necessary to fix their cat) who died sometime during the night ALONE, cause of death unknown.
After cleaning most of the cages, I come upon a litter, one littermate is laying on his side, so weak, he couldn't even cry for help. Blood and stool were oozing out of his rectum.
I called out to the vet tech who got the authorization to put poor Fernando down. I held him in my arms promising I would be there with him when he went to the Rainbow Bridge, and would see him soon.
Because he was so weak, we couldn't find a vein. So the drug had to be administered through his stomach, which made his journey a little longer.
Both the vet tech and I were crying as he left us. Courtney's words to me were "I hate playing God".
Back to the nursery...where I kept on doing what I was put there to do. After all was quiet, I began working with 3 feral kittens. So terrified of humans that they hissed and spit while I tried to pet them, reassuring them that I was there for them. I managed to get one kitten purring. The other one will take some time. Again, all because some irresponsible pet owner who didn't take the time or money to fix their cat.
I'll end my story now because I'm too emotional and upset. I'm not bashing anyone here. I'm just trying to make a point about spaying/neutering your pets. If only people would do that one thing, the shelters wouldn't be so full and volunteers like us wouldn't be subjected to such depressing, horrible circumstances.
RIP Fernando. I am so sorry Little Unknown Kitten that you had to die alone in the middle of the night. I will see you both at the Rainbow Bridge.
((((((hugs))))))))
From a devastated shelter volunteer