This is bothering me...

[JenBKR]

I just found this out and it has really been bothering me...

A few years ago my husband's brother and his wife had a cat (Domino) that got out of the house and was attacked by another cat. Domino ended up with rabies and had to be put down. I had assumed for all this time that they took the cat to the vet to be put to sleep. I just found out that my brother-in-law actually took the cat out to the woods and shot him with a shotgun :eek: because they didn't have the money to have him put down. I can't get that image out of my head. I'm afraid I might look at my in-laws differently now. :(

[kittycats_delight]

I can see why you would be worried about looking at them differently. IMO that is cruel. How can you just shoot something you love? I'm sorry Jen. I know that here if an animals NEEDS to be PTS money or no money they will do it. There are humane services for that and they will PTS an animal they MUST be PTS without being paid. I don't know if it works that way where you guys are or not. I think I would be a more angry than you I know I wouldn't be able to not say anything about it. That just turns my stomach. My father did that once with a dog we had. I am talking years and years ago. I was only 5 or 6 so 25 years ago. And to this day I remember it and I have never forgiven him. I just can't. It breaks my heart to know a companion animal was destoyed so inhumanely. There had to have been someone that could have put that cat to rest more humanely than that. I am really sorry.

(((HUGS)))
Michelle

[Jessika]

Well at least he did it with the best interests of the animal in mind? I mean its not like he shot it for the hell of it, you know? And it was probably hard for him to do it. I can understand not having money, but kittycats_delight is correct -- SOME places will do it for free, but not all. I know some in my area are too money hungry and probably wouldn't have... in which case, if I were in that situation I would probably bring my pet to the shelter and tell them I found a stray, OR I would just call the ASPCA to pick it up and say it was a stray... then again, this is all only if I didn't have money to do it and the shelter wouldn't do it for free. Even if it WAS the best thing to do, I couldn't bring myself to take a gun to any of my pets, whether they were suffering or not. It must have been very hard for him. :(

[Lobodeb]

I always have to remind myself that not everyone loves and appreciates animals as much as we (PT) do. My dad used to tell me so many stories of him doing things like that. He knew how I felt about animals, but back then, I too was only 5 or 6, things were different. There wasn't the same awareness as there is now. I never forgave my dad for what he did either, but they knew no other way.

I remember I had a herniated disk in my back for 3 months before they let me go to a doctor. And that was ME! Not an animal. I'm lucky they didn't take me out back to shoot me.

[lvpets2002]

:( OMG how horrible.. I am sure your brother-n-law thought he was doing the best he could && but still how could you do it to your loving baby.. Dont let the man near my babies.. Yes that would haunt me too & I am afraid I would have to say something to him..

[CathyBogart]

There is no excuse for that...there are a lot of options for free euthanasia.

[Cataholic]

I must agree with Cathy. There isn't any excuse for that.

[JenBKR]

I am glad that I am not the only one who feels strongly about this. I hope their two kids never find out - it was actually my niece's cat, so she might feel bad about it. Lobodeb you are so right, not everyone thinks of their pets the way we do, so I should really keep that in mind. I don't think my BIL likes cats very much anyway, he thinks it's funny to blow in my Belle's face until she hisses (I was NOT at home when he did that, my hubby told me about it:mad: :mad: )

[JenBKR]

I would have LENT him the money - I would of come up with it somehow!!

[Lobodeb]

Originally posted by CathyBogart
There is no excuse for that...there are a lot of options for free euthanasia.

I totally agree with you. You and I and everyone here knows there are options, because we're willing to research them. People with a gun and bullet only see a quick and easy way out.

It's laziness and selfishness mixed with a lot of ignorance.

I didn't mean to sound as if this was ok, because it isn't. Sorry if I offended anyone.

[DJFyrewolf36]

Originally posted by CathyBogart
There is no excuse for that...there are a lot of options for free euthanasia.

Especially if the animal has something dangerous like rabies. I know here, if an animal is found to be rabid, animal control will not charge to have them put down.

And how did the poor kitty get rabies anyway? Wasn't he vaccinated? :(. RIP Poor little kitty

[JenBKR]

Originally posted by DJFyrewolf36
And how did the poor kitty get rabies anyway? Wasn't he vaccinated? :(. RIP Poor little kitty

I honestly don't know that. He was such a sweet kitty too :(

[Denyce]

That part of this story bothers me. If the cat was actually diagonosed with rabies the owners would NOT have been allowed to take the cat home. There are only two ways of diagnosing rabies. One is to remove the head and send it to a lab and the other is to quarentine at an approved kennel or vet for a period of 10 days I think. If the animal is then showing signs of rabies by law the vet would have to euthanize the animal. It would never be given back to the owners.

[Jessika]

Originally posted by Denyce
That part of this story bothers me. If the cat was actually diagonosed with rabies the owners would NOT have been allowed to take the cat home. There are only two ways of diagnosing rabies. One is to remove the head and send it to a lab and the other is to quarentine at an approved kennel or vet for a period of 10 days I think. If the animal is then showing signs of rabies by law the vet would have to euthanize the animal. It would never be given back to the owners.

I was thinking the same thing. Unless he was a doctor, they can't self-diagnose what they THINK could be rabies. Foaming at the mouth? He could have eaten something bad. Regardless they obviously did not bring the cat to the shelter to get a proper diagnosis, heck the kitty may not even have been sick at all!

[luvofallhorses]

That is so sad. :( I mean, the poor thing died unloved, unless he shot the kitty out of love, which I don't know, so I won't say anything. They should have taken it to the vets to see if the kitty really had it. Again, I am so sorry. :( (((JEN)))

[kittycats_delight]

Originally posted by Denyce
That part of this story bothers me. If the cat was actually diagonosed with rabies the owners would NOT have been allowed to take the cat home. There are only two ways of diagnosing rabies. One is to remove the head and send it to a lab and the other is to quarentine at an approved kennel or vet for a period of 10 days I think. If the animal is then showing signs of rabies by law the vet would have to euthanize the animal. It would never be given back to the owners.

I wasn't even thinking about that. They could not self diagnose this. OMDG that poor sweet kitty.

[JenBKR]

Originally posted by Denyce
That part of this story bothers me. If the cat was actually diagonosed with rabies the owners would NOT have been allowed to take the cat home. There are only two ways of diagnosing rabies. One is to remove the head and send it to a lab and the other is to quarentine at an approved kennel or vet for a period of 10 days I think. If the animal is then showing signs of rabies by law the vet would have to euthanize the animal. It would never be given back to the owners.

Hmm, I didn't know that. I had assumed all this time that Domino was PTS at the vet, and it wasn't until the other night that it came up in conversation when we were at my in-laws house. Unless he made it up :confused: :confused: but why would he do that? Ok, here's the conversation:

My BIL & SIL were looking into adopting a cat and took their daughter to the shelter with them. My neice (she's 5) told someone there about how her hamster got sick and daddy had to shoot it. They all kind of laughed it off at the time. When they were telling me the story the other night, my SIL then said it wasn't actually her hamster but her sister's cat Domino that daddy shot, and wondered how my neice knew about that.

Maybe he just showed signs of rabies but was not diagnosed by the vet. I may have made a lot of assumptions here, but I can't imagine not wanting proof. I might have to ask about that...all I know is what I stated above...

[JenBKR]

oh no, if they never got proof...now I feel even worse...:(

[Scooby4]

It is correct that rabies is diagnosed by removal of the head or quarantine for 10 days. However, you stated that the cat had been attacked. Supposedly by a "rabid" cat. The other cat may have had rabies and in it's bite gave it to the cat that was shot. There needed to be no proof at this point due to just a bite from a "rabid" animal is how the disease is transferred. The cat would have developed rabies from the injuries regardless. I have seen wild cat's with rabies and the symptoms are undeniable. They will attack unprovoked.
I have lived out in the country and it is a practice of SOME people to put their own animals to sleep in such a way. It is NOT because they don't love them, it is because they do!!!:cool: A diseased or severly injured animal is a threat to a farm and their neighbors. Remember Old Yella? I am not saying that I support euthanasia by shotgun, but it may be a necessity in some rural areas to carry the process out in this manner.

[kittycats_delight]

Originally posted by Scooby4
It is correct that rabies is diagnosed by removal of the head or quarantine for 10 days. However, you stated that the cat had been attacked. Supposedly by a "rabid" cat. The other cat may have had rabies and in it's bite gave it to the cat that was shot. There needed to be no proof at this point due to just a bite from a "rabid" animal is how the disease is transferred. The cat would have developed rabies from the injuries regardless. I have seen wild cat's with rabies and the symptoms are undeniable. They will attack unprovoked.
I have lived out in the country and it is a practice of SOME people to put their own animals to sleep in such a way. It is NOT because they don't love them, it is because they do!!!:cool: A diseased or severly injured animal is a threat to a farm and their neighbors. Remember Old Yella? I am not saying that I support euthanasia by shotgun, but it may be a necessity in some rural areas to carry the process out in this manner.

No matter what it is NOT a necessity in this day and age to shoot your pet. The referrence to Ol' Yeller doesn't do this cause any good whatsoever. That movie was just dispicable in todays terms. This is 2005 and there is no way in any part of the civilized world can you consider this action loving or ok.

[luvofallhorses]

Well said, Michelle!

[lizbud]

Originally posted by luvofallhorses
That is so sad. :( I mean, the poor thing died unloved, unless he shot the kitty out of love, which I don't know, so I won't say anything. They should have taken it to the vets to see if the kitty really had it. Again, I am so sorry. :( (((JEN)))


You don't blow the head off an animal you love, so he didn't
shoot the cat out of "love". It's a totally cruel and just heartless.

I wonder if the cat was looking at him when the jerk shot it? :mad: If people are too cheap to give an animal a dignified
and loving death, they should never have the animal.:mad:

[just me]

Its not really my place to say, But ive read this thread for a couple of days and makes me ask....
Was this cat up to date on rabies shots???
Rabies is preventable, with proper vaccinations.
And correct me if Im wrong, Dont responsible, loving pet owners
have their pets vaccinated??
I better stop here, this story upsets me, And really I dont have all the facts to continue with whats on my mind and in my heart.
Just me...:(

[JenBKR]

Originally posted by just me
I better stop here, this story upsets me, And really I dont have all the facts to continue with whats on my mind and in my heart.
Just me...:(

That's why I put htis in the dog house - you can say whatever you want. Don't worry, no one will offend me. I am the first one to be upset by this.

I don't know about Domino's vaccinations, and I do not plan to ask. I have my troubles with my in-laws, but I love them and don't want to rock the boat. They have 2 cats now, and I know for a fact that they ar up to date on shots because I was with my SIL when she took them to the vet.

I can't speak for people living on farms, but they live in the suburbs just like me. My BIL drove Domino out to the woods to shoot him.

I did talk to my hubby about this, and he said he's upset too and would never do that to ay of our pets. That's a relief for me!

[finn's mom]

I, personally, could never shoot a pet. But, I will say this, I'm not going to judge this guy without knowing more facts about the situation. It's easy to say he should have known that he could get his pet put to sleep for free, because everyone in here is above and beyond the usual pet lover. Honestly, I don't know that I would know where to take my pet to get it euthanized for free. I would find a way to raise the money if that was what was preventing me. But, at the same time, these people may not have known that a place would euthanize a pet for free. I don't want to call them ignorant, without quoting the actual dictionary definition...unaware and uninformed. I'm not saying that's a good enough reason to shoot a pet, but, I'm giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, and, thinking that he thought he was doing the best thing. I don't know, though, the story makes me sad, regardless of how and why it came about. :( If JenBKR doesn't flat out ask them to tell her what happened, we will never know the reason the cat wasn't vaccinated, the way they knew it had rabies, why they didn't take it somewhere to be humanely euthanized, etc...And, not everyone loves animals like we do. That's the only fact I do know. There are a lot of people that simply look at them as "maintenance", and, I quote that because a friend of mine said those exact words to me yesterday. I love this guy to death, but, he does not like animals. Now, he wouldn't be able to take the cats that live in his home outside to shoot them, because his wife would probably shoot HIM. ;) They're mostly hers and his kids pets. Again, this story is sad, because the cat didn't receive the best care. But, I don't think the guy can be judged without knowing the entire story.

[just me]

I agree with Finn's Mom.
This is a very sad sad story.
You really should find out what really happened.
Maybe through this terrible tragedy, lessons were learned.
Lets hope.
Im sending my best to you.
Just me...:)

[Rachel]

I have had two dogs euthanized. The first one was my heart dog. It was the most horrible decision I have ever had to make and it was recommended by my vet, yet on the very day we had arranged to take Bailey in, she went into a seizure, so there was no turning back. The second dog was also quite old with a variety of health problems that made the continuation of her life so very difficult for her. She had always been very fearful of going to the vet's, so when it was *time* I paid extra to have the vet and his assistant come to my house to spare her that last trip. I have many times second guessed myself as to the timing of my decision, yet I feel I did the best I could in knowing the right time. I didn't have a crystal ball.

I point all this out in hopes you understand what I am going to say next. From the animal's point of view is death by injection any more less scary or painful or agonizing than death by gun shot? The animal does not know what is going to happen when a gun is pointed at them. Theoretically this type of death should be instaneous. Of course should the person be a bad shot, it could be very tragic. Are we looking at this more from the perpective of the person doing the shooting and how could they take that act into their own hands? Are we assuming that this person wasn't distraught and heavy of heart when in fact they were?

[finn's mom]

Originally posted by Rachel
I point all this out in hopes you understand what I am going to say next. From the animal's point of view is death by injection any more less scary or painful or agonizing than death by gun shot? The animal does not know what is going to happen when a gun is pointed at them. Theoretically this type of death should be instaneous. Of course should the person be a bad shot, it could be very tragic. Are we looking at this more from the perpective of the person doing the shooting and how could they take that act into their own hands? Are we assuming that this person wasn't distraught and heavy of heart when in fact they were?

I think this was well said. I don't claim to know either way which would be more comfortable for the animal, but, I have always questioned it...honestly, I wouldn't think it would be any harder on the animal, as both ways are supposed to be instantaneous, as you stated. Again, I personally couldn't shoot my pet, but, only because I'm basically not capable of doing it. I don't even think I could do it if it was the best thing for him. For example, and, this is extreme...but, it could happen...if I was out in the middle of nowhere and Finn managed to slip away from me and get hit by a car, and, was going to die painfully before I could get him to a vet, I don't think I could shoot him. Even if I thought it would be better for him. I just don't think I'd be able to do it. I couldn't even step on a field mouse that was dying painfully because it had eaten poison. My ex husband did it, and, I was glad he did. Because I knew the mouse was suffering. Anyway...just my personal thoughts on the subject...

[lizbud]

Maybe the death of the cat by shotgun, spared them the
effort of a funeral. Probably blasted the cat's body to tiny bits.:rolleyes: It's just ignorant & sick.:(