I don't get it...

[catnapper]

One of my favorite students came to class late yesterday. She ran in flustered saying how she almost didn't come in at all, that it was the worst day ever. She had her hands bandaged up and what wasn't bandaged looked like she met up with a savage beast. Since she was there for a private class, I had time to ask what what happened. She explained that her standard poodles and her cats never got along. The poodles are littermates and 10 months old. They did GREAT in class but never quite got the hang of leaving those poor kitties alone. So they decided to have the cats live in the basement, which was no hardship for them. The family owns one of the area's largest contracting businesses and their basement was finished as a game/family room.

Anyhow, somehow both poodles got to the basement that morning. Rocky had hold of the oldest cat (13 years) and wouldn't let go. It took the father (a 300 pound man) actually laying on top of Rocky before he released the cat. In the process the cat bit my student several times rather badly, but she did not go to the hospital. Where did she go yesterday instead of taking herself to the hospital? To the vet to put both cats to sleep! Before you ask, even though Rocky got hold of the oldest cat, there were no serious or life threatening injuries. He basically just had the cat's tail. The 6 year old cat was swatting and trying to beat off the other dog (and winning)

I was floored and couldn't say anything. Being that she is my student and I'm being paid by her, I couldn't tell her how sick I was that she did that. She didn't even try to rehome them! She knows I do cat rescue, why not bring them to me? I am so sad about this whole thing, and all I could do was commiserate and focus on her injuries and advise to go to her doctor today. I felt like such a liar because I wanted to be telling her off, instead because of our business relationship I had to be polite and swallow my own adversion to this whole incident.

[Freedom]

Oh Gosh! I could never have held back, I would have said something, probably blurted it out without any tact. I would definitely remind her you do rescue and that you do not approve of what they did.

[AbbyMom]

I know exactly how you feel, Kim. One of my coworkers, a fellow team member, had her two cats PTS because of hairballs. Hairballs! She was too lazy to brush them or give them hairball meds or food. One of them slept on her pillow at night. Or at least used to.

Nor did she ask anyone for help or to adopt them.

But I had to work with this person every day. She sat next to me. Otherwise, I would have called her a friend. I did start avoiding her after she told me.

I was so glad when she quit and I could stop beng a hypocrite.

I bet, Kim, that you are a reflexively nice person and it's hard to act out of character even if the recipient deserves it.

[Laura's Babies]

I probably would have started crying right in front of her and could not have held my tongue. That is just TO shocking!

[Pembroke_Corgi]

That is so sad. You also have to wonder what kind of a vet would put two healthy cats to sleep just because they didn't fit in with the new dogs.

I know how hard that must have been, but I think you did the right thing for your career. Maybe you could gently say you would have taken them to a shelter instead and leave it at that...in a business where you have to have interaction with people all the time you need to have a good relationship with your clients. I feel so sorry for those cats. I wouldn't feel the same about that woman either. Just try to help her train her dogs, and eventually you won't have to see her anymore!

[Ginger's Mom]

That is so sad. You also have to wonder what kind of a vet would put two healthy cats to sleep just because they didn't fit in with the new dogs.!

You know, Jill, that is a very good point. I have chatted with a vet nurse on another forum and she is always taking home dogs and cats that people bring in to have put down for no good reason.

[lizbud]

Pretty sad comentary on the worth of animals amoung some people.

My Vet wouldn't put any pet down if it was healthy otherwise.I overheard
a man's conversation with a Vet tech one day. He came in for a refill for
pain pills for his overweight dog. He said he wanted to put the dog down
when these pills ran out because the dog wasn't losing weight & the weight
was causing the dog pain when walking. I couldn't believe he said that. The Vet tech just mumbleld something like we'll wait & see.
I think she was as shocked as I was.

[Pam]

Oh boy this is so sad! I can imagine you biting your tongue - probably until it bled! My ears perked up when you mentioned standard poodles and I have to say that, although I have never had a cat/dog problem with any of my poodles, (thankfully my cats/dogs co-exist very well) I have read on another forum where a woman has a standard with a high prey drive. That is not the crux of the problem though. It is the mentality of the pet owner. How could she do this knowing that you were involved in rescue work? Sometimes people's thinking processes (or lack of it) amazes me. I was in PetsMart one day and there was a beautiful Persian in the cage. The card on the outside of the cage said "my people bought a dog who does not like me." My first thought was......"who was there first?"...is there no loyalty to the *first pet* and no other way to solve the problem? *sigh*

[Vela]

That's sad! I would have a hard time holding my tongue as well. Poor kitties=(

[caseysmom]

Maybe the vet took the cats and gave them to rescue. I know vets who do this when dumb *ss owners bring perfectly healthy cats in to be euthanized.

[Randi]

What a sad thing to happen - poor kitties! It would have been really hard not to say anything for me, but I do understand that you didn't. Perhaps in the future you can teach her a few things about cats.

[jenluckenbach]

Now, let's get the story straight (I say as I bang my head upon the wall), the dog was attacking the cat, wishing to do it serious harm, and the CATS get put to death!?!?! Oh yeah! THAT makes sense.

(I know how difficult it is to "hold your tongue". I've been there, done that! )

[moosmom]

Kim, I am speechless. What kind of cold hearted #@$%^&!* would kill 2 cats simply because the dog went after them.

RIP sweet kitties. At least now you can run and play free at the Bridge.

[cyber-sibes]

You probably didn't say anything out of shock!
You did the right thing professionally, after all, she wasn't asking for your advice, but I felt sick just reading about it, too. It may have been her parents that made the PTS decision, but it sure sounds short-sighted and spur of the moment. Sad situation all around.

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is so sad. I would have also been in shock but I don't think that I'd be able to bite my tongue and not say anything about it. I sure hope that this woman won't ever adopt any cats ever again.