The Frustrations with our High Kill Shelter!!!!

[kimlovescats]

As I have posted .... recently I have been going on a regular basis to our local "shelter" to love and help socialize the kitties in need. Well, one day while I was there, they brought in 3 tiny feral babies. I mean FERAL!!! I was determined to win these kitties over .... so without fear I approached each of them. Well, the first two were terrified, and hissing like crazy .... but I was able to briefly get them out and hold them .... but not for long. The 3rd one was the wildest thing that I have ever seen.... and just so tiny to be this way!!!
Well, brave me reached in to snag him, and well, he SNAGGED me .. bit me twice on my fingers ... once on each hand. I mean to say this kitty was a SPITFIRE and fast as lightning!!! He drew blood on both hands. Not wanting to give up on him, I tried to throw a towel over him, and burrito wrap him. (knowing that if I didn't bring this guy around and FAST, he didn't stand a chance!!!)
Well, he proceeded to scream and yell BLOODY MURDER!!! Sooooo loudly, that an officer came in and said "is everything ok in here"!!! Well, seeing my hands bleeding and the uncontrollable nature of this kitten, she took him out of the room, to let him try and calm down. I knew right then, that this little guy was in trouble!
I continued to work with the others, and love on all the kitties in the room. Finally, a bit later, the officer returned with the kitten and put him back in with his littermates. The next day when I returned (and adopted Griffin) ... I noticed the wild boy was gone!!! I inquired about him, and the officer just said that he didn't make it, he was too wild, and gave me that look! They had put him down!!!!!!!!!!! That's how it is here, and WHY I desperately do whatever I can to save as many as possible. This place gives NO SECOND CHANCES!!!!

[nibblets]

I am shocked and appalled...they put down a tiny kitten? They could have given it a bit of time to get used to people. It was probably so frightened it was just reacting the only way it knew how.

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that there is so much intolerance for ferals and strays. I just read about a town here in MO called Iberia, where the local police routinely shoot stray dogs in the head to get rid of them. The town is small and they don't have enough money for a shelter so they just take them to a vacant lot and shoot them. They don't even have to be viscious or aggresive to get picked up. A good deal of the towns people are all for this...and the others are fighting it. That is how it made it to the news. I just made me sick to think of it.

[catcrazylady]

Oh Kim my heart breaks for you! I come home and cry many nights after I leave the shelter and none of ours get put down. It is so overwhelming at times that I have to force myself to go back. I could not handle a kill shelter and I can not tell you how much I admire you for having the strength to go in and deal with that. We all know that it is one at a time but I can't help always thinking about the many that you don't have time to get to. They are just as desperate as the ones you manage to help.
I just asked Sirrabed this question...Why can't I see the nine (possibly ten) that I have saved instead of all the ones that I can't save? All those faces and all those eyes begging for help through the cage bars. The paws that reach out and grab at you begging for just a few minutes of attention. All those faces looking at you and asking "why?".
Most of the time I just want to shut it out of my mind and never go back. It would be so easy to say I've done all I can and go live my life with my furballs but I won't allow myself to be that selfish. Maybe we are making a small difference and maybe that is what keeps us going.
It's gets harder with each passing day and the shelter is so full. We have such a tiny shelter and it could hold around 80 to 90 cats somewhat comfortably but right now there are 180 and it is floor to ceiling.
I just keep praying that all the misery will end one day and that all of these sad and lonely kitties today will have a wonderful and loving home in their future.
I don't know what the answer is but I do know that my heart wants to save every last one of them.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh Kim, I'm so sorry they are so heartless there. Poor little scared baby.

I know it must be terribly hard on you to keep going to this shelter, but you have to know that every little bit you do means so much to so many of the kitties. Keep up the good work and try and focus on the successes.....

{{{hugs}}}