Controversial discussion on animal welfare

[daisy]

Kirsten, first of all let me tell you how proud I am of you and that you have done a marvelous job holding your ground in the conversation.

If anything, your exchange with the person from Tunisia underscores the divide between industrialized and developing countries, a point that others in this thread have also mentioned. Her attitude, unfortunately, is one shared by most people in her situation. I should know about this too, being an immigrant from a "developing" nation in Southeast Asia. Where I came from, poverty afflicted 75% of the population, and spoiling one's pets, never mind spending the money to spay or neuter them, was seen as an unnecessary indulgence. Some of our friends and neighbors back in the old country couldn't understand why we fed stray cats when we hardly had enough money to put food on the table. (I guess we were crazy.)

I was fortunate enough to have immigrated with my family to the States 20 years ago; at least here, finding the resources, financial or otherwise, to take care of one's pets does not have to turn into a discussion of whether you end up depriving your family of food in the process.

I still think about the strays in the neighborhood we left 20 years ago, and I end up feeling depressed that were it not for the kindness of strangers, they would all fall victim eventually to the "natural selection" your acquaintance described.

Let's hope that in our lifetime, we will see the economic conditions in these "developing" nations improve to the point that caring for feral animals will no longer be considered an unnecessary indulgence.

[Kirsten]

LOL; something's telling me that Pet Talk wouldn't be the right place for her! And I guess she wouldn't agree with my catmom-website also!


Well, as she lived in Tunesia for five years, a very poor country, I could kind of relate to what she said. Like Barbara has pointed it, it's a cultural thing also. She had a dog in Tunesia, and several cats (I think these cats were strays and lived in her backyard or so). The dog stayed with her and lives in Germany now.

The discussion made me upset anyway because I don't like being attacked for my opinion. I try to respect other peoples' opinions and look at them from their point of view, but I want mine to be respected also. To me, every creature on this planet has a right to live. I'm not a rich person; the money I make with my job is just enough for my girls and me, but if I had more, I would give it to animals. Maybe humans also, but it would be the animals in the first place. As moosmom has said, there are already lots of organizations for human needs, but the animals need more help.

I don't know, maybe I'm different from many other people, but I have been born with a deep love for animals, and their little innocent souls. We, the humans, have already lost so much of this innocence, and I think this is why every animal on this planet has the ability to touch my heart...

Kirsten

[kimlovescats]

Kirsten, you did a wonderful job of supporting your beliefs and standing up on behalf of the helpless kitties in this world! It sounds like you even left this woman a bit speechless! I think you set her mind to some new ideas!

Hugs,
Kim

[momcat]

My son once said. "You can tell how someone will treat other people by the way they treat animals". I'm inclined to agree. Kirsten, you spoke not only for yourself but for countless others as well. I commend you for speaking out and holding your ground.