I’d planned to write something about this past week’s national birthdays but I’ve been busy – dealing with someone else’s problem, I think. We have a new cat, found in Waterworks Park. We didn’t seek him out, didn’t want a new cat. But he’s here and my hope that he will return to his real home is fading fast.
Monday evening, when we went with the dogs to the park, he was wandering around the parking lot, meowing. People said he’d been there for an hour or so. He came right up to us, purr-purr and head rubs. Dark was coming, what are you going to do?
Put him in the car, stopped at a nearby variety store. Nope, he didn’t look familiar and nobody asking about him. So he’s been in our garage, slowly venturing into the house. Our nasty cat hisses and spits at him.
Posters up at Waterworks
Posters are up, ads are placed. If someone has lost their pet, I hope they find us. And he definitely is a pet cat. He’s neutered, he’s not starving, he looks healthy, and he loves cuddling on laps and being petted.
But he’s been here two whole days now. If I lost my cat, I’d be beating the bushes, going door to door – I’d call in the police if I thought I could. Maybe someone is doing that and just hasn’t found us yet, so please accept my apology for what I am about to say.
If this cat no longer fits in your plans or if you thought you could help solve a difficulty by dumping him, thanks for giving us your problem. If you drove him to the park thinking “somebody will take him in and give him a good home”, thanks for disrupting our lives for two days so far.
Yes, we did take him. A crying cat alone in a public place with no houses near by, almost dark. What kind of person wouldn’t? The people there were all concerned about him, and I could see the looks of relief when they realized a sucker was there willing to take him. Lucky them!
Vet check needed because we don’t know
So he’s now being treated for parasites – no evidence of any, but just as a precaution because I don’t know anything about his history. If he isn’t claimed soon, he’ll have to get vaccinations. He might be up to date on them but, again, I don’t know.
So, I have a request for anyone planning to dump their pet for someone else to look after. Spend one last dollar and buy a collar. Attach a note with information on vaccinations, age and medical history. If you want me or some “nice person” to clean up your mess, that’s the least you can do. We’re paying money to do preventive vet care that may not be needed.
Again I apologize if someone is frantically looking for him. Please contact me if he’s your cat. We like him, are calling him Wally, but would love to see him reunited with his people.
Here’s a July 29th update on Waterworks Wally – still with us!
Janice
11 Jul 2011Dorothy,
Thank God for people like Lena, and you, and me, and all the other animal lovers and rescuers in the world!!! It is so frustating that while we’re working our butts off to care for too many lost and abandoned cats and dogs, there are people out there disposing of more and more of them. We have become such a disposable and irresponsible society!!! I don’t know what the solution is, or even if there is one…meanwhile we just keep plugging along, doing the best we can with what we have. Fight the good fight…and God Bless!!!
Dorothy
11 Jul 2011Hi Janice, yes, it can easily become a full-time job looking after “other people’s problems”, as you well know. 🙂 It’s been a week and we still have Wally. A lady did come to see if he was her missing cat, but he wasn’t. Hers is also grey tiger with white feet and white chest – missing from the north end of Dalewood Road. Wally is doing pretty well, all considered. He’s big enough to hold his own and not just be totally frightened, but respectful. So it could be worse, and has with other strays! Still, he’d much rather be in his own home. I’d like to know what happened – somebody moving is my guess, or a new girl/boyfriend who doesn’t like cats. Otherwise, why would a neutered, healthy cared-for cat not be claimed? Thanks for writing and take care.
Lena
8 Jul 2011I was recently dumped in the same boat as you. I found an extremely friendly young cat starving to death on the street. As friendly as he was, he must have been someone’s pet at some point, but they left him on the street to an almost terrible end. When I brought him home he was so thin that every bone in his body was clearly protruding, which is to say that he was terribly thin as he has long hair. We have now had him for a month and after numerous vet bills due to health issues caused by living on the street, eating whatever he could find and being near death’s door, he is doing well. He is finally gaining weight and his coat is improving daily. I wish that people would remember that there are shelters and rescues; even the pound would be better that leaving an animal to starve to death. I wrote an article about it and sent it to my local newspaper. I was so glad when they printed it! I was even more glad when articles printed afterwards gave reference to mine and the situation that I was addressing. More awareness should be raised about these types of situations. Maybe if people knew that the animals weren’t always being adopted and were suffering terribly on their own, they would reconsider. All I know is that this poor little cat, Milo as we named him, has suffered enough and even though he was an unexpected addition, as least we were able to make a difference for one neglected pet.
Dorothy
8 Jul 2011Hi Lena, and bless you for taking that poor little mite in! I’m glad he’s doing well, and that he found you. I hope your article and the responses make a few people think maybe just dumping a cat or dog isn’t such a good idea. I fear not: someone who would do it in the first place, who doesn’t care any more than that about the animal probably doesn’t care about how it affects other people. But, you still have to pay the vet bills and care for an animal you didn’t plan to get, so you might as well also let it be known and hope it’s heard. Maybe it will stop one person. But how many dumped animals die and suffer because of this! I wonder if Milo was past the “cute kitten” stage and the kids were bored and the parents didn’t care. I have a cat who that happened to, I think. With a flea collar – so was someone’s – and just old enough to come into heat, and no response to my ads. That was 13 years ago and she’s a truly lovely cat. An old lady now, and still the Princess. We still have Wally and no calls about him. He seems fine, but I think he’d rather be in his own home. He’s respectful of the others, thank goodness, so the wars aren’t *too* bad. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to keep him and that’s a really bad situation to be in. I’m so glad you wrote, thanks.