22 February 2009

An animal lover's plea




I will go ahead and admit what you all have most likely already figured out: I'm an animal lover. I do consume meat, but I have a fondness for pets that has led me to adopt two wonderful dogs and a beautiful cat.



Imagine my surprise yesterday when after letting my dogs out for a little potty romp, a cat meowed furiously from yards away. At first I thought it was a wandering cat in heat (this happens quite frequently around here, and it really bothers me that people *let* their cats out to contribute to the kitty overpopulation we currently have) but it came closer and closer until we sprinted to the edge of the fence, only to find the cutest, most starved cat I've ever seen. Rubbing up against the chicken wire fence, rubbing its head on my hands and desperately trying to eat grass, I figured out it was starving pretty quickly.



My husband and I went back into the house ready to bring some food out for it, but as I entered the back door I heard it sprint around the bushes. Thinking it went on its way, I was amazed to find the poor dear meowing furiously at the front door. It's clear this is a domesticated cat rather than a feral one, and with a dose of hesitation, I brought it a bowl of food on the front stoop.



I probably should have just closed the door after that. But I couldn't.



The poor starved kitty kept meowing and it scarfed down the food so quickly that we locked up the other animals and let it inside. With the coyotes and deer ruling this valley, I can't imagine letting a cat who quite clearly cannot fend for itself out to try once again just that. So.....we let it into the basement. My two dogs and cat have been rather curious since then, and my poor sweet Johnny Cash was so worried that he slept virtually on top of me all night, only stirring when he heard poor basement cat meowing for food/attention.


I know a lot of students abandon their animals around break times rather than wait to place them in a shelter or board them, but I'm waiting damn it! The Whitman County Humane Society is at full feline capacity currently, so we have been placed on a waiting list to get basement cat into the kitty hotel (notice how I haven't named her? i'm avoiding--i might have to keep her...).


If anyone in the Pullman, Washington or Moscow, Idaho area is looking to adopt a cat, I can't imagine a more friendly or beautiful cat. I wish I could keep her (I think it's a female, but I respect its privacy...) but I already have a pretty thriving animal community in this house. Contact me in the comments area or call my office number at (509) 335-8745 if interested. Remember--just as there are many kids in this world who need good homes, animals are no different. Adopt and save a life!

4 comments:

Melissa Gasparotto said...

Oh! If I lived near you I'd adopt the poor thing! You're so sweet to take it in.

EMC said...

I found it a home! Poor thing is pretty darn fortunate, but honestly, I couldn't live with myself if it starved or was eaten by a coyote...

Jessica@Foodmayhem said...

Aww! When I was a kid, I found a cardboard box full of abandoned kittens near my house. I begged and begged to keep them and it almost worked until they infested my entire house with fleas (we needed to exterminate twice). My parents set their foot down and said no. BTW, I already had two cats at the time.

EMC said...

Luckily we isolated that kitty to the basement! When I was a kid, we found a starving kitty outside and adopted it--we too ended up with a flea infested "thank you" from our gracious rescue. I'm still so glad that happened, as our little rescue kitty lived to her teen years. She was tiny she fit in one of my third grade hands!