Should a retarded cat be put down?

Question

I am fostering two kittens for my local animal shelter. They were both strays and undernourished. They are app. 4 months old. One of them is doing great, gaining weight and playing a lot by himself and with my two adult neutered cats.

The other kitten is definitely the runt. He is about half the size of his brother, is desperatly stupid, will not play, can't even sit straight, meows loudly day and night. On top of this he is very ugly; tiny body, big head, tiny beady eyes (one smaller than the other). Only positive aspect is that he eats fine and is gaining weight steadily.

If I bring him back to the shelter they might put him down. I feel so guilty and torn about doing this although I know in nature a cat like this would never survive. I just feel I am wasting my energy saving this kitten while I could help out with others. This one will never make a good pet or would it? Can he change or is he really showing sings of being brain damaged? Cat lovers, I need your advice!

This was my first post on Yahoo Answers and I am very impressed! Thank you all for your great answers. First I want to add that this was more of a rethorical question, as I would never decide to put down a cat. The SPCA asked me to keep these for two weeks or until they are suitable for adoption, put I fear that this runt will never be realy suitable for adoption, unless a very special cat lover turns up. I can't adopt it as I live in an appartment and can officially own 2 adult cats only (but I foster kittens, a way to cheat this rule). Reading your answers convinced me that somewhere somebody will fall in love with this little guy and adopt it. I will run some adds locally to help him find a home (the shelter always appreciate when we find new owners, and this one will definitely need extra help).

Answer 1

I can see your dilemma, but I would never put down an animal because he is not pretty, a bit of a dullard or any other reason than unbearable suffering.
I bet he enjoys life as much as any other cat in the world! The sun must feel as nice, and sleeping must be as comfy.

I would give him lots, lots of love: he can't mind that!

I see what you say about not making it in nature, but pet cats are not kept in nature. That's why a cat like the one you talk about can make it and be around. That's our privilege!

Regarding his deserving life, one could pose the same question about desperately ugly and stupid people: what good are they and would they survive in nature? Probably not. Still, would you put them "to sleep"? NO! Everyone has something to give, even this poor sweet kitten. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

As for the "make a good pet" issue, what's a good pet?
All pets are good, they just need to find their perfect human match. A very shy cat, for instance, hiding all the time and hissing in terror, would make a not-so-good pet to a family with kids, or a very demanding human, but would be perfect for an experienced cat lover looking for a challenge, an elderly lady with lots of patience, or a farm with lots of space to avoid human contact.

I bet someone could fall in love with your ugly duckling as much as with some other kitty. I would! I've always been one for the runt :). All creatures are fascinating, if you get to know them, and all have lots to teach, for who is willing to be open to learning.

Why would you want to help with other kittens, when this one obviously needs all the help he can get?
Keep up your good work, this kitten is the most deserving ever!
Adopt him yourself, or, if you don't feel well matched to him, advertise his special sweet qualities.

Check for special charities for special pets (on petfinder.com, or catchat.co.uk, or the hovel cat forum) and be patient: his perfect human mama will come along!
It would be me if I didn't have three already...

Answer 2

We had a stray have a litter of kittens and all died but one. The one that survived was exactly like what you are describing. He was the most pitiful thing I ever saw. He is 5 months old now, and though he is still a little slow mentally and still undersized for his age, he is a great cat. He improves every day. Give him time. If you are really a cat lover, don't think of it as whether or not he will be good for a human, think of it as whether or not his quality of life will be worth it. I would keep doing what you're doing and see if there is any change. I think you will be surprised at what you end up with though. He may grow up to be a great cat. Just make sure you rule out illness, and then let him grow. Only time can tell.

Answer 3

I think the kitten needs time. You don't know what it's been thru, etc. You can't be sure that there's something wrong with it. It very well could make a good pet for the right person. I personally am always for the underdog, and I'm sure there are a lot of people out there like me. If you're so concerned about it being put down at an animal shelter, bring it to the spca. They will not put it down unless it's truly neccesary.

Answer 4

I had a cat who actually was retarded, not just a runt or weird. He got sick as a kitten, lost his hearing and well, was retarded, he lived the first half of his life strictly indoors, but was able to become an inside/outside kitty just fine(never in a busy area though, he never could hear if cars were to come).He fell off of things, wobbled when he walked, was terrified of chandelier lights, he couldn't meow He lived to be about 9 or 10 years old, died of heart failure. A qualified vet can help and give tips, some of it can be reversible, so don't give up yet.

Answer 5

We rescued two kittens we found out in the street, barely alive, baking in the summer heat on the asphalt road. We washed them off, took them to a vet, brought them home and nourished them. One kitten was totally normal and the other a little strange. She still has a pitiful meow but is otherwise my daughters favorite cat because she is simple and sweet.

The moral of the story is that it was to early to tell if our Peaches had something truly wrong with her. She had everything going against her yet she wound up being the most loved.

A cat that is eating and gaining weight is a healthy cat. A cat that has real problems will stop eating to almost will itself to die, knowing they aren't going to live or live well.

How many of us determine value by appearances? Let this cat testify that you are different. :)

Answer 6

NO! Would you put down a child with learning difficulties? Would you euthanise a child because of a deformity? If you can answer yes to any of these - then you need to re-think your priorities.

Just because a cat "acts" funny or even "looks" funny is a pathetic reason to kill a cat - and that's just what it is - killing! I've loved many a cat that has an issue of one sort or another. I just spent an hour the other night taking care of ONE cat out of 12 at my local PetSmart where I volunteer. This one cat was an all-white cat, about 2 years old, and totally deaf! She was scared - she hissed - she even tried to swat with claws. Why? She could not hear anything!

But instead of turning my back on her and moving on to another cage to clean - I spent an hour of my time petting this little darling and trying desperately to get her to trust humans - especially me. It seemed to work. I was able to clean her cage, clean the litter, change the food and water and give her a new soft blanket to lie on all the while as she stayed in her cage and I swept up around her carefully and reassuringly that I was not trying to hurt her.

I wanted SO BAD to take her out of the cage but she would not leave for fear of something bad happening - so I played with her inside her little area and pet her as much as she wanted. She was a sweetie! And guess what? I just heard last night that she got adopted by someone just as willing to love on her and to treat her carefully and understand her problem.

I've helped cats with one eye - the other being shot out or removed due to illness. I've taken care of a cat that had only 3 legs. And a foster mother I know even has a cat that she loves to pieces who has a disease that affects his balance so that often times the cat falls over for no reason! These kids are SPECIAL - not "runts" or things that should be put down!

Every cat is a special cat - just as every child is a special child. If we begin to put down cats because of looks, personality or issues with behavior - then we as humans are not far behind.

KEEP the kitten - RAISE it well - and if you can't then find someone who can! There are plenty of cat lovers who would give their heart and soul to a special kid like these!

Answer 7

That's a tough one. I've heard of runts, and if it were JUST a matter of it being runt, I would say NO. But if you know that the cat is truly low-functioning, you should ask yourself what difference it will make in the happiness of that cat - and by "happiness", I mean the cat's sense of security and well-being with the right loving owner(s). Just because a cat won't play doesn't necessarily mean its life is worth any less than that of a more social cat.

Have a talk with a veterinarian about the ethics of the situation. Good luck working it out!

Answer 8

i think it sounds kinda cute i like animals that look weird or are sick because its more of a reason to keep them help them get better that kitten if u fix him/her up and make the cat healthy show it the most love that kitten will grow up to be the best pet u could ever imagine when kittens are sick like when they are kittens when they grow up they will never forget what u did for them and will be ur best friend believe me u should keep the kitten try and save it ... even if it ends up being sick and dieing at a young age u will still know that in ur heart u did the right thing by giving that kitten the bets life passable .. right??

hope this helped!

Answer 9

Has he been evaluated by a vet??? If not I would have that done and see what the outcome is. He could be a very lovable animal when treated with TLC. Most of your mentally challenged people are very lovable,and you certainly would not want to put them down. Give him all the love that you can, and you'll never be sorry. If there is something medically wrong with him and the vet thinks he should be put down, that is another chapter.

Answer 10

in my opinoin you should spare the kitten coz as you said, he's eating fine and gaining weight steadily so he's definitely not a hopeless case.and most likely his "attitude" will improve as he grows up coz cats temperament is also based on how it was raised by its owner.. ive noticed that the stray kittens i encounter are very hostile and will hiss when you attempt to go near them, but your kittens are far from that so please give that kitten a chance to have a home and feel loved. Ü