last night, me and my husband were walking our dogs, when out of nowhere, the cutest little kitten ran up to us. he had a little red collar on, so i figured he belonged to someone. i pet him, and started to walk away. i looked behind me, and he was following us, so i picked him up and realized his collar was so tight he was practically choking. he was also COVERED with fleas, so i took him home. im a vet tech, so i know a lot about treating fleas and what not. i de-flead him, treated his ears for ear mites, vaccinated and de wormed him. i fed him, and he was ravenous like a little tiger. my husband is mad, saying i probably snatched some little kids kitty, but he was obviously neglected. i feel kinda guilty now, but i think if someone wants a pet, they should be RESPONSIBLE.i want to find him a loving, indoor home. am i wrong for this? my husband tells me to find the kittens owners, but i dont want him to go back to being neglected. any advice is appreciated. thanks!
2007-09-15 03:41:56 · 21 answers · asked by heather j 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
everyone is so supportive! thank you all!. right now, the little guy has a full tummy and is curled up on my lap with the loudest purr iv'e ever heard! he's beautiful, and im gonna guess about 12 weeks old or so. i'll keep you all posted!
2007-09-15 04:22:54 · update #1
ok, well, iv'e tried to find the kittens owner with no success. i put an ad in the paper and people keep calling, but its not their pet. i am getting attached, which is strange. iv'e literally have placed homes for over a 100 animals without getting attached. i might have a new little friend for life.
2007-09-18 10:08:50 · update #2
I would keep him. I know you took some kid's kitten, but they will just go find another one.
Mother Teresa said, 'if you can't feed the world, then just feed the one person God puts in front of you" She was wise. The world if full of unwanted feral cats. You can't save them all. Just save this one that is in front of you. Over 80% of cats in shelters are destroyed. There are lots of cats. You just keep this one safe. Let the person who lost it really consider before they go get another one.
2007-09-15 04:04:12 · answer #1 · answered by mama woof 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
while you did the right thing, it is possible that this kitten accidentally snick out of the house and got lost. being it is still a kitten, maybe it was new to the home and didn't know its way back. if it has been missing for some time then yes the collar could have gotten too tight, and right now the fleas are horrible. just keep the kitten around. i would not put up found kitten signs if i were you, if the owners really wanted it back they should have them up. this will help determine if the cat is wanted or really neglected. keep the kitten for a week or two and if an owner doesn't come looking find the kitten a better home. was the kitten old enough for flea treatments? if not maybe the owners didn't know the proper steps for treating it that young.
2007-09-15 04:07:39 · answer #2 · answered by g g 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Whoever had the kitten did not deserve it. The collar was too tight, but the kitten was starving. That indicates neglect, since if the kitten had simply run away and then starved, the collar would have been loose.
Finding the kitten a loving indoor home is an act of love, not malice. No need to feel any guilt. Feel proud that you have saved a life.
If there is any downside, the original owner will probably get another kitten, and not learn anything. That is what is so sad.
2007-09-15 03:56:58 · answer #3 · answered by cat lover 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You did the right thing with the information you had, in my opinion. You saw an animal that looked in a bad way and did the responsible thing. You MIGHT have just saved a kitten from neglect, but you certainly did what was needed at the time.
However, it might not be a case of neglect. There might be someone out there who has lost his/her kitten and is desperately trying to find it. If the kitten has been lost a while, then it would have grown enough for the collar to have become tight, for it to have contracted fleas, etc.
If I were you, I'd continue to look after it (there's no way you could just leave it alone!) whilst checking to see if you can find an owner. I take it there was no ID on the collar. Do you know if the kitten has been microchipped? If you manage to find the owner, you might be pleasantly surprised to find how grateful they are for having looked after and returning their beloved kitten.
He had a collar and is not afraid of humans, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was a cherished pet.
2007-09-18 06:32:42 · answer #4 · answered by Maria D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would NOT feel guilty at all. It sounds that even if you gave the kitten back, the humane society would have ample evidence (from you as a vet tech) for taking the kitten away because of neglect and because a kitten at that age should not be outside and not treated for fleas. He deserves a great indoor home and it sounds like you will give him one so don't feel guilty, you saved him! Good luck!
2007-09-15 04:00:13 · answer #5 · answered by Amanda D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mmm...where I live it would be illegal for someone to take someone else's cat....mind you animal cruelty is no better.
However maybe the owner wants to love little kitty but is naive on how to care properly for it.The evidence of a collar and the kitty being friendly tends to indicate to me that the kitten is not totally neglected.
First, I would agree with your husband and make attempts to find the owner - your assumptions about kitty could be very wrong.But if reasonable efforts prove nothing then yes find a good home for the kitten.
Dont feel guilty about your actions because kitty may be alive now because of them :)
2007-09-15 04:25:16 · answer #6 · answered by alminemine 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, Don't feel guilty.
I would have done the same.
Obviously the kitten's either been ignored/neglected or on it's own (you didn't say how old, approx.) for awhile before the collar got tight on growing neck and the ear mites/fleas + the hunger.
If the owners have not actively been searching for kitten with ads/posters/ door to door, etc., then kitty may have been dumped to fend for self.
Keep him and good for you.
2007-09-15 03:53:47 · answer #7 · answered by deltadawn 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you know how long he was missing for, maybe it was weeks and his collar grew tighter. I would atleast try to find the owners and then find out as much as I can. Maybe all they need is a bit of education, they could be trying their best. Sadly, alot of people just see a cute kitten in the pet shop and get them without knowing what it takes.
Look out for missing cat flyers and ask vets if they know the owner, if he's wanted back then it will be obvious.
2007-09-15 03:48:51 · answer #8 · answered by Goldengirl 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You did the right thing! You are SO generous! I would have done the same thing! Good job! Listen to your husband and DON'T call the cats owner, because they might neglect it once again. Only call if the owner starts setting up "lost" posters.
Hope this helps!
Good luck!
2007-09-15 03:49:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yeah I have those days ... Some days like you I just wanna go cry in the corner all by myself. The best thing to do is to actually go cry and it will make you feel tons better ... It sound weird but some days I love to cry it just releases it all. Don't worry you will probably feel fabulous tomorrow, that always happens to me ... I feel really crappy one day and then the next day I feel like i'm on top of the World. I hope you feel better. x
2016-04-04 22:11:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋