Today I took four of my nephews (ranging from 7-12) for a walk. I was going to cross the Anthony Wayne Trail, and walk in some of the streets west of Spencer. I decided to take the alleys, and came out on Baden, turned toward Walbridge, and crossed over in the back acreage of the Aurora Gonzalez Center. The kids wanted to go through the woods that parallel the Anthony Wayne Trail, along the abandoned railroad tracks. We had gone about 50 yards toward South Avenue when I heard a kitten. I wanted to ignore it, and urged the kids to move along. Then a kitten caught up with us. We tried to lose it, but to no avail. Then I turned back toward where we had first heard it, because I had heard another. I hoped that it would return to its family. It didn't. I tried going the other way (toward Canal Street). Again it caught up with us. I tried to "scare" it (raising my arms and growling). It didn't scare. Finally, I said we'll head toward the Trail, and if it's killed when we cross, it was meant to be.
I didn't have the heart. We took it up (by then the little fellow, it turned out to be a male, had run maybe a half mile on those little legs). We took its two siblings, and returned to my home. I fed them, and we left for "Paws and Whiskers". I got there about 1:00 PM. I asked the young woman if they had room for three kittens in this "no kill" shelter. She said they were full up. She then gave the numbers of "The Toledo Humane Society" and the "Toledo Animal Shelter". I called them on my cell phone, and the "Toledo Animal Shelter" was closed on Sunday. I called the "Toledo Humane Society", and got a canned message. I headed over to the "Toledo Humane Society". I finally got the clerk's attention, and she told me to take them around back. I took them to "intake", and the young woman there told me that they were full up, but they would take the kittens, and if no one took any by the end of the day they would be "put to sleep" (killed). My mom had asked me not to have them killed, and so I said that I would take them home. I took them back, and put them in the garage, but there are a lot of things that can hurt a young kitten there (I had some oil from an oil change that I hadn't taken to an auto shop that I removed immediately). I have a shed that I use for "stray" cats (though none are using it at this time), and gardening stuff. I put the kittens in there with some litter (which they used right after eating), some food, water, and toys.
Tomorrow I'll try the "Toledo Animal Shelter", and I'll start calling the various human societies hoping someone will have an opening in the next week to 10 days. I'll try not to "like" these kittens. I have 10 cats, and I'm at my limit. People aren't neutering their animals so there is a surfeit of cats in the area. The woman at "Paws and Whiskers" says that they won't neuter kittens until they are two pounds or more in weight. She said these appear to be 7-8 weeks old. It usually costs about $25 to kill a cat at the humane societies so I can see people would be "inhumane" and drown kittens if they are up against it.
I don't know if these kittens were born in that wood, or some "humane" person left them there rather than take them to a shelter for killing. I don't know if it's better to kill them quickly, or leave them to starve or be run over by a car. It's easy to condemn others, but when people lose their jobs and/or their homes (most landlords would rather not have to clean up after animals) one of the first groups of "possessions" to be put to the curb are the pets.
posted by oldsendbrdy on May 19, 2008 at 12:17:19 am #