heffel@shogun.DEC (Tracey Heffelfinger Dtn:354-7431 GSO/F5) (10/09/85)
I apologize for the length of this. I ordinarily don't quote so much, but I was accused of jumping to conclusions and I don't want to be accused of misquoting. j.r. was offended by my reponse to his posting and want to do his concerns justice. > >> j.r. Told us about a cat that had to be destroyed because it was >> using corners as a litter box. j.r. told us that the cat had been used >> to having someone with it during the day and that the only thing the vet >> could suggest was to use repellant and if that didn't work, destroy the >> cat. >> GET ANOTHER VET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >> ............... >> Sorry to flame so much about this, but I have very strong opinions >> about people who consider pets as disposible toys! "well it doesn't work >> right we'll throw it away!" >> When you take in an animal, you take responsibilty for it just as your >> would a child! >> >> Grumble! >> >> Tracey Heffelfinger > >you really are jumping to conclusions without proper foundation. First, >there was more than one visit to the vet. Second, this series of events >transpired over a period close to a year. Third, the cat had lived in an >environment with someone home most of the time for over six years, and >I'm not sure that anything could have changed her at that age. I sorry, you feel that I jumped to conclusions. Since you were telling the story, I figured you had told everything relevant. Now I know. Hate to dissappoint you my opinion hasn't changed. I don't think everything was tried that could have been. Note that you say, you're not sure she could have changed. (I assume that was in response to my suggestion to get a kitten to keep her company.) Well, You didn't try so we'll never know will we? [I here skip a touching story of j.r. saving a kitten that the vet suggested destroying because it was in *bad* shape.] I applaud you dedication! (I'm not being sarcastic. I wish more people would take care of strays and not give up on injured but treatable animals.) > To jump to the conclusion that I dispose of animals as if they >were disposable toys is a low blow that is unwarrented. Sorry. I didn't say you did. *you* jumped to that conclusion. My remark was actually aimed more at your vet, who really should have know better! > Someone asked in this group if anyone had a similar problem, and >so I responded. Next time, I'll think twice before doing so! Please don't. My repsonse was not meant to intimidate you but rather to point out that vets are not infallible. I happen to think that vet can't be very dedicated to animals to suggest, even talk you into, destroying an animal for litter box problems. A vet should be resource person for pet owners with suggestions for help in all areas. If he/she doesn't know, he/she should at least be able/willing to point to an expert in the field. (There are people who specialize in correcting the type of problem you know.) > NOW LET ME GRUMBLE FOR A MOMENT: I POINTED OUT THAT THE ONLY WAY >THAT I COULD BRING MYSELF TO TAKE HER TO BE DESTROYED WAS TO CATCH HER >IN THE ACT, AND EVEN THEN I FELT TERRIBLE ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS! > BUT AFTER ALMOST A YEAR OF ATTEMPTING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, YOU >CAN ONLY PUT UP WITH SO MUCH CAT URINE IN ONE CORNER OF YOUR DINING ROOM! >WITH THE PROSPECT OF HER USING ANOTHER CORNER ONCE SHE IS FINALLY HOUSE- >BROKEN IN THE FIRST CORNER. I know all about cat urine! My husband and I just went a very trying period when our *5* cats decided to use the front hall as a toilet. Five male cats for a period of about 8 months all told! We NEVER considered destroying any of them. Our vet worked with us to determine what caused the problem. It turned out to be a psychological problem with one of the cats. We corrected his situation and he stopped. The others however had gotten into the habit and kept on for months afterwards. We tried everything! I'm so glad we didn't get rid of any of the cats, because we inadvertantly fixed the problem this summer. We got a new kitten. (a 4 1/2 week old kitten dumped on our front porch.) His arival straightened things out. No more cat pee on the carpet. A little vinegar and water on the carpet and the place smells like new. As a matter of fact, we just got a compliment from *our landlady* about how the place does not smell like cats. >AS FAR AS YOUR ANALOGY WITH A CHILD, SOMETIMES ADOPTIONS DON'T WORK OUT >AND THE CHILD IS PUT UP FOR READOPTION. A FORMER COLLEAGUE OF MINE >ADOPTED A TEN YEAR OLD GIRL AND WITHIN THREE YEARS, THE SITUATION WAS >A DISASTER. ANYWAY, YOUR ANALOGY WITH CHILD ADOPTION AS WELL AS YOUR OWN >BED-WETTING SITUATION AS A YOUNGSTER IS LUDICROUS! NO MATTER HOW MUCH >I "LOVE" MY CAT, SHE IS STILL A CAT AND NOT A HUMAN BEING. SHE DOEN'T >JOIN ME AT THE TABLE FOR DINNER, I DON'T HAVE A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY ON >HER, ETC. Sorry. Again we seem to different ideas about comittments. I don't believe in divorce either. I know my cats are feline and not human beings. THAT DOES NOT MAKE THEM ANY LESS WORTHY IN MY EYES. One of man's greatest egotistical follies is the idea that he is more important than other creatures. I wouldn't kill an animal for having different ideas of what is proper behavior anymore than I would kill another human for having different religious beliefs. By the bye, my cats eat dry food in the ktchen, I don't have an insurance policy on them, etc. > EVEN WITHOUT THESE, I STILL THINK THAT SHE ENJOYS A HOME >THAT WOULD RANK IN THE TOP DECILE AS FAR AS CAT COMFORTS GO. >OH WHAT THE H***, WHY AM I EVEN TAKING THE TIME TO DEFEND MYSELF >AGAINST THESE ALLEGATIONS - Perhaps because they struck close to home. You are an animal liker if not lover and you already feel guilty about the incident, so naturally you would like to rid yourself of this guilt. I appreciate the time you took to respond to me. If I had jumped to conclusions, I would have liked to have known. >IT IS SO EASY FOR YOU TO JUMP TO YOUR >OWN CONCLUSIONS WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY! I now know the whole story. I pretty much knew it before. The only new information was that this lasted for a year. My opinion remains the same. It was a waste to destroy the animal. An effort should have been made to place the animal in another home. Having been through a situation as bad if not worse than yours, I don't feel like I am being judgemental. >j.r. seismo!rochester!ritcv!jrc I'm sorry you evidently took this as a personal attack. It was not intended as such. Please give me the benefit of the doubt and reread my message with the idea that it was a plea to other pets owners that might be in the same situation now to try everything and seek qualified help rather than destroy because it is more convenient. Please also bear in mind that I have worked at vet's offices and animal shelters and I have seen too many animals destroyed for the wrong reasons. It would make your heart bleed to see the reasons given for leaving cats at the shelter, even when they are informed that the shelter is full and that animal *will* be destroyed. I want people out there to know that there are alternatives! Tracey Heffelfinger Digital Equipment Corp. Greenville, S.C. UUCP:{allegra|decvax|ihnp4|ucbvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-raven1!heffelfinger ARPA:heffelfinger%raven1.dec@decwrl.arpa