Sir: I had to put my cat down recently when he suddenly became sick. It pains me all the more because I wonder if I should have realized sooner that something was the matter with him.
A little less than two years ago I decided to take in a starving, old abandoned cat. He came to me without a name, thrown out as if he had never had a name or a family, though clearly he had been a house cat.
I named him Nobody. Like the movie, he was the tall, dark stranger I didn’t know I wanted in my life until he wormed his way into my heart.
The vet informed me at the time, that Nobody was indeed an old cat, with many health problems. He both praised and warned me with the words, “It’s nice of you to give him a good home for his last couple of years.”
Knowing I would only have Nobody for a short time did not stop me from falling in love with him. Having to give the order to euthanize him was heart wrenching.
I would like to send a message out to people who think pets are disposable. They are not; they are living things with feelings. They don’t understand why they have been abandoned by their family.
To those who think a farm can always use another cat or dog, we can’t. We also can’t afford to feed your cast-off animals or take them the Humane Society like you should have if you couldn’t find a home for them.
I don’t mean to sound like Bob Barker but, spay or neuter your pets if you don’t want puppies or kittens. You can’t be any harder up for money than I am, and I managed. Ask about the clinics at the Humane Society where you can have everything they need done cheap.
If I seem to be ranting, it is because of a broken heart, caused by taking in someone else’s responsibility.
Owning a pet is a responsibility, not a lark. So I ask everyone reading this to think before deciding to get a puppy or kitten. Animals don’t stay babies; they grow up and they grow old. When you adopt a pet, you must understand they need a home and care for 18 or more years.
When I took Nobody in, he was already a geriatric; someone should have been looking after him, and instead he was abandoned to fend for himself.
To people who feel that is acceptable, I ask what do you plan to do with your grandparents and parents someday when they need more care? Be careful, your kids are watching.
Vicki Hornick
Chatham-Kent
It is heartbreaking when somebody just tosses their pet out because they are old or sick or a host of other poor excuses. I have taken in strays and given them a home. Cats that were sick, or pregnant, or whatever. And it is heartbreaking when the time comes that you have to put them down to give them some relief from their pain and sickness. I look back on the years and smile about them, (these cast offs that got thrown out into the night) because they gave me so much joy, love and companionship.
I am sorry that you lost a friend but you gave your friend a warm lap, a safe home and lots of love. I hope that you can look back on the years and what joy your pet gave to you and who asked for nothing in return. Somebody's trash turns into our treasure.