Yesterday was Jingle's 12th birthday which means nearly 12 years of living with us. She is set in her ways and not a very social cat at all. She likes things on her terms and only cuddles when she wants to.
So I know without a doubt that she was none too happy yesterday to have an intruder in the house.
I found this sweet baby in our stairwell yesterday. Our neighbor said it was for the people downstairs and when I asked, the grandmother said it was hers and took her inside.
But when I got home in the afternoon from picking my son up from school, I found her in the street. So once again, I knock on the door downstairs and this time talked to a young man of the house and his mother and they said it is not their cat.
So she came to stay with us for the night.
And made herself right at home.
She even took over my husband's chair.
And is the sweetest lap kitty you could ever meet.
We managed to keep her and Jingles apart. Jingles knew she was there but I didn't let them meet as I was afraid of what she would do. The hissing and growling was at a minimum as long as they didn't come in contact. My husband said he had seen her in the street over the weekend so there's no telling what she's been through. And the weather is getting so hot now. Poor thing slept a lot, I'm sure recuperating from her ordeal.
I'm heartbroken that I couldn't keep her. I had a couple of animal rescue organizations post to Instagram last night but we were unable to find her a foster home. I surrendered her to PAWS this morning and have a headache from crying.
Crazy since I only knew her for 27 hours.
I don't understand why people are so hateful. It is common in this country for people to get a cute little kitten and by the time it is 1 or 1-1/2 years old, they throw it into the street. Why do they get them in the first place? Do they not consider how scary and dangerous it is out there after having lived indoors all their lives?
Now the streets are overrun with feral cats who are currently having litters right and left. There are so many kittens who wind up being abandoned, abused and neglected when the mother disappears or because heartless individuals do horrible things like place them in a bag and throw them in or near a dumpster. I will never understand such behavior.
I feel like I helped her, and yet failed her at the same time.
What will life be like at the shelter?
And what if she never finds love and her forever home?
Heartbroken,
33 comments:
Oh Tammy, I'm so sorry. I totally understand your feelings. I would have been heartbroken too if I had to give this sweetie to a shelter. Don't you think, Jingles and her could get used to each other? It mostly takes some time for cats to accept a new feline family member. When I brought Cecily home, it took 5 weeks until Barney stopped hissing and finally started playing with her. If not with you, I hope that this sweet cat will find another good home.
Hugs,
Julia
I don't think I will ever understand willful neglect or cruelty. I'm so sorry.
Its just as bad in the UK, they get a kitten for xmas and once its grown they throw them out to avoid the cost of neutering
Dear Tammy....
You have a kind and loving heart. The kitty was so beautiful. SO beautiful. Too bad Jingles couldn 't have gotten along with her and then you could have perhaps had two kitties. Well, God bless you AND the kitty. Susan
People treat animals worse than most animals treat people! Animals have good hearts for the most part and certainly once domesticated deserve good care from owners. Often this just doesn't happen - people can be wicked and cruel and it is heartbreaking.
Hoping your 27 hours of love and caring made life happy for this kitty for a while, and perhaps someone like you will adopt it and be generous and kind too.
You are a sweet lady Tammy - your husband must be so good too to allow a stray to share his special chair!
Hugs - please don't cry - Mary x
Happy Birthday to Jingles. He looks great!
And I am feeling with you. I would have cried alot too giving this sweetie away. So good there is a shelter.
My neighbour always has cats. Every family member (they are four) has their own cat and they love them like crazy. But sometimes well one died cause of age or accident. So they got a new baby or siblings. It took some time but the new and old ones get along with each other. They always managed it. I could see it myself. I have a dog and I got a kitten one day. I was lucky they loved each other almost immediately. Animals are amazing!
Oh my, these things are so, so hard....
I feel for you. And I feel for this poor kitty.
Oh sigh.....
Tessa
First of all Happy Birthday to Jingles. Second of all, I feel terrible for you and that sweet kitty. How people can do that is beyond me. I love animals and have taken in many strays but we can't keep them all. Even my beloved Chloe is from a pet rescue. Someone dumped her on the interstate as a puppy and she was found with her pelvis and both back legs broken. She had countless surgeries pro bono by several different vets before we got her at what they think was about 2 years old. She is my baby. I don't know how anyone can do things like this to these sweet animals that depend on us for their lives. I will pray your sweet little kitty gets a good home Tammy.
Blessings,
Betst
Don't be heartbroken Tammy! I am sure there will be another good soul like yourself who'd offer home to the lovely kitty.It does look darling and all cuddles and kisses on the photos so I understand why it was hard for you to let it go. Last but not the least - Happy birthday to Jingles! My favourite internet cat!
Oh, Tammy...my heart is breaking right along with yours! You know how much of a cat lover I am. It "kills" me to read what people do to their pets. I will never understand that either. Zippo was 12 years old and the only cat in the household when I took Clementine in as a stray. And she was pregnant, so she was extra crabby/protective. I will admit - it was awful trying to get them used to each other. It took a long time, especially after Clem had her baby. There was a lot of fighting going on. At least you did the right thing in bringing this pretty baby to a shelter. She will be taken care of there. Much better than being out on the street, that's for sure.
Re. my book review...yes, I am supposed to give an honest review, even if I don't like a book. Of course it's not the way it's described on her blog - they have to present it in the best way possible! ;-)
She looks so beautiful. Poor kitty! I wish you had been able to keep her too, anyway lets hope she gets adopted by a loving family soon. Before I got married and moved here, we always had dogs and cats at home, but somehow the cats always died early or they just disappeared. Now my son keeps asking for a pet but our house is not convenient for that. Happy Birthday to Jingles!
I'm sorry Tammy. We will never know why people are the way they are. Animals just leave a hole in your heart no matter how long you have them. Hugs, Diane
:-( I wish you could have kept her.. she's really a cutie pie. Did you think her and Jingles wouldn't get along? Cats are pretty good at getting used to other pets.. we brought in a puppy and our cat ended up loving that dog. The whole way that pets are treated there seems so sad. We're sure enjoying our time here at the coast. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
So sorry for your heartbreak, Tammy. Through the years we had strays wander into our lives and were not always able to keep them. I remember how upsetting it was to try to find them permanent homes. Thanks for caring which is the only solution I know to curb the neglect and abuse of others. xx
Oh Tammy what a sad story. It amazes, and not in a good way, how folks can be so inhumane when it comes to a living creature. Maybe she will be found by someone who cares.
Oh my dear Tammy, your heart is so big, you want to help the world. I don't understand people either, she is a beauty and obviously was an inside cat, how will she survive out in the elements all on her own? I just don't understand what people are thinking, do they not feel n=animals have feelings? I am sending you a big hug, cry all you want, I would be too.
Hugs,
Meredith
Happy Birthday to Jingles! So sad about the other kitty, I hope that she finds a good home and will be loved as much as you loved her.
Cute cat!!:) I can understand your anger and sorrow. Not only animals, in some part of the world humans are fleeing away from torture but under the disguise of political reasons some countries don't provide shelter to the helpless people, nobody is bothered about the large numbers they die asking for help. I feel bad that because of certain handful of demons, entire community is left to die.
Oh my dear! Let me hug you!
I'll never understand such behavior, too, but I think in the mind of many people animals are just "things". And they throw it away like things. They are not able to see their souls. Jingles has a independent and a little bit unapproachable soul, like our black cat Nina. Thats the reason why she does'nt like other cats in her territory.
Maxwell is good-natured, easily accessible and sometimes scared a bit (by Nina ;o)) I think he would accept a new cat in our home - Nina wouldn't.
Give my birthday-hugs to Jingles (when she's in the mood, to accept that ;o))
Hugs to you, too, dearest Tammy! And thanks for sharing your wonderful post "Earth Week at the Garden" in ANL!!!
Traude
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http://rostrose.blogspot.co.at/2016/04/die-tiere-vom-cobenzl.html
Oh I am at a loss for words.
Sending (((hugs))) your way Tammy... sniff sniff
oxo
Oh Tammy, this is sad indeed. But I like to think that there are other people out there as generous and caring and you and that the little cat will find a loving home. And soon.
Amalia
xo
Happy Birthday to Jingles, and I have been going through this very thing this past week. We have a 10 year old, set-in-his-ways dog, who my daughter brought in a rescued puppy on. Tough first few days, but it seems to be working now. Puppy had been raised with two LARGE dogs and he has seemed to have to fight for ANYTHING - food and affection included - and then they wanted rid of him...we are slowly getting him over that hurdle and happy he didn't get dumped in a shelter. I would rather deal with animals than hurtful people! Hugs to you, my friend. XOXO
Dearest Tammy,
Yes, this is also tugging at my heart... I do love them so much and want to care and protect them.
So sad that you could not keep her and since she was the opposite of Jingles. They all have different characters; exactly like humans vary...
Hope your heart can cope with this.
Sending you a big all around hug and I'm only a good 4 albums away from completing my 36... Feeling so happy and proud. And in time for Pieter to relive some of our special trips and our work and life in India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa. A slide show brings back those fond memories far better than having them tucked inside an album that seldom or never comes out.
Had tried so hard to accomplish it for his 87th on Friday but I fail in doing so... Sometimes there was the struggle with mean sticker tags that it was so time consuming and difficult to get them out for scanning. Clipping them out would work but only if the other side was free... And at times I had to resort to my diary for finding the date. Since I do file them by date they will come up in the right sequence and that per year. It is also great for seeing our garden develop and what struck me most is the hard, very hard work Pieter always has done. Wherever we lived. I too have been very busy sewing, crocheting (for miles!) and also for others lots of curtains... Baking and cooking and the latter I want to do more so. Enjoying our life and staying healthy for some more time together and going out on our bikes more.
So it taught me also valuable lessons and I also learned that we lived very much for others. Helping them, giving them things or doing things for them... seldom for our selves so we have to change also a bit; not becoming selfish but for rescuing what time is left.
And one thing I know for sure that my wrinkles are from laughter! So many photos with a happy face and laughing out loud; it did pick me up seeing a happy me come in sight again. That taught me to even more firmly abandon certain people that try to drag us down. I've already deleted one blogger on my side line. She is Dutch but always has some negative comments, always aggravating and I also traced that my toxic relatives that stalk my blog come via her. NONE of that in my future. So I let her go, if she visits and comments, fine - she will give up when I never return her visits.
Hugs to you and take a deep breath and know that with all our love we can never take the burden on our shoulder for all people, nor for all critters. Yes it hurts and I only know that in the end there will be pay time for all those that did not behave during their life time. We have to let go... why punish our good souls for those that have no soul?
Love you girl, I had to read your post - even if I do not visit any bloggers right now...
Mariette
It was to be yours only for those many hours. Some connection unexplainable.
She is so beautiful. I'm sure she will find her forever home and in the meantime you gave her a good meal and some loving to send her on her way to the next step. You are so sweet!
We got our cat because he was a throw away. He showed up on our doorstep starving and sick. You'd never know it now though .......he is a crazy, happy, active boy.
We can only afford to have one cat. So, even though I see strays all the time, I can't bring them all home.
My mantra is ...................I can't save ALL the cats, but I could save this ONE.
Happy Birthday to Jingles! So nice of you to take the cute visitor in, at least for a night. I'm sure they'll find her a new home.
She's just precious! Have a wonderful weekend with Jingles!
Hugs, Jody
I have a sweet kitty that looks a lot like your visitor.....a calico! If you couldn't keep her, you did the right thing by giving her to a shelter. We adopted our kitty from a foster care home for cats and she is opening up to us and feeling at home. I have a friend who takes in feral cats. I am just thankful for people like you, my friend and foster care homes and shelters for all these sweet kitties. Happy Birthday to Jingles! I have had aloof cats too!
I so understand your feelings. We have always had pets, and treated them like family. I too, don't understand why someone who take a cat or dog, and then not care for it.
Happy Birthday to Jingles. We have had Molly for almost 12 years. She is family and treated as such. I can't imagine our life without her.
I miss not having cats, but to many grandchildren allergic to them.
Love and Hugs.
I'm sorry, I don't understand why you couldn't keep her? Miss Peeps and Grace don't always get along but Miss Peeps gets a "time out" on the porch and then we try it again but Miss Peeps is the little bully....she has no fear of anything or anybody! I got more than I bargained for but she's part of our family now so we all have to make allowances and she's still not a year old. There are days though! LOL! She's definitely not winning a popularity contest around here with the other animals. I just keep telling them "it takes a village to raise a child". Hugs....Sam
Oh! Happy Birthday Jingles!
OH, Tammy, my heart goes out to you because I can imagine what a tortured decision it would have been for you to make. I would have bawled my eyes out too. I pray she will be okay at PAWS and that she finds a forever home. It makes me so angry and upset when I hear of neglect and cruelty towards animals. :(
"Humanity is accruing an enormous debt of karma by its treatment of animals."
~ Eckhart Tolle
Almost forgot....Happy 12th Birthday to Jingles! xo
Oh my, I can see why you are heartbroken. What a hard thing to have to do, and you have such a good heart. Most of the cats we have acquired have been abandoned and I don't get it either. My oldest was part of a group that catches feral cats and spays them. Trying to help the situation. Sending hugs! Kit
Oh, so sweet! My heart and my whole soul
wants a new cat to love. Still miss my Sally
but slowly getting used to the thought of bringing
a new cat in to our home... "A home without a cat is not a home"
Happy birthday wishes to Jingles from Sweden. <3
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