A Sad Task

These are some of the feral street cats that I feed every day.

They wait for me to come but are too afraid to truly trust.

And when I am away, there is no one to care for them 

This little guy had one green eye and one blue eye.  He used to be such a lively character but one day he became very bloated and sick and then was gone.

The first thing I did upon our return from Germany was to put out food and fresh water, but sadly yesterday morning, I had the difficult task of disposing of one little white cat who had succumbed to heat and malnutrition.  She wasn't one that I normally feed yet she came to me at the end.  Such a hard life for these little kitties.

It seems that street cats are not the only ones who benefit from the food I put out.  I often find doves gathered at the trays, too.  I watch them pick up piece by piece and toss it back into their mouth.

Animals, as part of God’s creation, have rights which must be respected.  It behooves us always to be sensitive to their needs and to the reality of their pain.

(Dr. Donald Coggan, former Archbishop of Canterbury)

Sometimes I wonder if I am exacerbating the problem by feeding the cats, prolonging their street life, but I just can't stand by and do nothing.

What would you do?