Starving Kitten: AKA...What the Hell Is Wrong With People?

[AClockworkMelon]

So, if an old dear feels the need for a protective dog to accompany her to the post office when she cashes her pension money, anybody should be able to walk within the circle of her leash's limits without fear of being bitten?

Are you fucking kidding me? Yes, they should.

Why? A dog's protective nature is one of the first things early humans would have harnessed them for. The main reason old dears don't have large, ferocious-looking dogs is because they couldn't guarantee always being able to control them, not because they don't want them. So, if an elderly person needs to rely on a smaller dog, she should have every right to train it to bite people who enter her space uninvited.

First of all, the dog's perspective is irrelevant. Second of all, does that mean I should be able to carry a firearm around with me and open fire on anyone, anyone at all who comes within five feet of me? Your position is stupid. I think you probably realize that now. Just give it up.

 

[Freudian Slit]

Why? A dog's protective nature is one of the first things early humans would have harnessed them for. The main reason old dears don't have large, ferocious-looking dogs is because they couldn't guarantee always being able to control them, not because they don't want them. So, if an elderly person needs to rely on a smaller dog, she should have every right to train it to bite people who enter her space uninvited.

Her space? So someone who accidentally bumps the "old dear" or brushes by her when it's crowded is allowed to get bitten? Within the circle of its leash can be a pretty big area.

 

[Shot From Guns]

I like cats. Dogs, on the other hand, slobber and shit and stink.

 

[Chessic Sense]

Again with the sociopath thing? They're fucking CATS! They're not part of society; they're fucking animals. I love that according to the SDMB, if you don't worship Teh Kitteh, you're now a sociopath. The bar has never been lower, lemmetellya.

If you can be devoid of positive feelings for teh cute kittehs and puppies, you're definitely on the sociopath ladder by my scale.

Coming from you, that's...meaningless. I'm having trouble expressing how little your evaluation of mental imbalances really counts for something.

 

[fuji]

You said it was OK to callously treat a cat and destroy it as you would a pot. Nobody here was proselytizing for the First Church of Latter-Day Felines. However, your post seems to indicate that you'd be fine with someone jamming a syringe into a cat's eyes through which to inject hydrochloric acid. Hence my earlier "yikes!".

Well of course I wouldn't be OK with that. There are two kinds of people that would do such a thing: sick weirdos and people with good reasons to do that. I may think poorly of the person doing it (or I may not) but it's not like I'm going to feel bad for the cat.

And we destroy cats like pots all the time. Sometimes it involves a vet and sometimes it involves a shotgun and a pasture. In this case, it's just through neglect.

The point is, the OP can do anything they want to the cat and since I don't anthropomorphize cats like some pet owners, I'm not going to pity it. In this case, the people in the OP fall into the latter category of animal torturers- people with good reasons.

Yeah, this line of argument isn't really working for me, either. I'll leave you to your bed-wetting and fire-starting.

 

[alice_in_wonderland]

I like cats. Dogs, on the other hand, slobber and shit and stink.

Obviously you've never met my cat, 'cus he does all these things too.

Sometimes he'll actually wake me up for kitty snacks by drooling on my face. It's charming.

 

[SweetLucy]

You said it was OK to callously treat a cat and destroy it as you would a pot. Nobody here was proselytizing for the First Church of Latter-Day Felines. However, your post seems to indicate that you'd be fine with someone jamming a syringe into a cat's eyes through which to inject hydrochloric acid. Hence my earlier "yikes!".

Well of course I wouldn't be OK with that. There are two kinds of people that would do such a thing: sick weirdos and people with good reasons to do that. I may think poorly of the person doing it (or I may not) but it's not like I'm going to feel bad for the cat.

And we destroy cats like pots all the time. Sometimes it involves a vet and sometimes it involves a shotgun and a pasture. In this case, it's just through neglect.

The point is, the OP can do anything they want to the cat and since I don't anthropomorphize cats like some pet owners, I'm not going to pity it. In this case, the people in the OP fall into the latter category of animal torturers- people with good reasons.

You wouldn't pity the cat? or feel bad for the cat? I'd feel bad even for a jerk like you if you were tortured or mistreated.

 

[Chessic Sense]

And while you're at it, think about disassociating yourself from someone who threatens to feed kittens to the dogs. She's a vile piece of shit.

Why? Dogs have to eat or they'll starve. Can you come up with a reason why this kitten should be kept alive? And if not, why can't she use the body for something useful?

 

[ivan astikov]

This, coming from the guy who took others to task for using deadly force in response to home intruders, is mighty fucking rich.

The difference being, a home intruder doesn't enter the home to confront the owners in 99.9% of the instances it happens* - unless you can provide independently verified figures confirming otherwise? - whereas a stranger entering the circle of a dog-walker uninvited can be seen as a direct threat.

Second of all, does that mean I should be able to carry a firearm around with me and open fire on anyone, anyone at all who comes within five feet of me?

Yes, of course, because the two situations are entirely alike and only a complete ignoramus would need to ask such a question.

* - I'm talking from real, down n gritty experience, not your fancy Dan fucking guesswork.

 

[AClockworkMelon]

Yes, of course, because the two situations are entirely alike and only a complete ignoramus would need to ask such a question.

Thanks for reminding me that I'm in the pit.

The situations aren't as different as you'd like to think. Why is it acceptable for a leashed dog in public- say, at the park, a sidewalk in a busy shopping district, etc- to bite anyone who comes within a few feet while it's unacceptable for me to shoot anyone who comes within a few feet in those same locations?

 

[Audrey Levins]

I also cannot understand why the OP hasn't fed and watered the cat herself.

If you would like to climb back down off that fucking high horse of yours and actually read what I, the OP, posted in my own thread....you would know that I did ensure the cat was fed until I picked it up and took it to a new home.

 

[Contrapuntal]

Why? Dogs have to eat or they'll starve. Can you come up with a reason why this kitten should be kept alive? And if not, why can't she use the body for something useful?

Can you come up with a reason why you should be kept alive?

 

[Audrey Levins]

And as for taking it to the Humane Society...during kitten season that's pretty much a not-so-funny joke. Every shelter I contacted was at capacity.

So I told the woman in question--my ex-coworker in the OP--that if she would feed the cat til I could find a home for it, I would do so. I didn't even know where she lived, btw. She agreed, and I followed through, and the cat is happy and indoors and well fed and I get daily pictures from her foster mom. Whom I'm pretty sure will be her permanent mom.

This idea that I ranted and raved and did nothing for this kitten pisses me off. I heard about the problem and I solved it. I still think my ex-coworker is a bitch and I still think that a quick humane death at the city pound is preferable to watching an animal--any animal, even a skunk--starve to death.

But this is a loving, social, sweet, totally adoptable little kitten, and I thought she deserved a chance. Now she has one.

 

[Anaamika]

I feed myself, how's that? I work and don't hang around other people's yards begging for scraps. I'd say that's enough reason.

Seriously, I didn't catch that it was a stray kitten. Someone else's problem - I'm more concerned about the birds, anyway. Not everyone cares about cats, especially ones that come in your yard unwanted and shit everywhere.

 

[Contrapuntal]

I feed myself, how's that? I work and don't hang around other people's yards begging for scraps. I'd say that's enough reason.

Then you don't need to be kept alive, do you? You're taking care of that yourself.

If you weren't able to fend for yourself, would throwing you to the dogs for their dinner be a reasonable action?

 

[alice_in_wonderland]

It's a cat! It's not even HER cat! How can you summon such hate for someone who refuses to feed a stray cat? It's not her responsibility to feed it any more than it is yours. If you care so much about it, go feed it yourself.

I also cannot understand why the OP hasn't fed and watered the cat herself.

And the prize for not reading the whole thread and making yourself look like a douche bag goes to....


BlinkingDuck!!

Well done.

 

[Shot From Guns]

Obviously you've never met my cat, 'cus he does all these things too.

Okay, I have been drooled on by one of my boyfriend's cats. (Sometimes she gets really into it when you pet her.) But that's not remotely comparable to constantly trying to lick any exposed bit of skin you can find, especially my face, with a big slobbery tongue.

Also, yes, cats shit, but you don't need to let them outside for them to do it, nor do you have to pick up big stinking globs of shit.

And I've never met a cat who had anything approaching the funk most dogs do on a regular basis.

 

[Shot From Guns]

a stranger entering the circle of a dog-walker uninvited can be seen as a direct threat

That's right, kids--it's now illegal to walk too close to someone.

All of New York City, you're under arrest.

Also, about to be eaten by dogs.

 

[MsWhatsit]

There's a kitten season?

 

[winterhawk11]

But this is a loving, social, sweet, totally adoptable little kitten, and I thought she deserved a chance. Now she has one.

Thanks for taking the time to help out this little baby. I'm so glad it sounds like she's got a permanent home, too. I'm an absolute sucker for kittens, so kitten stories with happy endings make my day.