Bad news...remember that cat I tried to rescue?

[AlienGirl]

A couple weeks ago a stray cat, suffering from malnutrition and ticks, glommed onto me at college, and I brought her home. I frantically tried to get her a home, and had *just* found someone who needed a cat (the executive director of my synagogue) when Xen walked into our apartment complex's office and overheard our roommate Effie complaining about the cat (among other things).

So Xen said "Screw it" and we brought the cat to the shelter in Oly, planning to pick her up later to bring to the executive director. But the shelter wouldn't let us have her because *we* would not be the eventual owners, and the director couldn't get down there to pick her up.

Tonight I found out that the cat was euthanized. :cry: :cry:

I wish my best efforts didn't always result in abject failure.

Tucker

[qnr]

1. I empathize

But how come the shelter couldn't hold her until the director could pick her up? - It's certainly not your fault.

[Droopy]

2. Don't blame yourself for this

I'm sure you are successful at a lot of things.

[LDS Jock]

3. oohh.. I'm sorry Tucker

But don't get down on yourself. You were the best thing to happen to that cat. You gave it a chance. I know it must hurt when it didn't end happily, but try not to get too down. You have a heart of gold to take the cat in and try and help it. :hug:

[aquart]

4. Xen did it. Not you. Let's be clear on this.

And yes, it's going to haunt you. That's fine. You learn from your mistakes. This will never happen again.

I don't know who the idiot Xen is. Someone you're fond of? Needs education. Needs guilt. Give the guilt. Help Xen to grow.

In rescue, you do what you can. If you try to do more than that, you betray yourself and everyone you're trying to help. Remember this: Every one helped is one on borrowed time. Death in the streets is ugly, painful, hungry, and lonely. Some of that was avoided here. But only some.

Try to make friends with the memory. You might as well give her a name. She will be with you on every dark night.

[AlienGirl]

6. Xen is my boyfriend, everythingsxen

And he's not an idiot. He was responding to the likelihood that Effie was trying to have us evicted and trying to repair the friendly relationship we had with her. (Unfortunately, it didn't work, and culminated in Effie screaming, "You malicious bitch!" at me.)

The shelter had reassured us that they had kept animals as long as a year if they were considered adoptable.

Tucker

[virgdem]

5. I'm so sorry that this happened...

I know exactly how you feel. When I lived in Guam, I tried to save a cat that was at the local humane shelter. My friend, who was a groomer at a local pet store, would have been able to keep the cat in the groomer room until we could find a family to adopt, but my friend was off island at the time. By the time she had returned, the shelter had euthanized the cat. I never forgave them, as I had talked to one of the people in charge and was assured that the cat would not be put down. Sometimes our best efforts are just not enough, and it hurts. I think you have a good heart. Never stop trying to help any cat or dog that needs your help. One day, your efforts will be rewarded.

[Chomskyite]

7. The lesson here is . . .

. . . DON'T bring cats to the shelter if you don't want them to be killed.