Saturday, May 24, 2008

A Cat Got Left Behind In The Evacuation Of The Apartment Complex Of Anarchy


Flickr.com


This is not the cat in question but rather...

...a photo called "Cat Or Alien?" I needed an illustration and this one seemed to fit the bill.

The cat in question is gray and white, and growing skinnier by the hour. I saw it hanging around 3101 6th, and I suspected it may have been from the building. Then today I saw it sitting in front of the boarding up door, pushing its face up against the unyielding wood, wanting to get in...and I knew it was from the building.

I spread the word around about the cat, which is about all I can (or will) do. Unlike city slickers, I don't consider it any kind of "kindness" to cause dogs and cats to be put down rather than let them live in the wild. Like I've said before...there are many extra birds, since they're finding such good nesting spots on abandoned houses.

So let the cat live off barn swallows, if it must. Eventually it will be run down by a car. Not a much worse fate than living in terror in a cage at a so-called "Humane Society" until they finally get around to killing it with a needle and calling that "humane."

But hopefully spreading the word will cause some kind-hearted person to assist the cat before Evil Pink Pony eats it for breakfast. Like he does.

4 comments:

Marilyn Litt said...

Johnny, you need to get a bag of Purina and two dishes and leave food and water for that cat. Do not assume it can catch prey. It may not have claws or the know how.

It definately won't have a shot at those barn swallows . . .

You are improving the quality of life in your neighborhood and that means taking responsibility when you see things that go against that. You are a witness to cruelty when you see a pet abandoned. Check out http://www.gt-as.com/

You need to post a PayPal logo on your blog site so you can get contributions toward what you are trying to do. Whether it is to pay for connect time or cat food.

Johnny Northside said...

Yes, I was planning to do something like that tonight. I agree with what you say: it may be the cat has never learned to work for a living, only beg.

But speaking of begging...I have mixed feelings about soliciting donations. When people offer, I'm happy to accept what they offer: so far a board, flower seed, a potted plant, and a swell new digital camera, and lots of helpful publicity. (Peter Teachout also said I could come by for a meal some time)

But the direct solicitation of donations through PayPal seems kind of "scammy" and I don't want to come off that way.

I'll try to do something for the cat. But I really have no way to adopt it and care for it. I was hoping publicizing the incident might bring out some cat lovers who read my blog to go there and do something.

But I guess I'm the one who needs to "do something."

Arg. A month ago I was inside a house that had been broken into, where possessions where piled higgly piggly everywhere, and there was a can of Purina RIGHT THERE on the kitchen cupboard.

I've often noted in various contexts the problem of the world isn't a lack of resources, just really bad distribution.

P.S. I don't pay for "connect time," at least not directly. I get that through the University of Minnesota.

Marilyn Litt said...

You are pretty straight forward and if you put up a PayPal Donation button and say you are doing it at the request of a few readers who wanted a way to donate, no one is going to see that as a hard sell or begging.

Lots of people use these buttons and I think you will find that you will not get a lot of donations but people will not be turned off by it either. They will either ignore it or look for it . . .

Check out
http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/paypal-donations-button

http://www.blogclout.com/blog/goodies/buy-me-a-beer-paypal-donation-plugin/

Johnny Northside said...

Thanks for that, but...

I'm an old school guy in a new school world. I only just recently gave up "old school film" and went completely digital. Sometimes I drag my feet on certain innovations until I can wrap my head around them.

I have a PayPal account...it's sitting somewhere, dormant...I think I need to look up the info for that account and feed it into the "widget" you offered.

In the meantime...no sign of the cat. There is a house some blocks away where a lot of strays seem to find aid and comfort, or so it appears. I think it may have found its way over there. In fact, it may have been a "circuit stray" that just goes a lot of places to get a handout, and the apartment complex may have been on its route.

I don't know. I'm still trying to look out for the little thing. If I see it around I'll take a picture of it and make it famous. In the meantime, I'm talking behind the scenes to a kind-hearted person who may have a few more stories in this vein. If I get those stories, I'll put them on the blog.