I recently published a photo on facebook of a cat who arrived at our Cat Rescue Centre one Tuesday evening. The cat(Dottie featured here on SFN too) was heavily pregnant and abandonned by people who moved away. Dottie had delievered us with 4 gorgeous kittens by the following morning.
One of the comment on the facebook page was one we hear often, "Typical French mentality unfortunately", it is well meaning and I am not critisising this well wisher by any means, but I just want to put it into context with a report that came out this morning in the UK.
The RSPCA, a huge UK charity that has been battling animal welfare for centuries, along with the Dogs Trust, Cat Protection, Blue Cross, etc etc, reported that in the UK as a whole, cruelty and mistreatment of animals ROSE last year by 25%, a huge leap!
Where I used to live, in Cornwall, the figure rose by a staggering 60%.
Many blame the economique climate, but is this really the case?
Going back the the facebook comment, it is one we hear very often from british people here, those who probably do their best, mean well and treat their animals well, but what a sad reflection for a country that has had literally Millions of pounds(Dogs Trust alone spent 60 million in 2011) thrown into animal welfare every year, what have we really learned, us brits?
Here is a photo of 2 three weeks old kittens found in some dustbins yesterday afternoon. the third kitten didn't survive.
I'd love to know why cat's do this just at the instant the camera clicks!!
Nenette so cute though, and is turning into a right little madam!!
I love this picture of Nenette so much, I just printed it out. She is my new role model.
The LDDAT (League de Défense des Animaux de Trop) had an art exhibit / art sale today downtown in a wonderful little gallery. I stopped by twice and there were lots of people visiting and talking. I overheard some great conversations. There are lots of happy stories too, Regina.
Lucky little orphans! At least their story has a happy ending :-)))
Especially for Regina and everyone else who relentlessly help misfortunate animals - here the 2 original reasons for this posting, Nico and Kimi, renamed Pompom and Nenette by the family who will take them in a couple of weeks time.
And this is what Nenette says to those who put her in dustbin!
Brother, Pompom is almost clean - well just for 2 minutes!
We can assure you that all of these kittens will have happy endings, Regina, it's the only thing that keeps us going! We do the very best for those we can help.
Have a look at our website on "Happily rehomed" and you'll see over 300 photos of those adopted in their own homes, with thier own families to love and care for them.
http://chatsduquercy.fr/en/122/cat-rehoming-success-stories-and-gallery/
Yes, maybe starting a thread with happy endings would shift the sadness away and make room for beautiful stories like the story of my sweet Bibi who together with her little siblings got dumped in the woods of the deepest Dordogne, probably from a driving car, because she ended up with a crippled front paw. Kind people found them, nursed them with a bottle and managed to find loving homes for them. She is now living the life of a princess in the suburbs of Lyon, with a big fenced-in garden, other cats to play with and she really gets spoiled rotten. Maybe it's a bit like the story of the Starfish at the Beach:
The Starfish Story
Original Story by: Loren Eisley
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die.
"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can't make a difference!"
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said:"
I made a difference for that one."
All that you do DOES make a difference!
I too have heartbreaking images in my mind that will be there forever. When that happens (for me) I try and shift my perspective (remember all the great stories, all the happy adoptions, all the sterilizations that have taken place, all the people who love and care for their animals) and then (for me) make sure I'm getting enough sleep and fun. Being beat down physically makes me feel beat down mentally and emotionally.
Maybe we should start a thread for the beautiful stories?
Melissa, we are already doing sooo much and yet I feel as if it just a drop into the ocean and makes absolutely no difference. This makes me feel so sad and helpless.
Our cats are handicapped cats that nobody wanted to have; one kitten dumped on our property at the beginning of the school holidays in July got to stay and not taken to our local SPA as all the others before him, we donate to our SPA on a regular basis and also to the Phoenix Association. Last weekend we drove almost 600 km with a car load of books which we had collected for their annual Book Sale, I support organisations in Greece and in Spain.....and all this doesn't seem to make any difference. :-(( I read a sentence like Lynn's and I start to cry and the kittens don't get our of my mind for the rest of the day. And yet I know that I can't save the world.
As you say Melissa, sometimes people just aren't aware of the alternatives, or haven't thought of doing anything different, so forceful and understanding usually wins the day.
Our charity is run by 41 volunteers, but we now have over 2000 in receipt of the info we send out, not counting those we touch on networks and forums, so a little goes a very, very long way.
Hi Regina,
We can ALL do SOMETHING, and if EVERYone does a little bit it ALL adds up.
*Contribute to associations like Lynn's and show up at their events
*Speak up when you hear people speaking wrongly about how to treat animals, speak out always for sterilization. Don't be shy, meet your neighbors. Sometimes people are more ignorant than cruel.
*Pass out posters and forward emails for adoptions and sterilization programs (have a mailing list on your computer for your own network and keep the info moving quickly)
*Know your area's animal helping places and be ready to give the address and number to people who need it.
I can get into a super funk too, but the real right to sadness belongs to these little ones, and as a big, strong, biped with language skills my job is to be strong and confident!
GRRRRRRR not PURRRRRRR!
Everyone can help Regina, just by spreading the word, helping to find these little ones and the many others, good homes is a great start.
The last sentence brings tears to my eyes. I so much want to help, but I can't! I feel very, very sad, helpless and angry at the same time.
Here they are one week on and being cared for in a foster home. Good news is that following local newspaper articles, we already have a home for both together!
Sad news is that we have 4 more!!! Taken into the vet surgery to be put to sleep, their only crime - being born!!
Such sweet, innocent babies, and now they are safe, fed and cared for. Bless you Lynn!
Exactly right Regina, that is why we have an education programme aimed at 7 to 11 year olds but which touchs both younger and older. We have seen the positive effects of children "teaching" their parents, taking home lessons they have learned.
We also encourage schools and other groups to visit our Rescue Centre to see the problemes, and solutions, first hand.
No accounting for animal's and what they get up to but well done these two look like they are well on their way to recovery and good homes hopefully.
Kimi and Nico are doing well, and following an excellent piece in the local newspaper, Le Petit Journal, we already have adoptants lined up!!
The 2 kittens have gained over a third of their body weight already - in 4 days!!
Believe it or not,; they have been cleaned up, but prefer to actually "bathe" in their food whilst eating, so who am I to complain!!
There is no excuse for animal cruelty in any form Ghandi got it right.
I think respect for any living being starts right in the family in which you grow up. Parents who set a good example will rise human beings who respect and treat animals correctly. Like a lot of things in life, it is a matter of education. This has nothing to do with country or nationality.
I was lucky enough to have been brought up by kind parents who loved animals and was always surrounded by them. And my children are following our examples now.
Education should start already at school especially in rural areas, and the importance of sterilizing your animals could be highlighted.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." (Ghandi)