Saturday, June 12, 2010

Requiem for a little cat

I've never cared much for cats but you were young and kind of cute.
I might have come to like you if things had been different.
I'm so sorry.


And with those words, I pulled the trigger and put a young kitten out of it's suffering not quite an hour ago. The kitten, a black feral one maybe a couple of months old that nominally belonged to my neighbor, had fallen victim to a marauding pair of dachshunds that are owned by another neighbor about half a mile away. I heard the barking and the screaming and stepped out my back door just in time to interrupt the wiener dogs as they were engaged in killing the kitten, and they ran off, leaving the job half done. One look at the kitten told me all I needed to know--it was too badly injured to be saved. But it was still alive and softly crying.

Damn.

So I went in the house, got my trusty Ruger 10-22 out of the rack, loaded it with one round, and went back outside to do what I had to do.

In my life I've shot wild game, and I've shot people. None of that's ever bothered me, but I feel kinda bad after shooting this little cat, even though it had to be done.

Rest in Peace, little fella. Your life should have been longer than it was.

8 comments:

  1. Many years ago, I remember a dog that showed up at our house. It had drug itself there on it's last leg.. It had more issues than Carter has pills, including distemper..
    And daddy had to put it down..
    I still remember the look on his face.. One does what one has to do.. But that doesn't mean that you like it..
    Hope your day gets better.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're a good man, Lagniappe's Dad. Sometimes mercy is in the ending of a life. H/T.

    -Scott

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aww, poor little guy. People really should take better care of their animals. I just adopted a cat who's owners abandoned their house (and mortgage) and left him behind.

    Apparently it's the new American way.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't own a black Shepard nor do I own a Garand. I do however own three wiener dogs and two 10-22s. Of the two groups, the wiener dogs are responsible for far more mayhem and death. As much as I love those dogs, they are stone killers.

    I am not much a cat fan myself, but I too would hate to see one suffer.

    Whattaya gonna do?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3:18 PM

    Sorry you had to deal with other people's neglect. You did the right thing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous12:07 AM

    I am sorry you had to do this.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous7:54 AM

    Man that is sad.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You did the only thing an honorable man could.

    ReplyDelete