Posted by
Scottie on Sunday, June 17, 2007 2:30:38 PM
My regular readers will recall an essay I did awhile back about my cats titled “A Tale of Two Kitties”. Well, it seems that in my compassion, I’ve become a criminal. So be it, but I think I’m going to use my head here and just do what is right for all concerned instead of blindly following the law. Before you run to turn me in to America’s Most Wanted, let me explain.
Recently, our town fathers gathered to produce a law that will have the exact opposite effect than it purports to have. They seem to think that they can magically remove stray animals from existence by fiat. In Terre Haute, it is now illegal to own an unsprayed pet, illegal to give a pet away without a breeder’s license, and impossible to turn in an animal to the humane society without paying a stiff fine. This is supposed to stop the out of control population of feral animals in the city. How can that possibly work?
I took in a starving stray last winter out of compassion. I was surprised to find the little critter was preggers, but not overwhelmed by the turn of events. The kittens are fine, well socialized to humans, and all but one is currently pledged to a good home. The families adopting these kittens have pledged to have them spayed as soon as they are old enough and to have them vaccinated. As soon as the mother finishes nursing her babies, I will have her spayed, vaccinated, and licensed.
I will do this because I care about the little critter, not because of anything the law says. I just want her to be able to go outside without a repeat demonstration of fertility or maybe bringing home a disease to my other cat. Fortunately for this little mother and her kittens, I am perfectly willing to break the law and function in society’s, and her and her kitten’s best interests.
If I were to follow the law, the incentive is for me to rid myself of this creature and simply disown her outright. After all, that’s where she came from. All I would have to do is open the door and let her out and not let her back in. I don’t have to let her back in, and with winter over, her survival prospects are much better than they were. Solves all of my problems, puts me square with the law, and saves me a ton of money.
However, it doesn’t solve the inevitable problem of a litter of unsocialized feral kittens and their mother running the streets, does it? In fact, it would add considerably to the available uncontrolled breeding stock running free in the community. And what incentive would anyone else have to take her in and care for her and her kittens? And how would that person then deal with the kittens?
By passing these laws, the city fathers have ensured an increase, not a decrease, in the population of feral animals. They also prevent anyone from attempting to turn in these feral animals. These laws also criminalize responsible behavior and substitute wishful thinking in its place. If I’m caught, I think I’m going to call the cats a band of illegal immigrants. That’s exactly what they are after all. It should take the government all of the cat’s nine lives to sort that one out.