The complete opposite of the last post

[sabotabby]

Um...help? I found something extremely awful and disturbing. I'm not sure what to do, and if what I did do was the right thing.



I was on my way home when I ran into a kid talking to his friend on a cell. In the middle of the conversation, he started freaking out; he'd just seen a dead cat. He thought its throat had been slit. As I approached, he warned me, pointing out where it was. I asked him if he'd phoned animal control or something, but he was too flaked out to answer.

Anyway, I went up to where he'd just passed by, and yes, there was the cat, lying in a pizza box. I checked, and it was dead. There was blood pooling around its head. I couldn't tell if the kid's theory that its throat had been slit was right or not (I didn't want to touch it) or whether it might have been hit by a car and dragged off to the side of the road.

It was in front of a house, so I rang all of the doorbells. A guy came to the door and I told him about the cat; it wasn't his, and he didn't think that it belonged to any of his neighbours. He also didn't know who to phone or what to do, so I said I'd phone someone.

I also took pictures of it. You know, in case someone did deliberately kill it and the trash people pick it up tomorrow morning.

When I got home, I called the Humane Society and left a message. I looked up numbers for animal control in the phone book, but they all seem to deal with wildlife.

It was a beautiful cat, and it had a collar. It looked well cared-for, other than being dead. I feel sick to my stomach. The thought that this was someone's baby is just incredibly saddening. All I could do was hug Marinetti and Luna and give them treats and feel relieved that they're indoor kitties.

Is there something else I should be doing? I guess I should have maybe looked at the collar, but I really didn't want to get that close.

Comments

[frippy.livejournal.com]

I think you're doing plenty as it is -- I've never been in a similar situation so I wouldn't know if there's any major thing you're failing to do. Contacting the Humane Society, asking neighbors, and taking photos sound like very responsible things to do in order to find out what's going on. Finding an ID tag might help or getting someone you know who might be able to do the difficult task of retrieving the poor cat's body and keeping it from getting picked up in the trash (and to possibly examine it to see if it was murdered) -- handling a dead cat is difficult but the more clues you have, the better your chances of finding out who his guardians are and finding out what happened to the cat. It's sad to think about how there are people who can do things like this but they should be found and stopped. Kids who torture animals usually go on to kill people, too.

I'm sorry you had to see that, though, but I think you acted well and did as much as you really can. Poor kitty. :(

[sabotabby]

It would have been easier in the morning to do all that. I was at a concert until late; it was 12 when I found the poor thing. I didn't even notice the collar until I looked at the photos.

[goodlookinout.livejournal.com]

that is so scary!! :(


animal control: 416-338-7297 - thats the general number, I called there after tilly was attacked a few months ago

[sabotabby]

Thanks...calling now.

[marrythebed.livejournal.com]

Oh, horrible. I used to live in the suburbs and always had outdoor cats, and it kills me to keep these babies I have now in a cramped apartment. But every time I hear something like this I'm reminded of the greater consequence of the greater evil. Blech.

The good thing, in my mind, is that so far it really does sound like a car hit it and there was nothing done intentionally to that poor cat.

I'm sorry you even have to own such an image, though, and deal with this sad situation.

[sabotabby]

The more I think about it, the more likely it is that a car hit it. It was dark, the cat was grey (but not, I'm relieved to say, the grey cat I posted earlier today, or as far as I can tell, any of the neighbourhood cats that I know), and it'd be a weird place for a ritual sacrifice.

It's still horrible, though.

[ironed_orchid]

Ugh, that's just awful.

I guess it could have been a freaked out driver who just wanted to get it off the road.

[sabotabby]

In a way, I'm hoping that it was that because the alternative is so much worse.

[ironed_orchid]

Yeah. My friends and I found a mutilated kitten at the bus stop when we 15. It was very disturbing.

[jvmatucha.livejournal.com]

You did the right thing. Around here, animal control would not only take care of it, they would put its description in a DOA book, so that any owner looking for it could find out if it was theirs. Also they could deal with the collar and the tags.

I'm always worried about my Bashir, since he likes to wander. It's always awful finding some poor cat who met such an awful end. That's happened to me before.

[sabotabby]

I hope someone will do something. Animal control are being dicks; they said last night to call back this morning, and so far I've been on hold for about 15 min.

[jaymoh.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you did what you could. I'm so sorry. I know that's really awful. Years ago, I had a similar experience, but the cat was still alive for a short time. I was extremely freaked out. Horrible, horrible experience.

You did more than most people would have.

[sabotabby]

That would be so much worse, I think.

[constintina.livejournal.com]

Oh man. That's awful. I'm so sorry you had to see and deal with that. It sounds like you did well...I don't know what more you can do.

[sabotabby]

I can't think of anything else either. I was thinking of going back and seeing if it was still there, but I don't think I could handle seeing it if it was.

(Love the icon, by the way.)

[azad-slide.livejournal.com]

how heartbreaking

[sabotabby]

It really was.

[princessrugger.livejournal.com]

lucky that kitty was found by you and not someone heartless. though it breaks my heart to keep my mittens inside, stories like this remind me why. i think you took all the right steps--much more, in fact, than most would have. as for the tag issue, it reminds me that a few weeks ago i found a kitty wandering the busy street where i work and called the number on her tag, only to discover that her "owner" lets her wander the street whenever she pleases without regard to kitty's safety. in any case, you did what you could and that's what matters. i'm sorry you're so freaked out--lord knows i would be hiding under the bed with guns and kibble right now. xoxo to you and marinetti and luna and all the other kitties wandering the earth just trying to stay alive for one more night.

[sabotabby]

Yeah, sometimes I feel bad keeping the kids inside. But they don't seem to mind, and at least Marinetti will be able to get some roof time now that the weather's nicer. And we have a big place, so they still have lots of space to run around.

The best was when I once found a cat wandering around in the cold, took it in (causing one of my crazy housemates to have a nervous breakdown because she was extremely superstitious about black cats), and then tracked down the owner. Who gave me and my other housemates $50 for rescuing it.

[jhfurnish.livejournal.com]

If someone did this to my cat and I found out who did it, I can't guarantee what I would do. When I thought I'd lost my cat to burglary a little while after my mother had died (paranoia and my cat punishing me for being away too long) I was really losing my cool. I don't think I would've been able to stop myself if I found someone doing something like this.

If humans did this I hope they die screaming, I really fucking do.

[sabotabby]

Well, humans did this. The only question was whether or not it was an accident. Even if it was, I'm still angry about it; it was a quiet, residential street, and people should drive slowly.

[nom-de-grr.livejournal.com]

Yesterday was "do shitty things to cats day" huh? I found a kitten stuffed in the dropbox at my library.

[human-loser.livejournal.com]

are you serious?

was it still alive?

[nom-de-grr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he was fine. I went to retrieve the morning's returned items, and there he was. As soon as he saw me he started mewling for help. We called Animal Control, so hopefully he'll be adopted.

[sabotabby]

Awww. I never find anything so good at work.

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

What the hell? Who would a thing like that? It's fortunate that you came along when you did though.

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that! And you all alone.

I think you did all the right things, and let's hope that someone at least finds out what happened to their pet, and that it was an accident and not some deliberate horror.

You were entirely right not to touch it, or to want to get that close. I'm hoping the Animal Control people will notify the owner.

Luna & Marinetti will absolutely remain indoor kitties, and not have to deal with anything more fearsome than Mad Mary.

[sabotabby]

It pretty much killed my mood. I was having a great night before then.

I'm glad we keep them in. I'd be a nervous wreck if they ever got out.

[bike4fish.livejournal.com]

There wasn't much more you could do. I do suspect the pizza box was used to remove the body from traffic.

*hugs*

(When I first read this, Salamander was all curled up in my lap. I am so glad she is an indoors kitty - she only goes out in the yard when I'm with her.)

[sabotabby]

This makes one really appreciate that one's own kitties are safe and sound.

*hugs back*

[groovitude.livejournal.com]

[sabotabby]

Haha. I hope she found her cat afterwards.