**WARNING – GRAPHIC PICS AHEAD** Nothing an animal owner hasn’t seen at some point in their pets’ lives probably – but a warning none-the-less. -krisgo
If the internet isn’t your greatest source of information in rescue, you know the right people. I have a few dozen people I know in person who are experts, or at least have a lot of experience, in dealing with cats, dogs, and snakes. Most of these people are veteran owners and rescuers; some have been doing it all their lives.
If the internet is your greatest source of information in rescue, you do not know the right people, and you need to stop. Don’t make life-and-death decisions for animals depending on you using information you found online. It might be good. It might not. But if you ask around, you’ll find most people in rescue will talk rescue with you.
It’s why I’m writing this right now, in point of fact.
My photos of Aqaba gathered no small amount of attention. It’s a good story, and so far, it’s a story heading towards a happy ending. Stray cat wanders up and is rescued by people who will be good to the cat. Who doesn’t love this? The devil is in the details. Aqaba was rescued only after Wrex mauled him. It was only then Aqaba allowed himself to wander into a trap and got to a vet before infection set in.
Here’s photos of the wounds.
Wrex just missed killing Aqaba. This isn’t Wrex’s fault because he’s a dog, and he lives in a nice, secure, fenced in area, and a cat got inside the fence with him and two other dogs. Wrex is older and slower, so this isn’t the disaster it might have been.
Back in the world of social media, my friends, some of whom I know and love in person, began advocating I adopt Aqaba. My Dudes, I have been down this road before, the road that says love and training can change the inner workings of an animal’s instincts. I’ve seen it work. And I have seen it fail, and failure means an animal is dead.
If your dog mauls an animal, you have the responsibility to heal that animal if you can. If you take an animal in, you have the responsibility to find that animal a safe, secure, and loving home. That is your obligation when you take on dogs that might get to and injure other animals.
Right now, Aqaba is living in my bathroom. It is small, sparse, and no place for a cat to stay for an extended length of time. Aqaba loves it, right now, because there is food, water, and security. He’s a young cat. He needs socialization, companionship, and play. If I adopted Aqaba his life would be lived in a cell. A well stocked cell, but nevertheless a small place.
If I adopted him, I would forever be watchful for an open door, or a cat bolting, or a dog trying to push in. Or Mom, at 85, making a mistake that might lead to greater tragedy than I can bear.
No one in rescue has advocated me adopting Aqaba, and more than a few tell me that it’s a wonderful feeling idea, until something happens.
They are correct.
Fortunately, right after I finished writing this, someone contacted me about adopting Aqaba, and we’ll know soon where that leads.
But know this, and know this well, rescue comes with hard lessons. Dogs kill cats, and dogs kill other dogs. You may or you may not be able to change the animal. You get to be wrong one time, and that’s going to get an animal killed.
Take Care,
Mike
And Wrex
I’ve been there more than once. Current household lives with separation. Little dogs and the cat can cohabitate in relative piece. The smallest one is a t3rr0rist, but easy enough to stop whatever fracas she starts.
The big dog is separated from them because she is territorial about my mate and has been aggressive about it.
We spend our days switching out who gets penned for 2 hours at a time. When the big dog pens herself, the little ones get to have the house. The little dogs are 16, 12, and 8. The big dog is 7. We’ll probably bit at this for several more years.
It’s not optimum, but it’s workable.
I couldn’t give up any of them. All of them, cat included, were strays. The big dog got here after all the little dogs.
I do hope you’ve found Aqaba a home.
Bev, you wouldn’t believe the people who wondered aloud why I was bothering with a stray. They wondered what I was going to do and how. Yeah, so was I. But in the end, you do what you must, for those you have to do it for, and you move on. The woman who wanted Aqaba bailed on me, so here we go. But it is still my obligation to the cat to do this. Nothing changes that, unless I catch him smoking crack or something like that.
Keep on keeping on for your family of fur. You are a wonderful person doing incredible things.
Life + Dog = Fun + Adventure + Happily ever after.
Life + Cat = Complication + Broken stuff + Litter box + Emotional pain & suffering.
Oh, and scratches, lots of scratches.
Yeah, yeah, your dog injured the cat and it’s your responsibility.
First, it’s not your dog, it’s Mom’s dog now.
Don’t you find it odd you couldn’t trap the cat until you have an obligation for vet, support, and placement?
Dude, you’ve been played.
Cats do that with Satan’s help for an unholy success rate.
If you just gave the cat back to Wrex…
Bruce, I know full well that after trying to trap Aqaba for a week and it not working, then the day after he gets mauled he wandered into the trap, yeah. He was injured and needed help and knew I would. And he was right.
He still is.
This doesn’t end until Aqaba gets a home.
Wrex Wyatt is my dog. Budlore Amadeus and Jessica Elizabeth (Come here) are Mom’s dogs.
I stand corrected on the dog distribution. So Mom has taken over two of the dogs now.
Maybe you should keep the cat in case she seduces Wrex too. Bwahahaha
I knew deep down you were a pushover for all things furry, as well a sneaky, slippery, slimy, snakes.
Bruce, I came by this genetically. Mom is the same way, except she is terrified of snakes, frogs, lizards, and that sort of thing.
Tell everyone, keep talking about it and someone local will adopt the cat soon. Obligation sounds like it comes with reluctance, you’re just doing the right thing. Not everyone does the right thing these days, not sure how they sleep at night.
That’s a lucky cat. Whoever dumped him should be dumped permanently.
I think you are doing the right thing. I know from experience you can’t make some dogs accept cats. You can try. Some dogs are lovers of all things and some just aren’t. That’s all there is to it. I’ve had both. All good dogs, but, of course all dogs are good.
Chick, those things a person does that will cause them trouble, is what defines that person. If you surrender to the demon of “It’s inconvenient” once you’ll do it again and again.
I hope you get Aqaba adopted out soon. I would suggest contacting the local vets and maybe Facebook. You could also try Nextdoor in case your neighborhood or town has a space there; just go to the site and they will prompt for information to determine if your area has a space. As I mentioned in the comments of your last post here, that is how we got a stray cat adopted out.
Our cats are not rescues but the dogs are. One dog was a local rescue–the owner could not keep her for some reason. The other two dogs are rescues from Mexico. Where we like to go in Mexico used to have a stray dog problem but a group of people helped get those dogs fixed and adopted.
For the record, I should tell you, Mike, I am a cat person not a dog person, so its my family that takes care of the dogs. I help only if I have to. And yes, I tolerate the dogs especially as we brought those two and another one back from Mexico (a three-day trip) on two occasions. Or when we drove with the three of them back to Mexico for a visit or three.
The cats are the only pets allowed upstairs, so the cats can get away from the dogs if the dogs bug them.
Tim, I am an animal person, but Wrex is not. I would love to have a cat, but I’m not looking to dig another hole. Let me know if you would like Aqaba. We’ll get him to you.
Sorry–but with 3 dogs and 2 cats, I think we have a full house (Hey–I will be here all week).
But seriously, we can’t take him, unfortunately.
See cats are like the girls in school with their special privileges that I think the teacher made up on the fly.
Girls can do this, boys can’t.
Cats can do this, dogs can’t.
Is there no justice in the world!!!
Scoacat, I was not looking for another pet, and certainly not a cat. Yet at the same time, it is not my place to condemn any animal to suffering and death. Of those things I most despise in humans, indifference is chief among them. Aqaba will stay will us, and will be taken care of, until a home is found. Reluctant or not, I have a responsibility to this animal I will fulfill.