Fransheka I am surprised at your reaction. I agree with Grammy. I know what Doberluv is talking about. IT is a horribly hard thing to do. IT bothers us to take a life. But you do what you have to do plain and simple. THis isnt' about the dog or the person...this is about the kitten. It would be better to let the dogs finish it then to make it die slow. I agree with REnee. THese are all kind caring people trying gently to say what a person needs to do. I hope you can stop seeing this as rude but rather as a learning situation. Something almost everyone has to face at some point in their life. Be it a bird, rabbi,t or squirrel on the road or even a possum. I had to kill the biggest possum i ever saw in my life. He had been hit in the face. It was just gone, he couldn't see a thing and his jaw was hanging down to the road, he was rocking from foot to foot. I couldn't go around him and leave him like that. IT was horrible. I did cry all the way home and i can still see him in my mind. But i dont' see him like that until the next car hit him or dying slowly in shock in the ditch. I am quite upset that a shelter would do what Tessa wrote. That is just so creepy to me ..the stuff of bad dreams. SO much worse. We can keep it from being worse and that should be our humane responsibility. I don't expect a child to do this of course not. WE try to protect them from seeing the ugly side of life but as a teen or an adult you should be able to handle it if there is no other recourse. IT's a matter of sucking it up and getting it over with. You will be much more relieved that way and the animal is allowed a "better" death.
I don't know what to do.
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Sorry you feel that way Lizmo. I didn't intend for my words to be rude...just honest. HOw many people on here have said they have done something in the past and explained that it made them sad and uncomfortable but they felt it was the right thing to do. THat it was hard. BUt it was over quickly. I am saying the same thing. I wrote a way to do this that would be very quick and much less painful. IF you took that as rude then i really don't know why. I am sure Shay will find a way to leash up until the cats are gone. That is what i would do.
I Do take this subject very seriously. THe title of the thread is don't know what to do. THat is what imo should have been done. I feel very strongly about not letting an animal die a hard death. I hope next time and there is always a next time that the op will trust herself and find a way. Shock is a blessing for the mortally wounded. But you still feel in early shock and that should be avoided.
I Do take this subject very seriously. THe title of the thread is don't know what to do. THat is what imo should have been done. I feel very strongly about not letting an animal die a hard death. I hope next time and there is always a next time that the op will trust herself and find a way. Shock is a blessing for the mortally wounded. But you still feel in early shock and that should be avoided.
I agree, I wouldnt.. no, I COULDNT have let it suffer.. that part of being an animal lover. You do what you have to for the good of all animals..
My mouse was dying.. An animal that i seant 3 years with and loved just as much as any of my other pets. I could tell he was suffering... I couldnt get him to a vet.
So I did it myself. I Wrapped him up, and did what i had to. I couldnt see it..
Did i reeaaally WANT to do it? NO.. But i did HAVE to do it.. Its a hard thing to do. I have done it to MANY rabbits that I find Strangling themselves in snares taht people set out to catch them..They suffer for a while before they pass..
Quite frankly I would have lost more sleep if i had let him suffer..
My mouse was dying.. An animal that i seant 3 years with and loved just as much as any of my other pets. I could tell he was suffering... I couldnt get him to a vet.
So I did it myself. I Wrapped him up, and did what i had to. I couldnt see it..
Did i reeaaally WANT to do it? NO.. But i did HAVE to do it.. Its a hard thing to do. I have done it to MANY rabbits that I find Strangling themselves in snares taht people set out to catch them..They suffer for a while before they pass..
Quite frankly I would have lost more sleep if i had let him suffer..
I don't think anyone that has been involved with animals ends up with no regrets. BUt i hope something can be gleened from this thread for the future. I hope TEssa can find a way to discuss this with her shelter and find a more humane way then saving cost on drugs. I am upset to know that shelter does this. My mom has just never had the incidents i have. WE have talked about it and she said she sees them after the fact, just not during. I have taken 3 dogs to the er clinic under the good samartin policy. THere is always something you can do. THey will let you drop it off, which is fine with me. We can help. AND if it is a mortal injury i promise you its not as hard as you think. GEt past the fear and you can do this. Even at 16.
Neither choice is perfect. But asking someone kill a young kitten with their bare hands is like asking them to kill a puppy. I can't imagine having to do that. I don't think I could bring myself to do that. Just because you can and others can, doesn't mean everyone else can bring themselves to kill a kitten or puppy. Thank goodness I've not had to be in that type of situation.
But telling the OP to grow up and start acting like an adult is hurtful.
IF the puppy is mortally wounded and you cannot get help. God i hope the person has the courage to do it. THe bare hands has nothing to do with it. Grammy said she ran over a rabbit. Doberluv killed with a shovel. Use a rock, a board, your foot at the very worst give it back to the dogs when you realize it is a done deal and there is no hope. I wouldn't do that, but it would still be better than prolonging the suffering. Do what you have to do but don't lie to yourself and think that there is any kind of making a creature that injured comfortable. LEts be realistic here. This isn't about the person...it is about the kitten. ANd why would a puppy be worse than a kitten? Or a turtle or a bird or a bug. THat is all perspective and it is not the injured's perspective. Pain is pain.
I also think 16 is old enough. Trust me it is just as hard at 48 as it is at 16. THat changes nothing. Guess i will have to agree to disagree there. I would certainly expect it of my own family. I Don't believe what i wrote was hurtful.
I also think 16 is old enough. Trust me it is just as hard at 48 as it is at 16. THat changes nothing. Guess i will have to agree to disagree there. I would certainly expect it of my own family. I Don't believe what i wrote was hurtful.
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Shay, I'm so sorry that you had to see that and go through that. It's hell, and it's something that NO ONE should ever have to experience.
I understand that there are two extremely different schools of thought on this. And I'm not defending or condemning or accusing anyone, but I honestly think that it's a difference in how people are raised, and in the life experiences that you've had - not how "cruel" or "kind" or "humane" or "inhumane" you are. Or how old or young you are for that matter. I know people that would end an animal's suffering in any way they could, and I know people who couldn't bring themselves to do it. It doesn't make EITHER of them any more or any less caring, or any more or any less animal-loving people.
Personally, I don't know if I could do it. I've never been in that situation, and I hope I never am. Do I agree that it's best for the animal to end the suffering as soon as possible? Yes. But will I condemn someone that couldn't take the animal's life with their own hands? Certainly not.
Again, Shay, I'm so sorry that this happened.
I understand that there are two extremely different schools of thought on this. And I'm not defending or condemning or accusing anyone, but I honestly think that it's a difference in how people are raised, and in the life experiences that you've had - not how "cruel" or "kind" or "humane" or "inhumane" you are. Or how old or young you are for that matter. I know people that would end an animal's suffering in any way they could, and I know people who couldn't bring themselves to do it. It doesn't make EITHER of them any more or any less caring, or any more or any less animal-loving people.
Personally, I don't know if I could do it. I've never been in that situation, and I hope I never am. Do I agree that it's best for the animal to end the suffering as soon as possible? Yes. But will I condemn someone that couldn't take the animal's life with their own hands? Certainly not.
Again, Shay, I'm so sorry that this happened.
My 25 yr. old son is a big animal lover....he gushes over the dogs and talks baby talk to them. He loves guns and target shooting but admits he could never hunt, even though he doesn't disagree with hunting. (like me) He just couldn't look into those doe eyes and see a deer alive one minute and crumpled on the ground the next.
He was driving home one day a few years ago and actually did something illegal. I don't know if he even knew it was illegal. But, he came across a deer on the highway that must have just recently been hit. The deer, he said, was beyond hope, it's neck broken, turned all the way around, it was writhing and obviously beyond help. My son had his rifle in the car and got out and shot the deer. He said it was the most upsetting experience he can remember and it haunted him for a long time, although he knew he had to do what he did. But that was him. Not everybody is made the same way and some of these things are harder for some than for others. I know I hesitated several times to kill that bunny. I would get ready, stop and bend down and look at him, then get ready and again hesitate. This went back and forth about 4 or 5 times, then I knew that I had to just block everything else out and do it....and fast.
The OP may not have known just what to do, how to go about it....just couldn't seem to do it. And with a kitten...an animal that is normally a pet....very difficult. I'd have a hellova time. That teensy speckle of hope that maybe, just maybe he'll make it or have a turn around for some miraculous reason might be what keeps some from being able to go through with it. I think with our culture, death is such a dreaded thing (unlike a lot of cultures) that we have a particularly hard time dealing with it.
Maybe with all this discussion, if something like that comes up again, it might be something we might all consider...what could we do if there were no way to get the animal to a vet or no neighbor around to help. Sometimes the time it takes to do those things shouldn't be wasted anyhow. You just have to move fast. What might be the best way to make it quick, what could we do in our own minds so we don't have such a hard time. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to think through that and see if we could do to make things easiest on the suffering animal and on ourselves. We don't live in the cowboy days anymore where people were more use to killing animals. If most of us came upon an almost dead deer on the highway, all we could do would be to call for the animal officials. But as I found out today, sometimes they are good for nothing.
(I'm rambling...sorry)
He was driving home one day a few years ago and actually did something illegal. I don't know if he even knew it was illegal. But, he came across a deer on the highway that must have just recently been hit. The deer, he said, was beyond hope, it's neck broken, turned all the way around, it was writhing and obviously beyond help. My son had his rifle in the car and got out and shot the deer. He said it was the most upsetting experience he can remember and it haunted him for a long time, although he knew he had to do what he did. But that was him. Not everybody is made the same way and some of these things are harder for some than for others. I know I hesitated several times to kill that bunny. I would get ready, stop and bend down and look at him, then get ready and again hesitate. This went back and forth about 4 or 5 times, then I knew that I had to just block everything else out and do it....and fast.
The OP may not have known just what to do, how to go about it....just couldn't seem to do it. And with a kitten...an animal that is normally a pet....very difficult. I'd have a hellova time. That teensy speckle of hope that maybe, just maybe he'll make it or have a turn around for some miraculous reason might be what keeps some from being able to go through with it. I think with our culture, death is such a dreaded thing (unlike a lot of cultures) that we have a particularly hard time dealing with it.
Maybe with all this discussion, if something like that comes up again, it might be something we might all consider...what could we do if there were no way to get the animal to a vet or no neighbor around to help. Sometimes the time it takes to do those things shouldn't be wasted anyhow. You just have to move fast. What might be the best way to make it quick, what could we do in our own minds so we don't have such a hard time. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to think through that and see if we could do to make things easiest on the suffering animal and on ourselves. We don't live in the cowboy days anymore where people were more use to killing animals. If most of us came upon an almost dead deer on the highway, all we could do would be to call for the animal officials. But as I found out today, sometimes they are good for nothing.
(I'm rambling...sorry)
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I saw a police officer do that for a pg doe that was struck by two teenage girls. They were crying and the doe was obviously in horrible pain. I was very grateful that the officer did this. I know they have to fill out alot of paperwork when discharging a gun. I am glad your son did the same Doberluv. WHat a horrible thing to happen.
I think it comes down to pretend to be brave until you are. Pretty much words that i have followed through most of my life.
I think it comes down to pretend to be brave until you are. Pretty much words that i have followed through most of my life.
CharlieDog, I agree with you. And I fully take that opinion. *I* let the cat suffer because *I* couldn't kill her, and just put my emotions aside. Do I feel bad about it? Yes. Can I change it now? No.
Wait. WHAT? You wanted me to give the kitten BACK to the dogs? *rubs eyes* And reward my dogs for doing something I'm NOT pleased with by giving them back their new fun toy? I don't think so, and besides how could I be certain my dogs wouldn't just throw her around, and not kill her. My dogs don't look at it as killing, really, they're not out hunting, they're just 'getting the cat'...
Smkie, I believe it was you who suggested the pencil. That wouldn't have worked with a kitten this size.
Like JustaLilBitaLuck said, I was raised with a father that any time an animal was suffering, he'd take care of the critter. Not me. My dad WORKED to PROTECT me from that type of thing because of my love of animals, and my hating to see them die.
Also, just to add, in my opinion, killing a rabbit, frog, toad, possum, raccoon, etc., are all very different then a kitten, at least in this situation. I feel with certainty I COULD kill a suffering bird, rabbit, toad, possum, etc., I just couldn't kill the kitten that I had raised. I HAVE killed suffering critters like above, and just got it done. With little hesitation, I said "This is best" and it was done, sorry, I COULDN'T do it with the kitten.
Hell, if one of my dogs got hurt RIGHT NOW, I wouldn't kill it, even if there was no chance it'd live.
This kitten had become my PET it's different then a toad or a critter on the side of the road.
There has only been one person to say they killed their pet, and I'm sorry they had to do so. And she's a stronger person then me, even though I believe she's around the same general age.
I'm not getting offended by this thread, or at least wasn't until my love of animals was brought into it. Do I beat my dogs? Feed them twice a month? Lock them outside in the harsh, cold winters of Canada? No. So please, don't you DARE say that I don't love my animals. ANYONE who has read my posts in threads other then this one KNOWS I love ALL OF MY ANIMALS. To say that to a person you know is OBVIOUSLY an animal lover, despite her disability to kill a kitten she had grown to love, is rude, and hurtful.
To add, if this kitten had been a month old, or a week old, I could have done it, yes, and I HAVE done it with kittens that Zoey and Gyp had got a hold of first, but this was a kitten that wasn't little, and still crawling - maybe I guessed her age wrong, but she wasn't far off of being a full grown cat.
I couldn't do it, all of you who have never had to kill a kitten (once again, to me, toads, frogs, critters don't count in a situation like this (and I do think their death is sad, but not the same for this topic)) say you could. You disrespect me for not doing it. I get it, you get it, jimmy bob down the road gets it. Why keep bashing? You told me, I acknowledged it.
Wait. WHAT? You wanted me to give the kitten BACK to the dogs? *rubs eyes* And reward my dogs for doing something I'm NOT pleased with by giving them back their new fun toy? I don't think so, and besides how could I be certain my dogs wouldn't just throw her around, and not kill her. My dogs don't look at it as killing, really, they're not out hunting, they're just 'getting the cat'...
Smkie, I believe it was you who suggested the pencil. That wouldn't have worked with a kitten this size.
Like JustaLilBitaLuck said, I was raised with a father that any time an animal was suffering, he'd take care of the critter. Not me. My dad WORKED to PROTECT me from that type of thing because of my love of animals, and my hating to see them die.
Also, just to add, in my opinion, killing a rabbit, frog, toad, possum, raccoon, etc., are all very different then a kitten, at least in this situation. I feel with certainty I COULD kill a suffering bird, rabbit, toad, possum, etc., I just couldn't kill the kitten that I had raised. I HAVE killed suffering critters like above, and just got it done. With little hesitation, I said "This is best" and it was done, sorry, I COULDN'T do it with the kitten.
Hell, if one of my dogs got hurt RIGHT NOW, I wouldn't kill it, even if there was no chance it'd live.
This kitten had become my PET it's different then a toad or a critter on the side of the road.
There has only been one person to say they killed their pet, and I'm sorry they had to do so. And she's a stronger person then me, even though I believe she's around the same general age.
I'm not getting offended by this thread, or at least wasn't until my love of animals was brought into it. Do I beat my dogs? Feed them twice a month? Lock them outside in the harsh, cold winters of Canada? No. So please, don't you DARE say that I don't love my animals. ANYONE who has read my posts in threads other then this one KNOWS I love ALL OF MY ANIMALS. To say that to a person you know is OBVIOUSLY an animal lover, despite her disability to kill a kitten she had grown to love, is rude, and hurtful.
To add, if this kitten had been a month old, or a week old, I could have done it, yes, and I HAVE done it with kittens that Zoey and Gyp had got a hold of first, but this was a kitten that wasn't little, and still crawling - maybe I guessed her age wrong, but she wasn't far off of being a full grown cat.
I couldn't do it, all of you who have never had to kill a kitten (once again, to me, toads, frogs, critters don't count in a situation like this (and I do think their death is sad, but not the same for this topic)) say you could. You disrespect me for not doing it. I get it, you get it, jimmy bob down the road gets it. Why keep bashing? You told me, I acknowledged it.
I am sorry.. but to me 16 is old enough to make these kinds of decisions...
If you can drive a car (HUGE responsibility) you should be able to do the right thing (or not .. but NOT hide behind your age)
Yes give it back to the dogs. WHO CARES if it was rewarding. Its not about YOU, or the DOGS, its about ending the suffering of the kitten. I have a dog who kills cats. I LOVE cats.. my first word evar was 'teetat'. But yes I would have closed my eyes and hit it with a shovel.
Not a kitten but when I was 12 my dog had wounded a frog beyond surviving but it was still alive. I closed my eyes and hit it hard with a big stick. Made me sick to do it, but it was the right thing to do. No creature should suffer if there is any alternative.
If you can drive a car (HUGE responsibility) you should be able to do the right thing (or not .. but NOT hide behind your age)
Yes give it back to the dogs. WHO CARES if it was rewarding. Its not about YOU, or the DOGS, its about ending the suffering of the kitten. I have a dog who kills cats. I LOVE cats.. my first word evar was 'teetat'. But yes I would have closed my eyes and hit it with a shovel.
Not a kitten but when I was 12 my dog had wounded a frog beyond surviving but it was still alive. I closed my eyes and hit it hard with a big stick. Made me sick to do it, but it was the right thing to do. No creature should suffer if there is any alternative.
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