DawgHugger says goodbye to an unknown cat with a dozen names

This will be an unusual article since this is a dog centric site, but I want to address an issue that should be a concern to all animal lovers. First, about the cat.

This past week a severely injured cat crept through our dog door as if asking for help. It apparently had been attacked by fellow cats as it had two large open back wounds that were festering. (We later learned that wound abscess are not uncommon when a cat is bitten by a fellow feline and, as you will see, tend to be very dangerous).  My wife and daughter treated the wounds to the best of their ability. The cat evidently was a feral cat as he had the snipped ear marking done by local shelters to indicated he had been medically treated and fixed – and re-released to the street. It didn’t help this poor guy.

Although a feral, he was so weak that he readily accepted our first aid (with vocal complaints) and some food. Not knowing much about cats (we’re dog folks, obviously), my daughter began online searches to see what could be done for the cat (this is how we learned about the dangers of an abscess wound) while my wife sought out cat related rescue groups for assistance. Although she found a great deal of sympathy from cat groups, she found absolutely no assistance. Every shelter, rescue group she contacted was over-extended and couldn’t help. Everyone was over-burdened and broke. Like us. We couldn’t afford the $275 plus fees all vets required to take the cat in for medical treatment. So last night, we watched a cat we kept calling by different names because we didn’t know him, die.

He deserved better

Adding insult to the whole situation, this morning Animal Services demanded $50 to pick up the body (because, it turns out, we had the nerve to treat him, making him ‘our pet’). So, right now, his remains sit on our front porch.

This is an emergency situation for all animals, Dogs, Cats, and Pets of any kind.

Not only has the greed of a relatively few individuals, (bankers, wall-streeters, self-serving politicians) and cold-hearted corporations brought down the financial stability of this once great nation, so that everyday people lose their jobs, their homes, their health care, but now America’s animals are needlessly suffering. Shelters are so over-crowed that they have to refuse taking in stray pets, refuse services, and even have to let injured and ill animals suffer because of a lack of space and funds.

This is a disgusting new low, America. Just as politicians work feverously, (sometimes, seemingly joyously?) to rip away medical funding for the poor and unemployed among our fellow neighbors, our once loved and cherished pets that were an important part of someone’s life, have become disposable. Worse. They are now out of sight and out of mind to those who only look at greenbacks as the ‘true’ source of a fulfilled life.

Mahatma Gandhi once remarked that to see the soul of a nation, you need only look to see how it treats its animals.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
- Mahatma Gandh

So, how does America’s greatness stand these days? Not very tall, I’m afraid. The current political, corporate scene shows no mercy for people, so how can we expect mercy for our animals? DawgHugger usually refrains from making any kind of statement on this level, but the revelation from this appalling event with this poor cat demands that I do.

I am calling out to any and all who see the value of animals in our lives (the love value, not the cash value), to step-up. Support your local and national organizations so they can help animals in need. All of them.  Step-up and resist any and all political and corporate efforts that continue to undermine the American family so that we no longer feel we have the capacity to keep our beloved pets with us, to have and keep a home in which to enjoy their love and comfort.  

Step-up. Life matters.

DawgHugger says goodbye to an unknown cat with a dozen names.

Shelters and Groups that deserve and need your caring heart and helping hand

(Please share this article with those whom you know do care)

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV)
901 Ames Avenue Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 262-2133

San Jose Animal Care & Services (SJACS)

2750 Monterey Hwy (Just South of Downtown San Jose)

San Jose, CA 95111   Call: (408) 578-7297

Silicon ValleyAnimal Control Authority (SVACA)

3370 Thomas Road
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(408) 764-0344

For list of local and national rescue groups and organizations please go to:

San Jose Animal Advocates Directory

Learn more about > feral cats.

Have a feral in your yard?  Download  the Humnae Society > Caring for Feral Cats (PDF)