Sunday, April 18, 2010

Kittens Who Lost More Than Mittens

This, my friends, is a live trap.  Supposedly humane as it does not hurt the animal trapped in it.  
If you are disturbed by very sad stories you may not want to read the rest of this post, but I need to tell it.
We, unfortunately have a woman next door who does not like cats.  This woman is in her 80's but is definitely not your typical old lady.  She still works full time at Target and gardens continually.  Unfortunately she is also a very bitter and spiteful person.  Mostly I have felt sorry for her that she is that way.  She never has friends or family visit, probably because she can never find anything good to say about anyone or anything.  She also threatens to sue or call the law on anyone she feels is against her...for any reason.  
This week the resident poet took it upon himself to rearrange one of her flower beds which was partly in our lot as we want to make the parking space big enough for 3 cars in case we have a guest.  (There's no where else to park)  Keep in mind she put this flower bed in without asking if we cared that it was partly on our lot, and for 2 years we've ignored it.  There were no flowers damaged as there were none growing in the section that was made smaller and her bricks were neatly put on her side to do with as she chooses.  
She had a cow... a great big ugly cow.  She called the trailer park manager and apparently could get no satisfaction.  So she called the county sheriff, had a criminal trespass put on the resident poet- when he wasn't even in her yard -and since that was not enough, she very spitefully trapped the above cat the next day because she knows we love cats and I feed the strays if they come around.  The county animal control came out to pick up the cat, one of our many stray cats in the park, and that was fine with us.  EXCEPT that this cat had just had kittens less than a week ago, under our trailer.  The animal control people refused to look for them, said it was our problem because we were 'harboring them' under our house.  Funny, I don't remember telling this cat to go have her kittens under our house.
 I called so many agencies over the next few days trying to find someone to get the kittens out and possibly take them that I got very stressed out and frustrated, found it hard to work and even harder to go to sleep at night, at least I wasn't home to listen to them all day like the resident poet.  Neither I nor the resident poet can physically crawl under the house and even though everyone I talked to was sorry about the situation, no one ever, EVER came to help.  I won't go into the excuses I was given, just know they were pathetic.  
So for 5 days we listened to kittens crying every so often under our house.  I cried more tears than I think I ever have.  The kittens might have died anyway not having their own mother to feed them, but listening to them starve to death and not being able to do anything about it has broken my heart.  We don't hear them anymore today, so I am assuming the Almighty finally decided to do something and took them home.  But it was not the kittens' fault, so why did He have to make them suffer for 5 days?
I know there is probably no answer to that and right now nothing will make me feel any better except knowing they are no longer suffering as of today.
Right now I am heartbroken and angry.  Angry at the old woman, angry at the various agencies who claim to love and care about animals and angry at God.  Just another total disappointment I don't think I will ever truly get over.  Let's just say I don't know if or when I will feel like going to church again and I certainly will never give any of my money or support to any of those agencies who kept turning down my pleas for help.  And somehow I cannot believe I am the only one this has ever happened to.
If you have read this whole post, thank you for letting me vent and if you are praying for me, I thank you from the bottom of what's left of my heart.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG that is sooooo sad and as a cat lover myself had tears welling up. I think you should write a few letters stating exactly what you wrote on here and send one to your neighbor too! and to the mayor. Maybe then she might feel a little upset even she hates cats she would feel bad for the babies...wouldn't she?? Hugzzz

Jules said...

Some people just have NO CONSCIENCE! I feel so bad for you having to witness that and for the kittens having lost their lives (if that's what happened) in such a shameless way. That old woman will get her just rewards one day for sure. If she were my neighbor, she would NEVER have gotten away with that kind of attitude. She is disgusting in every sense of the word!

I agree with Tammy. You should write exactly what you have stated here to the Mayor, to ALL of the so-called humane animal agencies, to your Congressman/Senator (or the like), and to the old lady. I would even go so far as to tell her very clearly how disgusting she is to have done this.

My heart goes out to you and I hope you can forgive God. I know it will be a hard thing to forget.

(((hugs)))

Branlaadee said...

I am so sorry you had to go through this. *hugs* Some people are so miserable they feel the need to share it with everyone else.

June said...

I'm so sorry for the torture you, your Resident Poet, and the poor cat family have endured.
A bad neighbor is a terrible strain...that's one of the reasons I'm so glad I can see none where I live! The farther away the neighbors are, the better we get along.

Anonymous said...

I am so so sorry Angela. YES - write the letters and as a matter of fact, just copy and paste what you just wrote and send it on. Let me just offer this in defense of the Lord (not that He needs any from especially people like me): He heard the cries of those little ones even more than you did. Remember, He said he is aware of even the sparrow's needs. His heart was broken,too. However, He gave man free-will and the result is sin running rampant through disobedience. He also sent His Holy Spirit into this world to be a conscience for those who choose Him as their Lord. All things must come into judgement - ALL things and people. That old woman will face those kittens and their mother one day soon. Pray for her soul, Angela. She surely faces an eternity in Hell. Pray her soul to be snatched from the jaws of the enemy and be saved.

Recycled Cottage & Garden said...

I thank all of you for your concern but I really need to explain something. I live in a trailer park where I rent the lot. If you get 3 complaints about you from other tenants they evict you. I cannot afford to have that happen. This is not the 1st time this woman has complained about us or the cats which do not belong to us. So far I seem to be in good graces with the park manager, but I can't afford to rock boats by writing letters to the woman which would only result in her filing a criminal trespass on me I am sure. The sheriff's dept officer told me that if the RE were to go on her property or speak to her he could and probably would be arrested. We can't afford that nor do we want that. As to the mayor, well we are in the county and have no mayor. However I may write to the agencies I called and especially the one the picked up the mother cat, not that they will care, but at least it will be on record.

Anonymous said...

This is so sad. I am so so sorry about this for you. The manager of the park surely must understand the predicament? Oh, I do not pray for cantankerous elderly to hurry up and expire...but what if SHE were to have complaints lodged on her from several neighbors? I know you have probably thought this thru again and again..I just wish I could make this all better for you and the resident poet.

Anonymous said...

I do have one question...if resident poet couldn't climb under to get the kittens then how could anyone else? Or is RP disabled and I'm just unaware of it?

Recycled Cottage & Garden said...

Both of us have arthritis and there is only about an 18" clearance under the main beams, have to scoot under on your stomach or back.

brightandnew said...

What a horrid thing to happen, how awful it must have been to have heard those poor kittens and be unable to help them.

How awful that no one would come out and help them. You have every right to be heartbroken and angry at these agencies. Very sad.

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