WHEN THE CRAZY GETS CRAZIER!

Some may remember the neighbour I wrote about last Summer - the one who was interested in adopting, but became quickly disenchanted with the idea when he found out that the rescue my husband and I volunteer with, spays and neuters the cats and kittens in their care.

Well hold onto your hats folks, because what I thought was an isolated incident of one person's backward view on a very important topic, has suddenly become just a little more alarming. During the course of my volunteer work on the admin side of the rescue we're with, I've come across applications from people who have expressed views that are in support of NOT spaying and neutering. When pressed about this, one person was adamant that they consider spaying and neutering a form of mutilation and as such, could not volunteer with the rescue because of our opposing views on what they referred to as an "ethical issue".

I realize I'm going to sound totally naive here but...............ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!!!!!! I mean seriously, how could anyone, and I do mean anyone, feel that allowing cats to reproduce with the current crisis we have in shelters and rescues and feral cat colonies, the world over, honestly and seriously be of the mindset that more kittens born into a world where the ones already here are unwanted, abused and neglected on a horrendous scale - is a good idea. How could anyone think that allowing some poor little female who is still just a baby herself in many instances, have 3 or 4 litters by the time she's 2 or 3 years old, is a good idea?
Have these people been inside the shelter system I wonder, do they see the enormous influx of unwanted cats and kittens that are dumped every day, do they know that the large majority of those same cats (who've been allowed to breed freely), will probably not make it back out of these places alive, but instead, will die alone and afraid in a metal cage, or worse on the streets of our fair city, after having battled the outdoor elements for years on end that included disease, abuse, and neglect?

I believe wholeheartedly that God gave us the ability to pro-create and that that gift is both wonderful and precious. But He also gave us minds to think with as well and to know right from wrong, and most important of all, TO BE RESPONSIBLE! When the shelters are empty, when the colonies no longer exist, and when the rescue groups can close their doors from lack of need, maybe then and only then can other ideas be considered.

Until such time - SPAY and NEUTER YOUR PETS.