This is why I don't like people!

[snugglegirl05]

We have 3 cats.

2 are adopted. Snuggle & Spunky.

Snuggle was abandoned outside our unit when we were living in a different complex. Spunky was adopted at an animal shelter.

The other one is a fostered cat. Someone from the main office at the apartment complex we live at called us in 2008 & asked if we wanted to foster a cat. One of the residents at the apartment complex had died in his sleep...he either had a heart attack or a stroke. His neighbors had not seen him in several days, & so one of them called the main office. The main office called the resident's son, who came to his unit. He found a black cat inside. No one knew he had a cat.

We kept her, & named her Shadow.

[Mishi]

Thanks everyone, I couldn't just leave them there, I don't understand how anyone could!
My most favourite cat had either been been dumped or was a feral, I found her when I was 11 and she was only about a week old, climbing out of a pile of garbage while my family was getting rid of some broken furniture. Sweet little thing, she thought I was her mummy. She accidentally got out and went looking for me while I was away at my cousin's funeral. We looked everywhere for her, and I hope that she found someone else to love.

I wanted to take the cat and kittens home with me, but Danny has a history of thinking cats are stuffed animals. He tends to try to groom them, cuddle with them, comfort-suck on their neck and carry them in his mouth, which is okay for toys but not for cats.

@Blas, I know how many get dumped, my nanna-in-law had around 10 dogs at one point that she'd rescued or had been dumped near her farm as well as countless cats. Thankfully, she isn't a hoarder and insisted on proper vet care for all of them, while attempting to rehome as many as possible.

[LadyAndreca]

My dad wound up adopting a dog that had been abused by her first owner. (He was taking care of her for a week for someone who was fostering her so she wouldn't be put down, and we wound up keeping her.) She was terrified of everything. The door. Spiders. Us kids. The cat, once the cat made it clear that the dog was NOT to touch the cat. A newspaper, even an unrolled one, would make her mess the floor in terror. The couch. EVERYTHING. Except my dad.

He named her Phobia.

She did eventually calm down and was the sweetest dog ever. But she was always afraid of things she'd never seen before. I remember the first time she met A LAKE. She didn't want anything to do with it, so Dad picked her up and threw her in to prove it wouldn't hurt her. Being a mostly lab mix, she figured out 'swimming' really fast, and then hid from THE LAKE until she realized that the water was cooler than the air. Then we couldn't get her OUT of the lake.

My current kitties come from a local kitten rescue--they were only a week old when they and their feral mother were captured and brought in. The mother was spayed and released when the kittens were old enough, and the four kittens adopted out in pairs. (The woman who runs the rescue believes in reducing the feral population by removing the ability to breed, since most ferals won't do well as pets.) You'd never know they started out feral, because they are SUCH lap cats.

[Exaspera]

Raven and Squeeks, both black, adopted from a no-kill shelter 9 years ago, are our indoor kitties. I found Nermal in our yard, dumped, hungry and pregnant. Found homes for the kitties. She's indoor/outdoor, all "fixed" up. Fred Astair came into our yard last Summer all starving, about 8 weeks old. He has a little tuxedo fur style. The happiest most affectionate kitty I've ever had!

[the lawsmeister]

So apparently the douchebags who used to own the condo I now live in are now in Australia, good to know.

Shit Smiley, we don't want them here either.

[Whiskey]

Some of my uncles are farmers, and you wouldn't believe (ok, yes you would) the amount of people who dump unwanted cats and especially kittens out in the country nearby farms.

People who do that need to be taken way out in the sticks and left in a gunnysack in a ditch or a culvert. See how they like it.

My grandma has 1/4 of an acre. Its not even a farm. She has 10 strays she feeds and fixes (bless her).

[jedimaster91]

I cannot for the life of me, and believe me I've tried, think of anything bad enough to do to people who do things like this to defenceless creatures. If you can't take care of an animal, if circumstances have changed so you can't afford to keep them any more, then take them to the sanctuary yourself.

I am forever greatful that the people who used to own my coonhound did just that. Tag was owner surrendered to the humane society late December last year because they couldn't afford him anymore. We got him in March. He's a great dog, albiet very, VERY clingy; a trait I'm noticing in a lot of shelter animals. My neighbors just adopted a setter mix and she won't even go out to potty without someone being in the yard with her.

[CaroPhoenix]

Darwin, my boy, as abandoned in a box, in front of the shelter we got him from. The shelter said he was 2 months old, but when I took him to the vet, the vet said he was actually 1 month old! (He was awfully small, but we just thought he was a "runt").

Kyra, our girlie cat (both cats are fixed, btw), was abandoned by her owners in much the same way as the dogs in Smiley's story were. However, she was found rather quickly. She is very, very, very clingy. Is always meowing and wanting to be petted. I'm happy to oblige her.

[Sapphire Silk]

I have two cats, both rescues. Jasmine (the kitty overlord in my avatar) was dumped in the parking lot of the apartment complex I used to live in. She cried non-stop for two hours (5am-7am) until I realized no one was coming to get her (I assumed she lived local and had got out of the house at first). She was dirty, trembling, and declawed . . . I couldn't leave her outdoors. Brought her in, and she's been an indoor cat ever since. She was about 3 when I got her (per the vet), probably belonged to some old lady who died, and then the family didn't want her, so they dumped her. She's very clingy, and a one person cat (as in me).

My other cat is a stray EE picked up and talked me into taking. He's also missing the tip of his tail, though it was well healed when I got him. He'd been in a fight, and was very sick when I got him though he's fine now.

I've had many strays, never bought a cat or got one from the shelter. I've usually been successful in rehoming them, though I've had no luck with Stumps (anyone want an orange tabby? Very affectionate and lovable, but Jasmine hates him).

I don't get people who abandon dogs and cats. The coldest depths of hell are reserved for those who abandon their pets.

[morgana]

There are 'people' on this planet who need to be very glad I don't have god-like powers. Some of the first to be 'recycled' would be people who abandon helpless pets.

Every pet I've ever had as an adult has been a rescue.

I hate people. (Present company excluded, of course.)

[Geek King]

I hate people. (Present company excluded, of course.)

No apology needed. I don't remember who said it, but it has become my mantra:

"I don't much care for people, but there are certain individuals I'm fond of."

[ralerin]

Seriously, if you aren't going to actually take them to the humane society yourself, at least just let them run free where they at least have a chance that someone will find them and take them into their homes or take them into the humane society. Anything other than just locking them into a condo during August heat with no air conditioning.

No.

Either one is a horrible death. Yes, locked in a condo to die is a horrible death; but so is being hit by a car, so is being fed poisoned food, so is drinking antifreeze in puddles, so is getting into fights with other dogs, so is getting mange and parasites and fleas.

You are much better telling a neighbor to take the dog for you in the end.

[Astrokitty]

I really hope Nan's dog is found safe. Mytical, that's a lovely poem - brought a tear to my eye.

My three cats and one dog were all rescues. I work in animal rescue, mainly doing transports, i.e. foster to shelter, kill site to no-kill. People who abuse animals (or others incapable of self care, like the elderly) are just plain evil, IMHO. Every time I think I've seen it all, there's another heartless criminal without the decency take care of a toaster, much less a pet. People wonder why I prefer animals and machines to humans.

[Pagan]

All of these stories and this one (http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/aha%3A-...-cases-in-days) are reasons why I am not allowed to watch "Animal Cops". I wind up yelling at the tv and wanting to do to those people what they did to the animals.

I found Nermal in our yard,

Love that name!

[COLOR="Purple"]Darwin,

This is completely OT - Your signature is awesome.

I don't get people who abandon dogs and cats. The coldest depths of hell are reserved for those who abandon their pets.

Or any other animal that's kept as a pet.

(or others incapable of self care, like the elderly) are just plain evil, IMHO.

I don't think those people are evil, they just don't realize that they're incapable of taking care of their animals anymore. I find them very, very sad.

[lobo94]

Some people make strong cases for spaying and neutering of people.