My Feline Friends

This week, in Windsor, Nova Scotia, a woman in her 50’s was fined $5 after pleading guilty to drowning two newborn kittens, under the province’s Animal Cruelty Act. The woman had been feeding the kittens’ mother, who was a stray, but had been unable to get any action from the SPCA when she called them to take the cat. Last year, she drowned the kittens in a bucket of water, as she was on welfare, and unable to look after them.

“The SPCA is not an animal control group”

The prosecutor in the case had also experienced problems with strays on his property, and was disappointed with the inaction of the SPCA when he asked them to intervene. The chairman of the investigation committee for the SPCA, Sean Kelly explained that “the SPCA is not an animal control group unless we have a contract with the municipality.” Windsor, a small town about 45 minutes northwest of Halifax, apparently has few government resources to deal with strays.

Granted, the Nova Scotia SPCA does not have an agreement with the municipality of Windsor to shelter their stray animals; however, could they have done more to exercise their mandates in this situation? After all, cruelty prevention through education is one of their main mandates. Interestingly, Mr. Kelly commented:

“clearly there is a need here to educate our prosecutors on what our mandate is versus the mandate of the municipality, and to educate them on what responsibilities lie with the municipality’s Animal Control division.”

Since the crown attorney is the key player in the serving of justice, it would have been a good investment of time for Mr. Kelly to make sure that they were both on the same page before entering the courtroom. Establishing a good rapport with the prosecutors in these cases, is a must, as they are technically on the same team. This would allow an ongoing educational process, which would enable the SPCA to achieve the results they desire in animal cruelty cases.

As for the defendant in the case, it would have been preferable if the SPCA could have exercised their education mandate, by suggesting other options when she called. Likewise, for the local animal control, if they did not have the resources to deal with the problem, they could have pointed her to the local animal shelters that could help. Having received information on appropriate resources to deal with the problem, the woman would have shouldered greater accountability for her actions, if she still decided to drown the kittens.

Why would a woman of grandmotherly age kill two innocent kittens?

It boggles my mind to think of what would drive a woman of grandmotherly age to commit such a callous and cruel act. Perhaps the hardships in her life have predisposed her toward bitterness and hardheartedness. Or did she feel so desperate and helpless in her poverty, that she saw no hope, felt that nobody cared about her or these animals? Whatever her reasons, she could have made a difference, but she didn’t. Now what will she do if she sees her grandchildren throwing rocks at cats? By doing nothing she will perpetuate the very cycle of animal cruelty that the SPCA is working so hard to eradicate.

Solutions

Hopefully the silver lining in this cloud is that the SPCA can now identify areas where they need to focus. One area is greater education as to the work of the SPCA, for those in the court system. Secondly, more public education is needed, particularly in encouraging people to contact their local politicians, and demand that more be done to control the overpopulation of strays. Thirdly, the SPCA could work more closely with other local agencies, which may be able to shelter, or at least neuter some of these strays. Perhaps the levels of governments could provide some funding as part of an incentive to the economy, to address this issue. A program could be developed, that would provide employment and volunteer opportunities for local residents, and foster positive attitudes towards the feline population.

I remember the day we brought him home. Almost immediately he tried to make friends with Milo, our older cat. Milo did not reciprocate, however, and after being spurned a couple of times, Thomas retreated behind the couch. His curiosity and indomitable spirit would eventually get the better of him, and after some coaxing Thomas submitted to the shelter of my arms. It was then, while petting him that I first heard him purr. Steady and strong, like a little motor, it was the loudest purr I’d ever heard By the end of the first day he was scooting up and down the stairs, with joyful glee. Yes, Thomas was home, and he had won my heart right away.

He was a beautiful cat, a mackerel tabby, as you can see by the “m” on his forehead. His black fur glistened in the sun, and when he walked you could observe the target shaped markings on his side. When you looked at Tom from overhead, a very unique characteristic could be seen. The markings on his back, between his shoulder blades formed the shape of a cross.

Tom was a happy kitten who loved to run, climb, and play. There was a time when he would even fetch a stick like a little dog. Another unique game he would play was with beads. He would pick up a child-sized bead by cupping his paw, and then drop it so that it would bounce on the floor. He would then try to catch the bead with his paw, and repeat the process.

Tommy never jumped off of the balcony; however he loved to walk the rail. He would parade proudly back and forth across the top bar, as if making a declaration to the world that this home was his territory. (We were on the lower floor, so that in the event of a fall he would have landed safely.)

As he matured, Tommy loved to jump. Dressers, countertops, tables, bookshelves, any flat surface was game to him. I cleared a space for him on top of the 6 foot high bookshelf in the bedroom. He would jump from bed to dresser to bookshelf, where he spent many hours napping, or contentedly surveying life from his perch.

(Go here for part 2)