How could someone do this to our cat?

DH's police friend found a starving, near-dead, encrusted with cow manure cat in a snowbank 2 days ago, & asked if we could foster him. We did. It seems someone may have tried to smother the cat with manure. I rehydrated him with an eyedropper every 2 hours. He seemed to be getting better each day (I had him quarantined). This morning, he actually got out of his bed, and drank water from the bowl, and was walking around the room, and relaxing. I was on cloud nine! I had taken the day off yesterday to tend to him, and felt he would be just fine if I went back to work today.

When I came home today, I rushed upstairs to check on Gandalf. He was dead.

Our friend told us that, in the course of his work, he sees animals that the Amish farmers kill this way, when they can't be bothered to have them spayed/neutered. He can't divulge all the details, but we get the idea that this was the case with Gandalf. His poor face had dried cow manure all over it, and his mouth was caked closed with it. He also had it on his tail end.

Thank God I can't find out the name of the beasts that did this. All I will say is that I'm pretty good on the gun range. Read into that what you wish.

The Amish around here are notorious for running puppy mills, BTW, and are often cited for cruelty toward their horses, cats and dogs. I know not everyone is as crazy as we are about pets, but do those people have to abuse them?

We are so heart-broken. We really thought he would make it. I started the day with tears--of happiness. I ended the day with tears--of sorrow. DH just got done burying him. I asked to shampoo him, to get the rest of the cow manure off him. I couldn't bear the thought of him going to his grave dirty (I didn't try to get all of the dung off, only any on his face. I didn't want to get him really wet, nor move him around needlessly). I wrapped him in the brand-new red fuzzy blanket he never got to use.

I'll never understand how people capable of doing this can sleep at night. What horrible excuses for human beings.

Rest in peace, little Gandalf kitty

It's just heartbreaking! SO wonderful of you - but how terribly, horribly, incredibly sad!

AND ANGERING. It's just so wrong.

I really wish that people who do things like this would suffer similar fates in this life.

You tried so hard - and at least Gandalf knew love.

I will never ever buy anything from the Amish or patronize their businesses. May God have mercy on them, because I really can't right now. I've read many times of the puppy mills run by some Amish - because so many people do have a favorable opinion of the sect, until they check further into things - like this.

You know, it was hard to get Vick prosecuted, but finally some brave folks of conscience got it done - how could the Amish puppy mills and things like this be brought to the public's attention? Or could they be charged with animal abuse?

I'm so sorry! ~hugs~

I am so sorry! At least he know you loved and cared for him in the end.

I am a firm believer that those who abuse animals in any fashion will pay in the end.

I am so sad for you right now. And have tears reading your story. I am so filled with anger at how on earth people could treat Gods creature this way. Inwould like to bury the person who did this to Gandolf in manure and stuff it down their throat. You are a cat angel, do you know that. The courage it took to bathe the face of Gandolf is magnificent. You will be rewarded for this good deed and I pray the person who did this will get theirs in the end. Now Gandolf knows he was loved his last day and is now playing at the bridge peacefully. It is so hard for me to hear such cruelty. My prayers are to you tonight and Gandolf RIP gandolf

That is horrific and so very saddening. Take comfort in the fact that, even if just for a few days, he knew love and kindness. Poor baby.

When I was 16, I was driving down a highway and found this tiny baby kitten on the side of the road. I stopped and got the cat, took it home, and it was absolutely COVERED in fleas. I gave it a bath and got all the fleas off that I could. That night, the poor baby had a warm bed in a warm house. The next morning, my mom took him to the vet and found out he had a disease (I can't remember which) that was going to kill him. That is why he had so many fleas. We paid to have him PTS. The ONLY thing that ever gave me peace in that situation is that the sweet baby knew one night of love and warmth and that he did not have to continue to suffer wandering next to the road until he died.

HUGS to you tonight!

I don't live anywhere near the Amish, but this is a typical way that older farmers kill unwanted kittens. Years ago I had two kittens delivered to me this way- neither made it past 3 days. I was told it was the heat that killed them- the manure basically cooked their brain. I won't share with you what I wanted to do to the monster that did this to these 3 week old babies.

I'm so sorry; I'm heartbroken for you, your husband, and especially Gandolf.

Such cruelty just sickens me. RIP, Gandalf. I'm so sorry this happened to you.

OMG--I am so sorry!!! There's nothing I can say. The cruelty of these monsters is something that WE will never understand. I'm just thankful you found your baby and he was in your loving care when he passed. I know that doesn't ease the pain--I'm just so sorry. RIP

That's so awful, i'm so sorry

And as for the Amish people, so much for them being worshippers of God to do things like that to Gods creatures!

I would never go to Lancaster , County in Pa. There are tons of puppy mills there. And it just goes on and on.

I also do not patronize the Amish. I knew a farmer who rescued horses. He said they treat their animals bad and he has to bring them back from near death many times.

I wish you knew who did such a sick thing to this little one. God bless you for trying.

Oh the poor little thing, at least his days with you he new love and kindness.
I always thought the Amish were a good people not now

I can tell you that the Amish are not a good people! Puppy mills are all over the place around here. We have a lot of Amish with their horses and buggies and the way they treat those poor horses is a shame. The women are just as bad, if not worse than the men. On the hottest days last summer, we would see those poor horses flying down the side of the road, running up the hills with the buggies.

I had to do a traffic count close to an intersection. There happened to be an Amish funeral that day, so I counted a lot of buggies as part of my count. I was sitting in my car opposite a fairly steep hill. And the way they drove those horses down that hill! More than once I thought the horse was going to fall over as he made the turn because he was going too fast. And I remember one time, I just threw my hands up in the air...that poor horse! They treat them like machines; they really do.

And when I've done site inspections on their properties, I heard the cries and whines of puppies. It's sad the way animals (and sometimes women and children) are treated in the Amish community.

I'm so sorry about Gandalf.