Last Saturday I was doing some volunteer work at my alma mater, a Christian high school about 50 miles and another state away from my home. A cat -- tiny, pitifully thin -- wandered through the room I was in, and I immediately fell in love with her. The school project coordinator told me she'd been hanging around for several days, scrounging for food.
I swept her up in my arms, took her to the vet, had her tested to make sure she didn't have Feline Leukemia or FIV, got her shots and medicine for earmites and had her dewormed, and took her home to my two other cats. She weighed 6.8 pounds and was pregnant, even though she's not any older than 6-9 months.
When I left the vet, my cell phone rang. It was the project coordinator at the school. The woman who lives next door claims the cat is hers and wants her back. I refused, point-blank, because of the cat's condition. I called the woman (the school gave me the number) and her caller ID captured my cell phone number. I told her flatly, unless she had vet bills or other papers to prove she owned the cat, I was keeping her because she was obviously neglected. This woman had the nerve to tell me she'd "rescued" the cat herself, and that this was actually the cat's SECOND pregnancy (at not even nine months old!), though she had lost all the kittens before. Well, duh! She's so skinny it's a wonder she didn't die herself. She's going to be spayed next Friday.
The school is upset with me because they say that morally, the cat belongs to this woman, even though I'm on firm legal ground due to the fact that I never set foot on her property, the cat was running loose in violation of city ordinance and had no collar or tags to prove she had been vaccinated for rabies.
The woman called me and screamed at me for several days. I haven't heard from her since Tuesday, which could mean she's accepted reality and given up. I'm not sure.
I already know, from speaking to the city prosecutor, that criminal charges wouldn't apply in this case. He did say the woman COULD file civil charges, but he doubts that she will -- for one thing, the assertion of ownership would make her liable for the fines and penalties related to violating city ordinances. Plus, I have checked the woman out and she seems to be as white-trashy as they come -- several civil judgments against her, none of which have been satisfied, to the tune of almost $8,000 she owes, not including court costs.
Even though I know this cat is better off with me, I still harbor a small amount of guilt for essentially taking her away from this woman. Should I?
I swept her up in my arms, took her to the vet, had her tested to make sure she didn't have Feline Leukemia or FIV, got her shots and medicine for earmites and had her dewormed, and took her home to my two other cats. She weighed 6.8 pounds and was pregnant, even though she's not any older than 6-9 months.
When I left the vet, my cell phone rang. It was the project coordinator at the school. The woman who lives next door claims the cat is hers and wants her back. I refused, point-blank, because of the cat's condition. I called the woman (the school gave me the number) and her caller ID captured my cell phone number. I told her flatly, unless she had vet bills or other papers to prove she owned the cat, I was keeping her because she was obviously neglected. This woman had the nerve to tell me she'd "rescued" the cat herself, and that this was actually the cat's SECOND pregnancy (at not even nine months old!), though she had lost all the kittens before. Well, duh! She's so skinny it's a wonder she didn't die herself. She's going to be spayed next Friday.
The school is upset with me because they say that morally, the cat belongs to this woman, even though I'm on firm legal ground due to the fact that I never set foot on her property, the cat was running loose in violation of city ordinance and had no collar or tags to prove she had been vaccinated for rabies.
The woman called me and screamed at me for several days. I haven't heard from her since Tuesday, which could mean she's accepted reality and given up. I'm not sure.
I already know, from speaking to the city prosecutor, that criminal charges wouldn't apply in this case. He did say the woman COULD file civil charges, but he doubts that she will -- for one thing, the assertion of ownership would make her liable for the fines and penalties related to violating city ordinances. Plus, I have checked the woman out and she seems to be as white-trashy as they come -- several civil judgments against her, none of which have been satisfied, to the tune of almost $8,000 she owes, not including court costs.
Even though I know this cat is better off with me, I still harbor a small amount of guilt for essentially taking her away from this woman. Should I?
so hopefully my words work for you! Anyway, I feel that you need to deny those pangs of guilt (senseless guilt & self-doubt are 2 of the Devil's favorite tools) and realize that your motivation was not to covet someone's beautiful, expensive or otherwise charming pet but rather, your heart was moved to compassion for one of His creatures in dire need. If God cares for the least sparrow, certainly He cared for that cat. How happy Heaven must be that your heart was still & listened and you were moved to rescue the cat. I'm sorry that the project coordinator feels the way she does;sounds like she doesn't like confrontation and/or doesn't consider animals in the proper esteem. Just because you are younger than she, don't feel like you have to deny what God spoke in your heart. To me, her thoughts are similar to the Jews' in the parable of the Good Samaritan. I think that your challenge will be in forgiving the mean lady for calling you (you didn't give her permission to call & she called just to be confrontational); perhaps you can try understanding her situation - she obviously didn't love the cat, or she would have explained why she didn't care for it, and would be thanking you profusely and offering whatever she could to pay you back, even if it meant offering to do housework and yardwork. No, it sounds like she is poor in spirit, if not also in material things, so that an object (as this cat must have been to her for her to neglect it so) that had no value until someone else found it, is a great loss. She reminds me of the husband who hates his wife, and is abusive, until another man acts friendly to her! You did the right thing!! I am so happy for the cat - so many of us here pray for the rescue of cats in need - so consider this situation to be the answer to a prayer!! 
God Bless, Susan
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