For several weeks, a stray kitten had been spotted around a house. Initially, the kitten was seen only occasionally, but one day the homeowners decided to put out a can of food, which disappeared quickly. After doing this a few more times, the kitten began to appear more frequently, knowing there was food available. They also provided a little shelter for the kitten, which he started to use.
As winter was approaching, the homeowners were concerned because many kittens do not survive their first winter. They decided to trap the kitten and take him to a shelter to ensure he would have a safe and happy life. They managed to successfully trap the kitten but felt guilty about betraying his trust, reminding themselves it was for his long-term benefit.
Upon arriving at their local shelter, they were informed that the shelter only served a specific city. Despite living just two blocks away, they were told the shelter could not accept the kitten because he was not trapped within that city. Next, they found out which shelter their city worked with and contacted them ahead of time, receiving confirmation that everything would be fine.
When they arrived at the second shelter, they learned that the kitten could not be accepted because he was in a trap. The shelter explained they only took in stray animals that were in carriers and would only perform trap-neuter-return (TNR) on trapped animals. The homeowners had brought a carrier, thinking they might need it, so they went to their car to transfer the kitten. However, during the transfer, he escaped and ran away quickly.
The homeowners were left feeling devastated, concerned for the kitten in an unfamiliar area far from where they had trapped him. They expressed frustration at feeling let down by the system while trying to help. Although they have doubts about finding him again, they are currently watching the area where he ran in hopes of spotting him.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? How did you cope with it?
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Reddit source: Reddit, shared by u//u/Attila-Th3-Fun