Two things that made me sad today (cats and bus)
My day was perfectly fine (even "good") until I ran into a homeless man on a bike on the side of the road that had one sick looking cat that howled like it was in pain leashed to the bike (he wasn't riding it at the time) and two small cages with (at least) two cats in each on the back of his bike. The cages were filthy and the cats looked sick. The cat on the leash was howling like our cat did a couple of months before she died (our kitty was really sick), had an extremely thin tail and puffy cheeks, which looked so abnormal. It also had red streaks across its nose and it seemed really disoriented, first coming up to me and staring at me, then flinching away and howling. Not something I've seen any cat do. At first all this didn't hit me, but as I was walking away and the cat started howling even more, I started to feel sick to my stomach. Why are the cats in this situation? Is it the man who's abusing them? Did he rescue them? Is he bringing them to someone else? Will their lives get better anytime soon? I felt like running back and grabbing them and nursing them back to health but I have no means to do that (neither the agreement of the man with the bike, nor the money, place, or time). I felt so sick, but I just kept walking trying to figure out how not to feel so depressed about this, because there was nothing I could do.
And then on the bus an hour later, a guy wanted to get on the bus and while I didn't see his feet, apparently he was barefoot. I am a big supporter of letting people go barefoot and not discriminating against that particular choice, but I know the transit here won't allow you on barefoot. I have many times had the busdriver wait 15 seconds for me to put on my shoes. But today, while it started raining outside, the busdriver told the guy to stay off the bus, put on his shoes and wait for the next bus. He didn't even want to wait a mere 15 seconds for the guy to put on his shoes!!!! He just let him sit in the (now) pouring rain to wait 30 minutes for the next bus. At that point I was so disappointed in the human race... Enough of this today.
I was so glad to come back to campus, you rarely run into things like that here.
That sucks. I'm sorry you had such a bad day, and were subjected to seeing those kitties in such a horrible, tragic condition. When I lived in San Francisco I used to see homeless people all the time with pets. Sometimes I thought it was a good thing, because the pet was being loved, and the pet gave the homeless person companionship that maybe they didn't have otherwise. But more times than not, it was obvious just by looking at them, these animals were not receiving the proper nutrition and shelter they required, and many of them were sick or diseased. Often, I just wanted to grab the dog or cat, run away, and bring the animal home with me (or at least take it to a shelter where it might get proper treatment and a good home).
As for bus drivers, well, I had my share of that crap in San Francisco (and the environs), too. They were never on time, and treated people terribly. Lord knows how many times I arrived at a bus stop on time, just to see it drive off, leaving me sitting (or standing) there for the next one. Once, I even saw a bus driver deliberately close a door on a woman while she was trying to get on the bus, breaking her glasses, and cutting her--blood dripping down her face. All just so the bus driver could make it on time to the next stop.
Sometimes I just don't even want to go outside my front door. My house is a haven from the outside world. I hide in it with my husband and pets :). Anna, I hope you feel better soon. Make some yummy vegan food and maybe watch one of your favorite movies (that's what I do!).
ugh . . . those poor cats! i see crap like that around here all too often . . . >:(
on a practical/realistic level, if you have cats (or other animals) who live with you, unless you have a totally separate space, it is not really possible to bring them home with you
now if the guy WAS, in fact, taking the cats someplace to get cleaned up and cared for, that's great . . .
but if he was abusing/neglecting them, i would have a hard time being all that concerned about his consent (like i could not consent nor condone someone beating up their children, ya know?) . . . is there a local rescue group in your area, or even an ASPCA, that would be able to help out with situations like this?
I'm so sorry VegAnna. That's so sad. I don't understand why people are so cruel to others and the animals. Why would anyone want to see someone else or an animal suffer? I hate going to the city and seeing homeless people on the streets because I really want to help them, but I don't know how they would react to me trying to help because I've heard that some people just chose that type of lifestyle. I also don't know if they will get offended. I wish I could just cook all day and hand out food to all those people, but of course I don't have the money to do such things. Its so sad to see so many devestating things in society. I wish the world was a happy place for everybody and anybody.
Wow. That was a really hard day.
We can't see ourselves, we can only see others. I think the people who make the world a better place can't watch themselves, so instead they see all of the really horrible stuff beyond themselves. Don't lose hope, you are a part of the goodness in the world.
It could be that the homeless man was giving the animals the best he had to offer. I remember seeing a similar situation while abroad - a very sick cat with grungy fur that looked like it was both sick and starving. Then I looked at the homeless man he was with - he also looked like he was both sick and starving - and his clothes looked as bad as the cat's fur. He was rummaging through the trash to find food for the cat and himself to share. There aren't many people who care so much for a living creature as to share with it when they have nothing themselves.
what strikes me is that you actually NOTICED this man and his cats -- truly admirable . . . meanwhile, how many people -- possibly hundreds if not THOUSANDS -- probably just walk on by and ignore them???
sad but true -- most people would rather just pretend that homelessness does not exist . . . or if it does, it is not *their* problem . . .
in NYC, there are organizations like City Harvest ("rescues" food from restaurants and stores before it goes into the garbage and distributes the food to shelters, etc.), Pathways to Housing (which i *think* has sister organization(s) in DC and/or LA called People Assisting the Homeless), Housing Works, etc. . . . is there anything like this where you live?
if not . . . Food Not Bombs has "chapters" just about everywhere . . . what is great about them is that, while unfortunately "we" are not able to be out there EVERY day providing food for homeless people -- most pretty much try to aim for one "share" per month/week/whatever . . . AND all the food is (usually) reclaimed HEALTHY vegetarian fare! (from what i have heard, this is usually NOT The case with food served in shelters) here is a link with more information:
http://www.foodnotbombs.net/
i try to help out with the Jersey City chapter when i can -- the shares are only monthly right now, but the cool thing is that they usually coincide with the Jersey City Peace Movement's weekly vigils, AND there is usually donated clothing, literature (like information about local shelters, advocacy groups, etc. -- stuff that quite often, people are not even aware of . . . like how are they able to exercise their rights if they do not even know they have rights, ya know?) . . . personally, i have not been able to participate in the cooking or sharings yet, but i have donated food and clothing . . .
i guess what i am trying to say in this really roundabout fashion is that even with limited time, money, resources, whatever -- one is still able to do SOMETHING . . . the outgoing message of New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance used to say, "No-one can do EVERYTHING but everyone can do SOMETHING!" . . .
so . . . i would not feel "depressed" because you were not able to "do" anything . . . you DID, just by sharing this with us, AND by simply CARING enough to FEEL for this person and the cats who were with him . . . :)
peace and blessings,
-- kathy z.
p. s. -- i do not know what to tell you about the barefoot bus *issue* . . . i guess it is just too GROSS here to go barefoot unless one is in a park! but that DOES suck that the driver could not wait a few seconds . . . geez! and they say that New Yorkers are "rude"!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you all for your supportive words.
I live in Olympia, which is the one place I have lived where I believe people would have a hard time going hungry at all. There is even a tent city going around town that has a lot of support from residents. I also know there is poverty here, but we have a local Food Not Bombs chapter, and a gleaning group (Gleaner's Coalition), tons of community gardens with sliding scale, and free food from other groups organized for that purpose (a lot of it vegan or vegetarian and mostly organic). I think we even have a Food Not Lawns group around.
But I don't question people's situation. He must have been there with his cats for a reason. When I was trying to talk to his cat, he had walked away, so I didn't even get to talk to him. As I was walking up, he seemed kind of scary, so I didn't want to approach him (and that was based only on looks, I don't know what he is really like).
I have never seen him before and probably will never see him again, so there is no good way to let an animal rescue group or shelter know because I don't know who he is and where he is now. If i see him and his cats again, I might work up the courage to talk to him.
Had this happened a month from now, I would have an off-campus place that allows cats, but no such luck, I live in a dorm...
I have to say though that despite these two happenings yesterday, this city is not a bad place. The bus drivers are usually nice, everyone else is usually nice, and there are tons of people who care just as much as I do, if not more.
I just wish I had a better feeling when I think about these kitties. I hope they are ok.