This story made we wonder about the morality of rescuing obese animals.
Let’s say a couple has a dinner party and one of the guests, who is also (unknown to the hosts) an animal rescuer, notices how fat the cat is, and how the owners indulge the cat’s appetite. She decides to take the cat away at the first opportunity and give it to a couple who will not overfeed it.
When you say “animal rescuer,” do you mean someone who personally goes around taking in animals, or someone with an actual job of “animal rescuer”? If the person has some authority by virtue of working for Animal Control or other such agency, then I guess I wouldn’t have too much of a problem with it, although I would feel that the nice couple’s efforts would probably do more good toward another animal who is being starved or beaten. If every single starving or beaten animal has a (new) home, then sure, go for the obese ones but until then, I don’t think it’s the best use of limited resources.
If it’s more of a maverick animal rescuer, then it is like that person is stealing the cat, right?
There are so many unwanted animals put to sleep every year that I believe that if obesity was the animal’s only problem, I’d give the owners a a choice between a strict series of vet visits and education or abandoning their pet.
-Lil
I’m talking about a self appointed “animal rescuer” that surreptitiously takes away animals who are (in the rescuer’s opinion) in danger or in distress, and places them in healthier circumstances.
If some has a 20 +/- lb (not simply large but very obese) cat they will remove it & re-locate it with a family that promises not to overfeed it.
Well, we don’t take fat kids away from their parents even though we know that childhood obesity leads to a myriad of life-long health problems.
I believe that pet owners have a duty to keep their animals in good conditions but I don’t agree that obesity is automatically tantamount to cruelty. If the owner is force-feeding the animal like a fois gras goose, then there’s a problem. It’s possible that the animal will have a shorter lifespan, but the way I see it, it’s better to have a fat animal with a family which loves it than further burden the animal shelters.
(I wanted to use “cat-napping”, but didn’t want to come off sounding like the smart-ass that I am).
Seriously, if you take something I own (and I have to use thing, even though the cat is a living entity) then you have broken the law.
If I mistreat (beat) my pet, and it can be proved, then yes, I think you have a case under the animal cruelty laws.
But overfeeding (even though it may be detrimental to the health of the pet) is no more a “crime” than is over-feeding one’s child, IMHO.
Can anyone here provide a cite where DFCS has taken a child away from parents because it was “over-nourished”? Maybe so, but I bet it was tough proving there was malice involved.
Same thing applies with the cat, and especially with the cat, because I think that would be considered “theft of property”.
Your link provides AKC infornation on the “ideal weight” of the dog in question, but if the court sees that as a violation, then that’s going to set a hell of a precedent.
Sorry to cause us to stray away from your topic, but the burden of proof is still on the state as to why her parents would want their 3-year old dead, isn’t it?
I read the part about “unwilling or unable”, but also read the part about “conflicting advice”, so that introduces a measure of doubt into the case, right?
IANAL, but getting back to the original topic, unfortunately the taking of the cat (even for its welfare) constitutes theft.
However, if the cat rescuer were to call the ASPCA, (or other appropriate orginazation for their country/area) and the ASPCA were to find that the owner was being negligent in overfeeding the animal, determining that it was cruel to let it remain in such ill health, it would be fine for them to take the cat into custody, right? This is what happened to the dog in the news story linked by the OP.
We’ve never had a fat cat (and we’ve had a LOT of cats) until Large came to us in ultra-fat condition. He weighed 24 lbs, and has since dropped down to around 22 lbs.
We’re a “dry food only” family and don’t feed people food to the critters. We asked the vet what the deal was and he said “he (Large) is what he is.” Sometimes critters are just plain fat. Any self-appointed busybody would be arrested if they tried to take our cat away.
Awww! He’s a big old darling! And in the winter I bet he’s an outstanding “heater cat.”
To the OP - unless the person has some legal animal control authority, they have no business taking the cat. If we as a society are giving people legal authority to micromanage pet ownership like that, we probably don’t have our priorities straight.
You’d think so, and that’s what his true calling is…but truth be told, my feet start to go a little numb if he sits on my lap for more than a few minutes!
Yeah, I’ve got the same problem (and the thread title freaked me out just a little ). I have two cats who, shoulder to shoulder, are almost exactly the same size. But one is 12 pounds and the big one is 22 pounds. The eat exactly the same food (I actually think the little one eats more ‘cause he’s always stealing the big guys food) but the big one doesn’t like to move much. He’s happier just going off snoozin’ somewhere than chasing anything.
No, it’s stealing, and it’s wrong. Obesity isn’t being cruel- the cat is happy. Now, you could discuss feline obesity with them, or even slip a brochure under their door.
Then she’s a thief. And with how some people view their pets and, in some cases, their property in general, she faces a real risk of severe bodily harm or even death when she steals an animal. Not too mention felony prosecution.