In our company, we have a fleet of cars sitting out in the parking lot. A little while ago, I was notified by someone working in the building next door that she could hear meowing coming from under the hood of one of the cars when she passed by our parking lot for lunch. She wanted to make sure we knew so we didn’t start the engine and kill the cat
So since this wasn’t a racoon or something dangerous, I decided to round up some guys from the warehouse to help me catch it. We opened up the hood and I almost got the kitten with my gloves but it was tiny and squeezed out of my grip and ran out the bottom of the car! We chased it around but it jumped into another car. And then when we opened that car, it did the same thing! What a slippery pussy :dubious:
It wasn’t until our 4th car that we were finally able to bag it and get it into a box. Now the lady from next door said that she wanted the cat because she said she did rescues or something and was going to spay/neuter the cat and find it a home. I didn’t really question it as I was still basking in the light of being the office Cat Master, so I handed it over. But now I’m wondering if I should have simply called animal control and had them take care of it. At least then I know it would have gone to a right place. Who knows what this strange lady would do? So Dopers, next time we have a cat in the cars, should I just call animal control and have them deal with it? For all I know, she could be a crazy cat lady
Strongly suspect kitty would prefer to live with crazy cat lady than to die alone and afraid on a cold table in the animal shelter, which is a likely outcome unless you have a no-kill shelter available.
I think you did the right thing. I agree with Oakminster. I doubt she’s going to sell it to a lab or something–obviously she cared enough to warn you it was there so you didn’t start the engine.
Good job rescuing kitty! You didn’t take a pic, did you?
That she went to the trouble to warn you all, and mentioned spay/neuter and finding it a home, suggest to me she’s a decent sort. If she were a crazy cat lady collector-type, I don’t think she’d bother with the whole spay/neuter spiel–and if she were crazy enough, she’d just hang out in the parking lot, waiting for Mr. Cat to jump out of the car.
Here in Japan, Animal Control pretty much gases anything that comes through the door, so it’s not an option, and probably colors my take on your situation.
Plus, this lady had the spidey sense of someone who likes cats. A lot of people probably wouldn’t notice a tiny kitten meowing–or if they heard it, bother to search.
I think you did the right thing,** Office Cat Master**.
Around here, kittens are seldom euthanized unless there is a big issue with the kitten. Puppies either. The shelters have no issue placing as many cute baby animals that come their way, and have to import them from other states - but honestly, they don’t do that much oversight on it so handing kitten over to lady who cared enough to alert you or handing it over to a shelter is probably pretty much a wash.
You did the right thing. Animal Control is probably overwhelmed already and would just hold the kitty for awhile and then put it down. At least it has a chance with Crazy Cat Lady.
Besides, the Cat Lady might not be very crazy at all. There are several, one should be along shortly, that are able to hold down jobs and operate computers while still being a little crazy about cats.
This is a illusion. You cut out the middle man and placed the kitty directly into the hands of someone who wants it.
That’s what I was thinking, too - the kitten is either with someone who wants it, or someone who will get it looked after properly, then placed with someone who wants it. I don’t think crazy cat ladies have to resort to subterfuge to get all the kittehs they want.
You made the right decision at the time. Go with that and move on. I don’t know why people burden themselves by always looking in the rear view mirror and second guessing what they might have done when they can’t change it. If a new situation comes up, you can decide again.
