What gets you?

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Cats gets me. As in - they get to me in a deep inner way. This morning I went about my Sunday morning with camera in hand as I like to do most Sundays. On Sundays I like travelling around the island taking photos of all sorts of things. Today I went to a place with lots of old shutters - full of charm and atmospheric patina. It's all very pleasant and enjoyable. Only as I go about my morning I'm aware of a slightly uneasy feeling, so I know something is in store - only I don't know what.


After a while I pack up my camera and slowly head out of town. Just as I roll out of the narrow streets I spot a back-yard with a small colony of cats. A very familiar scene only there's this black little guy sitting in front of them all and his skinniness instantly troubles me. Most cats are adults and looks sort of allright but the little black kitten is clearly emaciated. I get out of the car to leave a bit of food and to check if there's any water in the two plastic containers left of the wall. There's no water at all in the plastic containers  (and it is seriously hot at the moment) so I fill them both to the brim. I leave some food as well but the little guy goes straight for the water. He's obviously dehydrated. Afterwards he disinterested nibbles a bit of food. Maybe it's a sign that someone feeds these cats but I can't quite figure then why this little one is so emaciated. I can't approach him as he's a little feral so I sit back in the car and take a few shots with my camera.


As I sit and take a few shots this other little guy appears out of the shade from somewhere. And with this one it is serious. He (or she) has this pained, rigid and very slow walk. Like there's nothing left in the tiny body to keep the limbs going. As I step out of the car to get a closer look he staggers back towards where he came from so I instantly step backwards again. I get the sense that he urgently needs water so I place one of the plastic containers as close as I can and step further back. He doesn't drink but finds the food and grabs one pellet with his mouth - and lets it drop again. It appears there's no strength left.


I'm left in a huge contradiction as I want to help these two little kittens - and I want to do it now. But I've go no transport box and  they're too feral (meaning they could go into some sort of chock if I try to catch them in this extreme heat). I feel genuinely concerned about the little white and grey tabby and decide to come back in the evening when it's cooled off. His state is just such that I don't know if he'll make it through the day.

As I drive away I'm aware that a morning full of "perfectly pleasant" has completely subsided. These kittens "got me." Cats in need gets me. I cannot stand their pain. It stays with me until I've figured what I can do to help them. And it's a strange feeling - a peculiar contradiction. I feel like God gave me cats. It brings me into contact with inner chambers of myself. It's a place where I like to be.

I know a crisis psychologist who travels around the world whereever major catastrophes takes place. He once described how much he loves his job because it makes him feel alive and how he just loves the way peoples humanity instantly kicks in when a catastrophy has occured. Everyone helps everyone. I can utterly relate to the feeling why he loves his job.

What gets you?

P.S. I will go back later today and see if there is anything I can do. 



Comments

Crafting Queen said…
Oh poor babies, I hope they will let you help them. I can't stand to see them suffering it is like a physical pain. Good luck when you go back.
Daisy said…
Oh, those sad little kittens got me too. Thanks for leaving them some food and water. I hope you can find them again later.
Marg said…
Oh gosh, I sure hope you went back. Cats get me too but you already knew that. I have them coming out of my ears right now but love every one of them. I sure hope you were able to catch those two. Please update us even if it is too sad to talk about. You are such a good person. Sure glad you left them some food and water and maybe that will help them to get strong enough to hopefully walk into the carrier.
Julia Williams said…
Oh...those pictures are just so heartbreaking. Cats get me, and really, and animal that is suffering for any reason. I hope and pray that these two sweet souls will be okay.
I agree with everyone - please update about this! Those pictures break my heart. I can't stand to see animals struggling to survive when we ourselves have so much.
What a heartbreaking story, I am so sorry to see this poor little kittens suffering- what a terrible situation.I hope in some way you were able to go back and help ??
it seems some people in some countries have a completely different way of looking at and after cats- or basically don't look after them at all.I rememeber walking through Rome, and seeing a dead cat just lying on the pavement- how could that have happened with people around? Just lying on the pavement? And a huge amount of totally emanciated cats in a park in Marseille.Your heart breaks when you see it.The cats have been treated so badly by humans that you can't even do anything for them as they are terrified of any human.
Joan, I also wanted to thank you so much for your kind thoughts and comments about my wonderful cat Gibson, whom we had to put to sleep as he could no longer be helped or cured . You are right, in the end it is about them not suffering, but it is very hard.
XOXO Bea
Unknown said…
oh the poor pets, hope you can help them, you have a great heart !!! big hugh Kathrin
Deb said…
I don't have to tell you Joan what this does to me. I want to reach in and grab them and hold them tight. They really do need some help. How could they be so bad? If the other look ok I don't understand this. They must not get the food whenit is dished out. I hope you can help. I'm praying you can. Hugs to you, Deb
sunshine said…
What a terrible and sad sight that must have been for you. It makes me so sad and sorry to think of all those cats (as well as other animals) that are out there without care, food and shelter, in the heat of the day or the cold winter. Those poor kitty's eyes are full of despair.

I feel so impotent about making a big difference when it comes to help animals in need, and that definitely gets me.
Reena said…
I feel similarly about cats ... I hope you can help them .. just too sad
Things like this is what get me...I can never recall a time in my life that I didn't feel sorry for a homeless animal and ones like this really break my heart....Please let us know what happened, good or bad, I'd like to know...Bless you for what you do for them!!!
Catherine said…
My heart is breaking looking at these photos and reading your story. There truly is no reason for such sadness to be taking place. Very sad.

xo Catherine
when I would walk there where you live, i did the same. I am sure!I hope that there will come a shelter there, or organisation which sterilised all that cats and then return them in the wild again. (that they cannot make more cats)And then is this a little bit a better life for them. So sorry for all that little cats. I hope you can find a good way to help them. And what did your girlfriend said about the scarf?
kind regards Mieke( returned from holliday)
ANGEL ABBYGRACE said…
Heart breaking here and hoping beyond hope you are able to get back and that someone these two babies let you help them.
purrs
>^,,^<
♥Abby♥
Blue Lavender said…
Hello my dear friend Joan,
This story is very sad, but thanks to people like you, this world will be much better for those little creatures, even if you help one at a time, it makes the difference. I really admire you because you have such a great heart. I hope you can be able to help those little cats.
Thanks for visiting my blog my dear friend,
I send you a big hug
Laura =D
Blue Lavender said…
Dear Joan
It's me...again =)
Just to let you know that I already joined to the swap and I put their button in my blog, this is going to be fun, thank you so much for let me know about it.

Hugs,

Laura =)
Hello Joan,
I feel a spiritual affinity with you. Cats gets me always. Here you will not find such skinny creatures (normaly). I think, the two babies are sick. I hope so much, you can help them.
Best greetings, Johanna
Vicky said…
Oh, I know just what you mean. Sometimes I feel like I'm haunted...
Dearest Joan,

Oh my, wish I was there with you! Can't stand such suffering. How can people be so cruel to ignore all this???
Lots of love,

Mariette
Anna E said…
This really "gets me" as well!! And what also gets me is abuse to children!! The fact that many children don´t have grown ups that care about them is more than painful to me. I guess if every child had at least ONE capable person to really care, there would be hardly any violence or wrongful actions in the world. It would plant a seed of love and hope in those small lives, in stead of carelessness and ignorance..
Cornelia said…
What 'gets me' is experiencing in many ways (in myself and others) how we limit ourselves when it comes to perception: that more then often 'one's little world' is the only one existing. And it 'gets me' that we think we are 'better' than animals or plants or other people, when in fact life is given to us to share it and experience the grace of sharing with all that exists.
What 'gets me' is the gradual loss of the unborn instincts in us and your wonderful post "Who Can possibly look into eyes like these and overise the unborn instinct to protect?", February 23, 2009, have opened my eyes to see this clearly, as all your posts have opened my eyes to see more.
What 'gets me' is that we dó not have an unified understanding that there exists a broader specter, multidimensional and deeper for each and every value and that there is much unexplored concerning the most important life enhancing energy sources on earth - the human values.

Why should we humans need catastrophes to connect naturally to the inborn instincts in us? Animals uphold values instinctively and we might learn more about ourselves and our latent potential by spending time to dwell and contemplate them in a compassionate way. "The true story of Damini and Champakali", your deeply touching post from February 22, 2009, is a story about intact instincts and about natural care, protection and affection implanted clearly in God's Little People. We humans have lost that there is so much unknown to the specters of care and love and compassion for all living. We think we know of it. And it gets to that we don't, not really.

There is so much more to be to and for all living souls... and we might get to new approaches, prevent and find cures for many illnesses if we could listen to these natural inborn values for life. Would not have been able to get to many new perceptions and thus free my narrow limits of self if not reading your posts. There is much more to get to and God's Little People's blog with your posts help to get to that there is so much more to life...

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