I just posted a new blog entry:

[drupal=36]Why is compassion so hard sometimes?[/drupal]

Quote: Let me start by confessing that I have a HUGE soft spot for animals and am a big time sucker for cats and kittens. I simply love the little guys and would step in to help any of them in a heartbeat. That's where the trouble lies... my compassion for animals is overwhelming at times. I don't know why. Now that you have some back story here comes the nitty gritty. ...

You can find the [drupal=36]full post here[/drupal].

I have decided that I am going to call some vets to see if they will take the kitten and put him out of his misery. It's just not right that it is suffering like this...

There really is only 2 choices. One is to call local vets, but the odds are that they will charge you to put the kitten "to sleep", or to even find out if whatever is ailing the little guy can be cured.

The 2nd option is a local animal shelter. They should take the kitten in and take care of things.

Either way I can understand how tough it is, though I am a dog person, it is difficult to watch a helpless animal suffer.

Yeah, i just dropped the kitten off. What a tough day today has been so far. That's definitely my weak spot. What is really upsetting is that I wish I had taken the kitten in earlier. By the looks of it from the first time I saw how ill it was I was sure it would not survive the night. So, I opted to let him pass away while being with his mom. That is why I was so shocked to see him again today still alive but not really any better (just a LITTLE cleaner).

Sorry if I bummed any of you out with that story... I just had to get it off my chest for some reason.

its always tough dealing with this sort of thing, and the worst part about it, is that if you wanted to put this kitten out of its pain, you cant do so yourself.. thats illegal and inhumane... but, you can PAY someone else to do it... so, instead of doing the right thing, many people leave the stray dogs and cats in their neighborhood alone, and this stuff happens.. litters of animals with no homes and nobody to care for them.

its a sad thing, but its like Bob Barker says.. you should fix your pets so that this stuff doesn't happen.

i think calling the vet is a good choice, and most of the time shelters wont even take animals because they are so full (especially if its a no-kill shelter)

I would have taken the kitten to a shelter or a vet ASAP. Otherwise, put the kitten out of it's misery by drowning it or snapping it's neck. It's hard, but it's that or letting the kitten suffer.

I'm glad you have a heart and a desire to do something.

Luckily in England we don't have the problem of stray cats that you get in America. Most of them are homed. I heard in some parts of America, if they catch a cat without a collar, they destroy it under the assumption it has no owner.

I totally understand your weakspot for animals. I have the same passion for cats, and indeed all animals. Prefer them to humans in-fact. Animals are not malicious and cruel with senseless violence and destruction in their day-to-day lives like humans are. The worst a cat will do is play with it's prey before eating it. Even so they at least have the excuse of ignorance.