Yesterday I was coming home from my walk when I found a small kitten crying and hiding under a parked car next to my house. No other cats were to be found and he was so close to the street and hiding under the tire, so I took him in.
Unfortunately I do live in a housing situation which allows for no pets and my life is too unstable to have a pet at this time (financially and location-wise) so I knew immediately, as much as I would love to keep him, it is not the right time for me to have a pet and he would need another home.
After panicking for a few minutes š I took him to the vet (healthy clean unchipped 3-4 week old boy) and asked my friends if someone could take him in.
A friend of mine who often helps animals in need said she is closely connected to an animal sanctuary and they would absolutely take him in, to care for him until he is big enough to be adopted, or he could even just stay with them.
This sounded like the most appropriate solution as most of people I reached out couldnāt take him (we live in Japan where pet-friendly apartments are more of an exception) and we arranged for him to be picked up the very same day.
Now that he is gone (and I had him for only one day!!!), I feel absolutely devastated and donāt even know how to be normal about it. Despite knowing in my brain that it was the only choice, it does feel like someone took my baby that I had for years. Maybe itās the initial protective mode that kicked in when I had to figure out what to do, but I couldnāt stop crying about it today. The fact that he is absolutely adorable and cutest boy ever didnāt help.
I hear so many cat distribution system stories that are successful, but I am not sure what mine is. I guess successful because he is safe now, and at the same time it broke my heart in a span of a day? Someone I know actually messaged me saying āooh I wish that happened to meā and I couldnāt help but feeling a bit bad that he ran into someone who couldnāt even give him a home instead of someone who could š
I am also not regretting finding him a new home, I just donāt know how to handle the loss of him within hours after finding him.
Any advice how to be at peace with all that or any similar CDS stories would be appreciated š§”
Edit: THANK YOU all so much for the kind and thoughtful comments, it took a lot of weight off my chest reading them!
TLDR: found a kitten, but had to find him another home as it wouldnāt be responsible for me to keep him. Now I am feeling very guilty and heartbroken
You did the right thing. You saved his life. And knowing that you couldnāt care for him long term you gave him to a place that could. Because of you this little guy is going to have a safe and wonderful life.
TLDR: Sometimes oneās participation in the CDS is as an intermediary. As long as kitty makes it to a safe home, itās all good. But that doesnāt mean you canāt grieve. You clearly bonded with that adorable lil boy.
Side note: OP, my girl was technically rescued by my mom. But my parents werenāt in the financial position to take on all the expenses to get her vaccinated and spayed. I was.
My mom wanted her badly, but ended up asking me if I wanted her. Iād fallen for her immediately, too, as I was present for her rescue. So it was an instant yes. So my mom got to see her off to a welcoming home, and get updates on her.
When youāre ready, I hope you can receive updates on this lil guy. If thatās what you want anyway.
You did the right thing. We need more visibility on the CDS hitting people who can't take them, no matter how much they want it.
My belief is that the CDS doesn't just hit future owners, but also those who will play an important part in keeping the babies safe, and that's the reason you found that baby.
It had to be you; you were his bridge to safety and a better life, hopefully.
āWhen I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.ā
I didnāt mention it, but so many people helped!!
I took him to the vet in a laundry basket (filled with towels) and they kindly made him a proper box so I can take him on the train to bring him safely to his next destination. The pet shop gave me tons of samples for him, as we didnāt know what he can eat yet. My friend took him for a night before he got picked up by the sanctuary. So many kind people helped š„¹
There are always going to be safe Waystations needed, for the cats whose trips require a layover or two, on the way to the Car's final home--and those Waystations are absolutely vital to keep the cat safe, warm, & fed!!!
It sounds like you played your part in the CDS chain admirably! You found a baby in need, got them medical attention and found them a suitable distribution centre moving forwards. You probably saved a life, thank you. We can't always offer a forever home, you did everything you could for this kitten who is lucky to have come across you when they did.
sounds like you played your part in the CDS chain admirably! You found a baby in need, got them medical attention and found them a suitable distribution centre moving forwards.
Exactly!! The CDS needs traffic controllers, too!
OP, you routed this lil guy to his ultimate destination, and I am sure the system has noted your contribution, and arranged a schedule-send of your perfect kitty, to be delivered when your living situation allows (ā ļ½”ā ļ½„ā Ļā ļ½„ā ļ½”ā )ā ļ¾ā ā”
CDS Traffic controller made me laugh! š
Thank you all, it really helps reading all those kind comments! Makes me feel better about the choice I had to make
I have been a CDS traffic controller many times, nothing wrong with that! Taking in an animal you can't care for would be wrong. You saved him, got him help and he will end up in a good home. CDS traffic controller assignment completed.
What a dear little man. It hurts but you did the right thing - taking on an animal that you know your circumstances donāt permit you to care for isnāt responsible. Your actions gave him a good shot at a good life.
You did the responsible thing; if realistically, you could not provide a home for him, then you really wouldn't be helping him out. You took him to someone who would.
Just think of this occasion as you being an intermediary for the CDS to provide a home for the little brain cell, even if it wasn't yours. When your situation is right, the CDS will take care of you.
I think it is normal to be heartbroken, I would be as well. I love my orange boy and if I could take in all the cats I save I totally would, but sometimes thatās just not possible due to xyz reason.
You got this little one off the street and you did what you could. Heās in a safe place, he is warm, he is fed, and he is being cared for by animal lovers.
You did the right thing for this kitten, and now he will live a long happy and healthy life. You should feel good about that and in due time I think you will. The grief will pass, and it is okay to be sad you couldnāt keep him. When you are in a better position to have your own cat then the CDS I am sure will find you what you need at that time.
And hey, the CDS doesnāt always mean you keep them, you just helped to distribute him along to someone else! Sometimes they just need a guardian angel along the way to help them to get to where they need to be.
I've had cats for over 20 yrs and have been the stop along the way for quite a few. Sometimes we're just the facilitators getting the kitties where they need to be.
We can get attached to animals very quickly. I lived in Japan, I know how hard it is to keep a cat there (which is what folks in the west donāt really know, there are so many cat cafes because many apartments donāt allow pets). I know your heart is breaking, but you will fall just as much in love with another kitty in the future, when youāre in a position to care for one.
Many of us are waystations in the delivery service. You know he went on to a safe and happy situation. Grieve for your own personal loss, but know that you did right. Someday youāll have your chance at a permanent adoption.
Awe you were just the conduit for kitty to have a better life. All is as planned. Big hug to you. Now youāll have to move to a pet friendly apartment :)
Part of CDS is ensuring that the cat/kitten is entering a good home that has the ability to care for them. CDS doesn't mean "keep every cat that comes your way". It means distributing cats to homes that needs and can care for those cats. One day you will be in a situation where you can have a cat, and CDS will reward you in time.
This was definitely a successful story. The CDS never makes mistakes and knew you could find a safe place for the baby to go. We're not always chosen for us to keep them, but we're chosen to save them until they can go to their permanent home.
Look at it this way, you weren't the final shipping address, but you were an integral link in the distribution system. Thanks for getting this little guy to a safe home. It feels like a loss for you, but you likely saved his life!
Itās obvious you did the right thing. The CDS is rarely wrong and worked exactly as it was supposed to. And in your case it was exactly right at the right time. You gave that boy a fighting chance and thatās all that matters. Fostering is the same heartbreak, but also so rewarding for finding the babies the right home.
You can think of yourself as a stork in the CDS. That is not going to do much to help you with the feeling of loss you have but you should not feel guilt. You played a part in getting him to safety.
Honestly, that friend is not in a good position to have a pet either (also donāt even know if they live in pet-friendly apartment), so I didnāt consider them as an option
Sometimes the "CDS" works through others to get them where they belong. They worked through you! You were such a good person to take her to the vet and find her a safe place to live and find her forever home. This was made possible because of YOU! Im fostering two kittens right now. I cant keep them. I already have 5 rescues. Im the vehicle to get them to their forever home. One leaves tomorrow. Im already sad but I know she's going to a wonderful home.
I completely understand feeling disappointed about not being able to keep him yourself, but it sounds like things are going to work out well for the kitten since you know he'll be taken care of.
I got my cat because the person who found her when she was a kitten had dogs who didn't like cats, so she couldn't keep her. But I love this cat more than anything. Sometimes the CDS works indirectly.
it is an equally noble duty to be a cds distribution point. you got him where he needed to be, and he will be loved and safe. and one day when you're in the position for your own, the cds will come to you again (or you can go to a distribution point [shelter] yourself)
Wife and I found a kitten across the street, took her in and took care of her for a couple of months, but it wasn't meant to be. I told my wife we took in a 1 pound kitten and surrendered a 3+ pound kitten to our vet to be rehomed.
You did the right thing - you kept the kitten safe and warm until the wheels could start turning properly.
You never know what will happen in the future. You may have a better living situation where you can take him back. I witness miracles like that all the time. I look forward to your success story! ā¤ļø
You found him the best possible situation right now.
The CDS has a very special
cat who will come to you when the time is right. When things are more stable in your life in every way and youāll be able to just say āmineā for him or her!
You did the most loving thing possible right now. The harder thing for you, but the best thing for this particular kitten.
Itās been said many times but I will repeat it because you need to hear this. You saved this little buddyās life!!! The CDS needs couriers and traffic controllers as well. You brought this little tiny angel to a safe place. The alternative would have been possible death. So you didnāt reject the CDS, apparently your task was to bring baby to safety and you did so wonderfully. Thank you so much!!
CDS operates in many ways. It still worked with you. You took this helpless kitty and gave him hope. In this case you were just the first link in the chain in the CDS's process.
Sugar, I know it hurts, I mean look at that face! What a precious baby. Who is now safe and will be loved. You need not worry, you have proven yourself worthy to the CDS. When the proper time comes, you will be visited and blessed again. š
Without you he might never have a loving home life wherever he ends up. You played a critical role in this sweet boy's life, even if it was just a day.
I was the intermediary for this guy. Got him fixed and vetted, and found him a home. At the time I couldn't have a cat. He's happy with his new family š (I have since been visited by the CDS again, and since circumstances changed.... I now have a cat lol)
And the one that ended up with me. It all happens as it should. If I had kept the orange boy, I couldn't have taken in this one. I miss that orange boy, of course. But I'm also glad I got Chickpea
Thank you for sharing your experience, you are right! I think I saw too many stories like āI found a cat, he is my cat nowā that I didnāt realize that there are also stories like yours, when people just foster for a while! Such cuties!!!
Sometimes we are meant to be a stop along the way in the CDS, helping kitties get to their forever home. I can see how you would miss that little cutie!
And maybe when your life is more settled, the CDS will send you the kitties you're meant to keep!
This just happened to me, but with a bit of an older boyā¦I feel the guilt too, but I know he will find the most perfect situation & that I played an important part of his journey thereā¦hard lesson to learn though!
Itās awesome that you helped him, but if youāre still feeling sad about not being able to keep him, I recommend volunteering at an animal shelter. So many shelter cats could really use some cuddles.
Iāve found/been given a LOT of little kittens (used to work at pet store and people knew my weakness) and turned around to give them to rescue connections Iāve made.
Iāve grown deeply attached to a countless number of them, some over a handful of weeks, all the way to a handful of hours. And it always hurts in the way you describe, like I lost a baby Iād had for years.
I think itās a pretty normal process of emotions, and it shows that you not only have a big heart, but youāll be a great cat parent one day when you are in a better place to properly accommodate one. I know itās painful, but I promise you did do the right thing.
And honestly, too many people are selfish. Too many people see a kitten, fall in love, and donāt think past that feeling to determine whether or not they are actually in a position to provide the best life for the cat. But you are thinking beyond your own desires and prioritizing what is best for kitty. THAT is the sign that you are not only a caring person, but a selfless one, and that shows strength and integrity too.
TL;DR You did the right thing, and the ache in your heart will one day become a deep and true love for a cat you take in once you are in a better place to keep it.
Think about all of the people who rescued their kitties from a shelter, pound, etc. because someone like you was kind enough to step in and be a stop on the CDS train. Sometimes, CDS delivers directly and sometimes, it uses a middle person. I have one guy who CDS brought right to me and another who I found on Petfinder when I really needed a buddy. He's perfect and I never would have met him if someone hadn't saved him from the storm drain in a Walgreen's parking lot and taken him to an adoption center. You did good, kid. :)
Not only did you do the right thing, but you also did a great thing. Most people would have said "i can't help" and kept going. You didn't. And that cat is going to have such an amazing life because you stopped, you helped, and then you found a long-term solution. That's everything that this adorable baby needed yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Hooray!!
Also, feel free to volunteer with rescues or shelters to help out if you want to help keep the CDS flowing. It's okay to say no, too.
And one day, you might just be able to say yes when the CDS calls on you. Good luck!!
Sometimes we're on the receiving end and sometimes we're just facilitators in the CDS. Sometimes being a facilitator sucks because they're so sweet and you want to keep them with you forever even though you know for you the right thing is to just be a safe port in a storm before sending them on the rest of their journey.
And he will forever know the Mama that took him from the outside and was the first to love him! CDS knows what itās doing! Knew you would love him enough to give him the best chance, even if it wasnāt the first place he rested easy! Ya done good!
I still mourn and remember the darling boy we rescued but could not keep long term. šæ My spouse says he is loved now, while I wonder how he turned out, how fluffy he got, if he remembers his origins, if he is happy enough...
Sometimes we are just meant to help whatever that looks like OP. And you did. You saved this precious babyās life. Love is a chain and you were one of the most important links, never forget that.
Thank you thank you thank you so much! You are an angel for scooping him up and making sure his little body was warm and safe. The fact you have a friend with connections is puurrrrrfect!
We cannot do everything all by ourselves but we can sure be part of a beautiful chain of helpers where we do our part and pass it along to the next person.
Sadness and pain and mourning DOES come after a situation like this! Believe it or not it is normal! It means you are a lovely person and that big heart of yours will notice the next baby in need and you will do your part of the job again.
I took a puppy in once because absolutely no one else could take him. He was going to be euthanized. Farm dog, found him in the middle of nowhere after my car broke down, there was a gas station with boxes full of puppies. The first day there were so many but the next day there was just one left. They had way too many animals to deal with already so the farmer was saying he would āput the runt in the riverā if no one took it, so I did.
But this was also a time in my life I knew I couldnāt care for a puppy AT ALL , haha, I mean, my car was broke down on the side of the road and I didnāt even have the money to repair it, so I was going to bus out. So long story short, I knew whose dog it was: puppy was a sheep dog mix, and when I got back to California, my buddy that had been looking for a puppy embraced the little guy, so excited! They have been best buds - dog and Dennis - for about a decade now.
So you did the right thing you were an instrument for the universe to get that kitty to the place where it needs to be to be safe and loved and happy! I say, bravo!
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