The subject of what to do with stray cat populations is a contentious one and this story spells out a significant part of the problem surrounding the topic. There are many opinions of what is best to do, but ultimately laws, resources and the luck of having hoomans who are willing to help dictate what happens in reality. Which is how our story begins in a country where TNR is illegal and with a cat lover who took it upon themselves to trap, spay and put more than 20 cats up for adoption. Setting them up in a safe shelter until their furever home comes along. But when this thoughtful hooman was confronted by a local cat lady who was convinced our reducer was 'stealing' her cat children, well, the whole story took a turn for the strange. It turns out this woman had been hoarding these street cats in her home trying to fill the hole left in her heart when her husband had passed.

The woman was understandably attached to the kitties. After all, it is all too well known that when people happen to lose someone they often replace them, or at least attempt to do so with the introduction of a cat child. And while many do so with only one or at most two felines, there are some people with a lack of impulse control and a desperate need for warmth and love who will do things that most of us feline fans feel is unreasonable. The problem is that they do not see this for themselves. They are blinded by the intense urge to fill the void in their souls, their missing piece, and when they get a pawsitive feeling from doing so once, they are often inclined to keep doing it to get that same rush. It is a serious mental health issue and one that ultimately affects the felines for the worse as they deserve the safe, cleanliness and lack of competition that comes with living in a one or at most two cat house hold.

This story truly highlights that in our own minds and worlds as long as we are doing something, we often feel as though we are doing the right thing. But in reality the right thing can be many different things and we remain blinded to the reality of what we are doing. So if you are one of the wonderful people who do whatever they can to help cat kind, just take into account that not everyone is going to agree with your decisions. Not everyone is going to believe that your way is right, and they may be right, they may be wrong. The only responsible thing you can do in the situation is to take accountability for whatever mistakes you make come to light and remember that above all else you are trying to help the cats. The operative word being trying. So try your best and hopefully there is something for you to learn from in this story.