Breaking the myth

This morning, I had a discussion with my boss and a colleague in charge of estate matters. Somehow, the conversation turned to a captured stray cat which, apparently, was found in one block of the office building.

I didn't get the whole story but according to my colleague, it seemed that the cat had been loitering in the basement and had lots of fleas, so much so that the fleas "jumped off" and infected some other colleagues, causing them to have rashes.

*Rolled eyes*

Naturally, I was skeptical. I have seen a couple of stray cats at the block where my office is located, and these strays were so shy and wary of people that no amount of cajoling from me or shaking of my cat food bottle could lure them or stop them from running away into hiding. So how could anyone get close enough to them to have fleas jumping off the cats' bodies onto them? As usual, cats get blamed for everything and anything.

Next, I ask what happened to the captured cat. He said it was sent to the SPCA. I told him that means the cat would be killed, period.

He said that he wasn't sure, but he understood that the SPCA would observe and provide necessary medical attention to the cat.

So, you can imagine what happened next. I told both of them (in my slightly agitated tone) that once a cat is sent to the SPCA, it would be killed if no one adopts it within 3 days.

My colleague from estate was a bit startled by that revelation, and asked what about Cat Welfare Society. So I explained that CWS does not have premises where they will keep unwanted cats, but depended on volunteers to foster the cats until they are adopted.

I added that no matter what they might have heard, there is no one place that is like the nirvana of cats, whereby all cats would be collected and be provided with food and shelter.

I guess I had broken the bubble of these 2 gentlemen, whatever grandiose idea they might have held.

Poor cat...