Kitten on a string

Last Wed, I went to look up the "kitten on a string" which was first mentioned on Dawn's blog. I had visited the kitty and talked to the old man on several occasions previously, but was surprised to find the kitty and old man missing. The kitty's metal chain and lock was strewn on the floor next to the manhole, and it looked as if whatever occupants there were had left the place in a hurry.

Last Monday, I went to look them up again and found the kitty asleep. I talked to the old man and to my surprise, discovered several surprising things had occurred:
- the kitty has been neutered (surprising coz old man was adamant about not allowing it, and even wanted to find a young female cat to mate with kitty! Old man kept complaining the kitty is now 不男不女, i.e. neither a boy or gal! )
- kitty had been shaved on his lower body (which is unnecessary for sterilising male cats)
- kitty's ear was not tipped (old man disallowed tipping)
- kitty was tied with a "plasticky" thin rope (no more metal chain with drooping metal lock)
- there was a cage which wasn't there previously





Initially, I didn't think much of it, but later, as I thought about what the old man had said, I'm guessing that this could possibly be what had happened (my own conjecture):

* kitty got into a fight with another male cat (passing through?), and was injured, since he was chained and could not run away (poor young kitty wouldn't have a chance if those big-headed males come along). The injury was bad enough that the vet had to shave off kitty's fur on both sides of his lower body to appply treatment.

* Caregiver aunty offered to take kitty to the vet (since old man seems unable to afford it).

* I'm guessing the aunty must have used this opportunity to (once again) coax the stubborn old man to allow kitty to be sterilised while being treated by the vet, to stop using the metal chain to tie kitty up, and to use a cage to keep kitty safe at night when the old man goes home. I guess the cage was probably donated.


Although things seemed to have improved somewhat for kitty, I still feel sorry everytime I see him tied up, especially when I see him chained up with the heavy droopy lock hanging over his neck. I really hope and pray that one day, kitty will be freed and to be allowed to live a normal life as all living creatures should.