Monday, June 14, 2010

crisis of conscience

Many of you know we have a cat. He is a beautiful little tabby named Mr. Peeps. He is also un-naturally LOUD. I kid you not, you have never heard a cat meow as loud as Mr. Peeps; I feel like he always yelling at me. I would like to say that we love Mr. Peeps, but at this point we feel more obligation than love; here is where my moral crisis comes into play...

Peeps is allergic to basically any type of normal cat food. He can only eat foods made with venison, rabbit, or lamb and rice. Basically if he eats anything normal he starts to itch and excessively groom himself to the point of hairlessness and scabbing. Plus he acts totally crazy. The cat food is impossible to find and cost about $35-$40 a bag versus it's normal cat food counterpart at $10 a bag.

So here is the problem. We don't hate Peeps, but we certainly don't love him either. Everyone keeps telling me to just get rid of him, but I feel a lot of guilt about doing that. I feel like we have had him too long to just toss him out. I wouldn't get rid of one of my children just because it "wasn't working out." Yes, I know, Peeps isn't one of my children and that he isn't important to our family in the eternal scheme of things, I just hate to treat a living being like that. I don't think animals should ever be mistreated and I really feel that we will be held responsible for how we treated all living things when we are met at the judgement bar. So I want to do what's right, but also what is good for our family.

What do you think? Would it be really mean to take Peeps to the Humane Society and have them try and adopt him out? I think they put them down after a certain period of time and if that is the case I think I would feel terrible only because I know that no one will want him. I just really don't know what to do. Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a guilt-ridden soul who thinks so much about everything. I think most people could just get rid of him and that would be that; but for me I agonize over it and want to make sure it is okay for everyone involved, including the dumb cat.

NEW INFO as of 6/15: I was wrong about the hypo-allergenic cat food - it is actually about $85 a bag. That might be the deal-breaker for Mr. Peeps.....

6 comments:

Bradley L. Hill said...

Dearest Emily,

Only you will know what decision will bring you peace, but if you're asking for opinions, I think I would take the SPCA/Humane Society option. I think that doing so will demonstrate to your children that you are compassionate, but that THEY are more important to you than the cat, which currently is stressing the family system.

Love,
Uncle Brad

Jenkins family said...

I was going to suggest that you send Scott deer hunting, throw some rice in the rice cooker, and start working on your rabbit hutch. (No lamb - I'm still a little "Naomi chop" traumatized.) You could take self sufficient to a whole new level.

Honor said...

we would not be keeping mr. peeps, but we aren't cat people (even though we have one too)

Josh and Britany said...

I feel the same way as you that we are held accountable for the way that we treat all living things. But I think this must be killing Scott having to spend that much money on cat food! Also, there are many times when family pets get hurt and the cost to fix them is unreal and many people end up putting them down. I think it is ok to take him to the humane society although i think the idea of sending Scott out hunting is pretty good! :-)

Heather said...

say goodbye to mr. peeps. help find him a good home with a nice rich old lady who will love and care for him as if he were her own child. but keeping him just seems silly. poop mr. peeps.

Jessica said...

FYI - if princesses clean their rooms your girls might enjoy two books we just discovered at the library, Princesses Are Not Perfect and Princesses are not Quitters by Kate Lum. Happy 4th!