My wife is vice president for a company that owns several apartment communities in Florida, Virginia and West Virginia. A small, 20-unit apartment in Tampa used to be part of a group of three apartment complexes but two of them sold last month leaving it with no full-time staff to watch over it. Instead, a resident helps out by keeping it clean and by doing light maintenance when needed and the manager comes by once a week to check on it.
While the manager was there on Thursday morning, she checked on an apartment that someone had recently moved out of and found a cat left behind with no food or water. It is scary to think what would have happened if she didn’t show up until Monday.
The resident that helps out said he recognized the cat and knew his name was Patches. He agreed to keep him in his apartment until they could figure out what to do with him.
His finances were tight and couldn’t really afford to keep a pet but agreed to do that after Rose told him she would keep him supplied with food and litter. This would come from her, not the company.
So as we were out for breakfast Thursday morning, Rose got online and ordered wet and dry food, treats, litter, a litter box, a scoop and some catnip toys, which all arrived the next day except for the toys.
It seems like Patches’ new guardian has become exited about having Patches as a companion and I think Patches has found a better home then the one he left. Anyone who is coldhearted enough to leave a cat behind like that must be horrible to live with.
That brings me to a question I have been wondering for a long time. Why do people who care so little about animals get pets? Why would someone just abandon a pet that has been part of the family? Why do people get dogs and then leave them tied up in the back yard? Or beat them for behaving like a dog?
Shortly after Rose placed that order for Patches, we left the restaurant and drove through the parking lot until we reached Petsmart where Rose stopped to let people walk by. I turned away for a second but my attention was brought back to the front when Rose beeped the horn. “Did you see that!?” she yelled. “What the hell is wrong with people?”
All I saw was a young man walking a small dog and two other people. As we drove by Rose opened my window and yelled some words at the man that I won’t repeat here. He then yelled unrepeatable words back. When I asked what happened, Rose told me the guy was pulling the dog’s leash so hard that the dog was flying through the air. Again, why get a pet if you care so little about animals?
Sometimes I am embarrassed to be human. My hope is that scientists will find out that these people belong to some subspecies of humans so I don’t have to be related to them.
Bad Cat Chris 
100% with you on “all of the above”. First of all I’m happy someone found Patches before the inevitable occurred – he’s adorable. I hope he has a TRUE Forever home now and bless Rose for giving him a good start in a new home. I can’t stand the way some pets are mistreated – it breaks my heart and I’m sure THEIRS as well to be just abandoned or hurt all the time. ANYWAY, that’s one of those questions that has a million answers…..most of them sad.
Pam
I think his new cat dad will work out fine. It is certainly better than bringing him to the shelter.
So awful on so many levels. Sometimes humans are the worst.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
At least the good outnumber the bad.
The the last chapter is great, I really hope that will be the truth. This was a sad story with an happy end. Sadly only a few of these stories have that happy end. You have a great wife!
Thanks. She does have a great heart.
Thank COD Patches was found and nothing bad happened. We do NOT understand people. So sad. Mom has seen a dog walker in the park walking 4-5 dogs at a time and pulling on them so hard that one little one has a terrible time keeping up.
The Florida Furkids
There are so many stories like that, unfortunately. When I was young I was at a campground and saw a group of young people walk by carrying firewood. Following close behind and struggling to keep up was a basset hound with a fairly heavy piece of wood attached to it’s collar. I said nothing then but today I am sure I would not be able to keep my mouth shut.
It’s stories like this that really makes us dislike humans. How can someone be so uncaring? Thank cod Patches has a new home where we hope he will be happy. Paws up to you and your wife for helping to make this happen.
If he didn’t take patches, we would have taken him probably rather than bring him to a shelter.
There’s no proper punishment for cruelty against animals. Animals’ abusers should get long, serious prison terms to serve. That, or being beaten with bicycle chains. Preferably both.
Patches is a beautiful cat, and he’ll be better off in a new home. You’re right about that. And he’ll be OK because you and Rose and the resident are helping him. Otherwise, he’d probably starve to death.
But I agree with you; some people are horrible. Once a lady complained that dogs’ owners abandon their pets on the street, and a man asked her why she cared. He said, “If I decide to throw my pencil away, it’s mine, and I can do whatever I want with it. So what’s the problem? Why does it bother you?” Some people think animals are toys. But then some people do care, like you, and Rose, and the resident who agreed to keep the cat, and that nice lady who campaign against owners abandoning their dogs. Some people make you ashamed to be a human being, but some people make you proud to be one.
I think the reality is that most people are good. I would guess that 90% are good, 9% are so-so and 1% are bad but that 1% are a big problem.
So true. Like I said, most people are good but even a small number of bad people seems like too many.
I’m glad that Patches found a soft place to land, and that your wife is there to help out. Such a lucky cat, to have found good people. finally.
Thanks. I hope he will be okay.
Sadly we hope humans like that die a slow, painful and most unpleasant death relatively soon. No other way to say it. I’m glad Patches came out on the good end of this evil.
It would be nice if they would get some of what they dish out.
I know this requires patience, but I dare to believe karma will catch up with Patchs previous owner and that ignoramus holding the leash!
You are probably right.
God bless your wife and the resident who is taking in Patches. Purrayers and POTP that this sweet boy has a great life from now on ! Good for the manager who checked out the details and didn’t just call Animal Control too !
Thanks. I am happy the cat was not sent to the shelter.
I’m so relieved that Patches was discovered before the weekend! It sounds like he has a real family in the human that took him in – I won’t share what I consider the folks who left him behind to be.
I hate to think about what would have happened if the manager didn’t shop up when she did. Sadly, it is more common then you would think.
That poor kitty. I am glad he has a good home now. The person that left him should be jailed.
Exactly, with no food or water.
Patches is a very lucky kitty to have a new home, and you and Rose are so generous to help out Patches’ new person. Cooper Murphy was abandoned or left behind when someone moved, and we have never been able to figure it out. He is an absolutely terrific cat. The cruelty of some people is truly astounding. I am glad Rose yelled at that man with the dog. Thankfully, the world is filled with people who love and care for animals responsibly. I think most people who abandon their pets think someone else will find and take care of the animal. And like you said, those animals probably end up in better homes than where they started. If you can, keep us posted about Patches. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer
It is way too common for people to leave their pets behind. I wrote about Casper, whose humans left him outside when they evacuated for a hurricane. Unfortunately, many pets who are found in time end up in shelters where their chances of survival are even worse.
so pleased to hear that Patches is being looked after.
Sadly, there are a minority of humans all over the world who get pets when they shouldn’t. We’ve got a new neighbour (moved in in February) who has a cat she adopted from SPA. When neighbour went away on Holiday for 2 weeks in July, she just left the cat (name of Lilou) outdoors with no food or water, and the assumption that that cat could “look after itself”. Needless to say, we fed Lilou during those 2 weeks, and ever since, Lilou spends most of her time (because she is always outdoors) sitting on our kitchen window ledge. I’ve talked to the neighbour about her cat, but although she nods her head, what I’m saying doesn’t seem to sink in. I even went and bought a food dispenser and 3kg sack of dried food, telling neighbour to leave that on her terrasse, with fresh water, for Lilou so that she wouldn’t need to come to us for food. And what’s more . . . neighbour went and got a kitten this summer (luckily she has had it neutered) . . . which means that Lilou really doesn’t want to go to her REAL home now because of the kitten, but doesn’t particularly want to come into our home either because we already have 3 cats.
Good people like you are needed to compensate for the bad people of the world.
Things like that make me so mad! I don’t understand how anyone can treat an animal like that, especially one that you’ve taken responsibility for. Thank goodness for people who love animals and go out of their way to help.
Also, the cat seems very pleasant. Why wouldn’t they want him?
Dad says that there are people who have a very different way of seeing the world and the day he realized this he did much better in his rental business and hiring workers. He goes by the fool me once shame on you model and cuts all ties if there is some problem of weight. This is sad but I have a feeling the Patches may have a new home. We shall see if he can afford her but we hope so.
I tend to give people more credit than they deserve. My wife will often say something bad about somebody and I’ll say “I don’t see it” and then later she’ll be proven right.
We are glad you are there to help Patches. We have to agree…why do people get pets they obviously don’t want or can’t care for??
It’s a mystery.
I’d said a few unwritable words about Patches previous awful pet parents. And I’m right there with your wife. I’m glad she spoke her mind to those bad people with the dog. Chris, I think the same thing all the time–why are people so awful to their cats and dogs? Why get them!? It makes me bleeping crazy! Bless you and the neighbor who took in Patches–this is so heartwarming. And Patches looks so happy! I adopted a cat years ago named Punkiest who was also abandon by tenants who moved out. I have a story about her in one of my blogs, but for a snap-shot version, her story is on my Meet the Family page. I gave Punkiest a loving home for 20 years! She was one of the loves of my life.
Happy New Year to you and your family!
It’s nice when a bad story has a happy ending like that. I never could understand how people can be so uncaring but I suppose I never will.
Wish I had an answer for you. People do some pretty unspeakable things to each other too. It sounds like Patches got lucky. His new owner sounds like a good guy.
They both seem happy together.