Sherry wrote:

A man adopted a cat for his daughter about six months ago. He
showed up today to turn it back. He explained that the reason is
that he "warned" his daughter if she didn't get her grades up,
he would take away her cat. She got a bad grade in Math, and he
brought us the cat.

Tell you the truth, with a guy like this, the cat is probably better
off. But I feel really sorry for the girl. The cat isn't an object
that can be replaced, or a privelege like being able to go someplace
or stay up late. It's a *living being* with feelings and needs. As
someone else said, what kind of values is he teaching her, about how
to think about and treat animals, by doing this?

This is a *relationship* he's destroying. That has to be really
heartbreaking to the girl. And it's not even for a remotely relevant
reason. Maybe if he'd made a contract with her that if she had a
cat, she had to take care of it. And then she didn't, I could see
telling her that he would give it away if she couldn't be responsible
for its care. I still think that's very harsh, but at least the
punishment would be related to the problem behavior. But not making
good grades? What does that have to do with having a cat?? What lesson
is she learning, other than that her father is willing to break her
heart?

Plus, he's teaching her that she should study so that her father
won't do mean things to her. Way to inspire a love of learning, Dad!
This is so manipulative and cruel, to both the cat and the girl. He
sounds like a real control freak. Poor kid!

Oh, there are so many things wrong with this situation, I can't
stand it! I'm sorry you had to see that, Sherry.

Joyce