Mack A. Damia wrote:
On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:19:01 -0700, "Bill Graham"
wrote:

We feed a stray cat. He isn't really a stray, because we have seen
him go into another house down the block. But since he has no collar
or chip, we suspect they don't own him either. At any rate, he is
sick. His thyroids aren't working properly and he is skinny as a
rail even though he eats at least two cans of cat food a day in our
kitchen alone, and God only knows how much he eats from the
neighbors. The question is, should we capture him, give him to our
roving vet to have his thyroid removed? This would cost us around
$500, but we love cats and have spent a lot more than this on them
in the past. When one of our other cats, Junie had the same problem,
we paid for her operation, and there are a lot worse ways for us to
spend $500.IOW, it isn't the money that I am asking about, but the
morality of us catching and operating on what may well be someone
else's cat. I could talk to them, but I am afraid that they will
think I want money from them, and/or they may just put poor Max down
so he won't be a bother to some nosy neighbor. IOW, I would prefer
to just catch him, put him in a cat carrier, call the roving vet,
get him operated on, and let him go without ever telling anyone else
about it. What do you guys think?

You will feel better doing what you want to do, and you are like me in
this respect: we do not like to see animals suffering.

Yes. I would sooner help an animal than a human being. Humans understand why
they are the way they are, and what can be done about it if anything.
Animals don't have this luxoury. They may think that they are suffering
because they did something wrong, and this tears me up. If I were Bill
Gates, I woulod spend all my money on animals and the hell with the kids
with cleft pallats. They can grow up, work hard, save their money, and get
themselves fixed by modern medicine. But what can a poor animal do? And for
those who say, "But you are himan and should help your own kind", I say, "I
am a living thing, and that is more basic than being humal. Animals are my
own kind. They, like me, are trapped in this miserable universe. Only they
have no way to help themselves to a better life.