Howard, the Combine Kitty

1. Betseflets
   August 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

   50 million people can't get medical insurance and this nation is involved with cat-rescue. However cute the cat may be, you need to take care of your own, your neighbour, the bum on the street, people who work but can't get dental insurance, damn you're a nasty bunch.

   Kind regards from the netherlands, where we do take care of both the cat and the fellow citizens instead of being proud of saving just one kitten.

   And don't come talking about euthanasia and abortion 'cause it has jack shit to do with helping people, fuck y'all for not listening to righteous policies.

2. Vonskippy
   August 17th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

   Meh. More time/money being wasted on common animals that are already waaaaaaaaaaay over populated.

3. Tim Giachetti
   August 17th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

   Skippy yer a walking breathing turd and you are part of the human over population. Get a life.

4. Loomis
   August 17th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

   Ive read that cats will purr even when in pain. (maybe soothing themselves?) So it's not so impressive that this kitten was doing so or would.

5. JB
   August 17th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

   Nice story, cute kitty.

6. Colt Seaver
   August 17th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

   Omni Consumer Products could have done better.

7. Auz
   August 17th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

   "Ive read that cats will purr even when in pain."

   Apparently true. Wikipedia says it may indicate they're not a threat, but it also may help healing: http://cats.suite101.com/article.cfm/purring_helps_with_healing

8. Cola
   August 17th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

   I think the amazing thing about his purring, Loomis, is that he wasn't unconscious or too afraid.

   Skippy, I'm amazed you could be so cold. Yes, cats are over abundant, but that's no reason to treat them as disposable. My own cat, Azul, is approaching her first birthday in October. When she was four weeks old, someone threw her and her sister from a moving vehicle on a back road where she was found bleeding from the head by my aunt and cousin, who took her to a vet and saved her life. I fell in love with her at word one when they brought her to Thanksgiving dinner. Now she keeps my lap warm every morning and covers me with kisses, sits next to the tub when I take my bath, and plays fetch every evening before bed.

   I don't care how many cats there are. She's one of a kind.

9. vaxjo
   August 17th, 2009 at 3:36 pm

   Alas; not the "Combine" I was hoping was being referenced: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_%28Half-Life%29

10. Cola
    August 17th, 2009 at 3:41 pm

    Vaxjo, check these comments again in an hour.

11. Urchin
    August 17th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

    They took him to a veterinary teaching hospital, a place where vets are practicing to become independent vets. I'm a little bit shocked that these guys are charging up to $2000 in this case.

    I realize that there are some costs for actual items like anesthesia and medical supplies but I can't imagine those things costing anywhere near that amount. Maybe the article isn't explaining it right but the story would have been much nicer if they didn't mention that there is going to be a $2000 bill involved.

12. Swamp
    August 17th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    Cue the neatorama dark hearted "they should have put that animal down" crowd in 3...2...1...

13. ted
    August 17th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    It's not dark hearted to put down an animal, after considering the extent of its injuries.

    In fact, it can be quite merciful.

    A vet will keep an animal alive for as long as you're willing to spend.

14. daren
    August 17th, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    Hats off to the two young boys for being compassionate and doing the right thing. Seems we hear a lot about people abusing cats, but rarely do we hear about people helping them. A wonderful story and a happy Howard.

15. Cola
    August 17th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    Pshow!

16. Cola
    August 17th, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    Ted, I once took a six week old kitten I was fostering to the vet because he'd stopped eating. The little guy was paralyzed, but mobile. The vet X-rayed him and found that there was something very wrong with his insides (I'll spare you the details). In spite of the fact that I was willing to spend anything, she told me flat out that there was nothing I could do.

    After they put him down, the vet sent me a card signed by the vet and her assistants to offer condolences. Maybe she and the vet who gave my parents free medications to save a litter we were losing to a major flea infestation when I was a kid were just exceptions.

17. LisaL
    August 17th, 2009 at 6:48 pm

    Very nice story. I'm so glad that those 2 boys saved the kitty. Their parents are obviously doing something right.

18. missmeliss
    August 17th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

    I love animals especially cats but the best choice would have been humane euthanasia. I mean, really, the cat lost both front paws and the link stated that they" believe" he will be able to get around. I feel sorry for him aleady perched up on his back legs. not much of a quality of life

19. dooflotchie
    August 17th, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    Jeez. I am disappointed that 13 people made comments here before #14 finally came along and applauded those two boys for saving the kitten's life, especially since most of the time any article with "kids" + "kitten" in the headline is likely to be a horrifying story of abuse. And why are some of you using this as a soapbox for your health care reform rants? Nobody's going to be denied treatment or left to die just because two boys (who were much kinder and compassionate than some of *YOU*) saved a kitten.

    Today two passers-by brought in a dog that got hit by a car in front of the store I work in and rushed him to the vet clinic we have. They didn't own the dog, the vet never did find the owners, but he tried to save the dog anyway. (He died.)

    Since some of you here think it's so bad to try helping a stray animal I'll be sure to bitch them all out for you tomorrow, OK?

20. Marty
    August 17th, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    Well, am not going to go into how I rescued two strays (healthy, thankfully)from certain injury, death, etc. What saddens me is a lack of compassion and empathy in our society. Enough said.

21. webeke
    August 18th, 2009 at 12:37 am

    Betseflets-i really hate to point out that a good chunk of the blame for slavery, and the sad state of africa today goes to the Dutch. but i mean, who cares about the echos pain and suffering cause by a nation if they're on the ball with treating everyone alright now, huh?

    oh look, now we're both posting opinions that have nothing to do with the story. woops.

22. SenorMysterioso
    August 18th, 2009 at 1:00 am

    Marty, you effectively went into how you rescued two strays by pointing out that you were not going to go into it.

    "The estimate to rehabilitate Howard's life is approximately $1000-2000"

    What is the money for? They say he will require future surgeries but what are the costs involved there? Medicine and anesthesia?

    I know a vet office that has worked on strays, nothing as severe as this though. Besides the fact that there is nobody to bill, all services were done for free and most meds were paid for by the vet. After they get them healthy they work with a shelter to find them homes. Often the people that bring in sick or injured strays will pay some of the costs. Im pretty sure most vets would have euthanized this cat but because it was at a school they used him as a learning opportunity.

    I think he'll be fine. Ive seen many cats less a limb or two that never had any veterinary care at all.

23. Earnest Frank
    August 18th, 2009 at 5:10 am

    The more unrealistic the attitude of the pet owner, the more money the vet can make off of them.

    A .22 bullet only cost about 3 cents.

    Throwing it in a pail of water, (like I did to a whole litter of kittens last spring) is free.

24. Noelegy
    August 18th, 2009 at 7:34 am

    (Ignoring Earnest Frank)

    Years ago, my parents were traveling home from a weekend trip. I was 16 and had stayed home with my 10-year-old brother. My parents found an injured kitten, about 6 months but hard to tell because he was very thin, on the side of the road. He had been hit by a car and his back leg had been shattered.

    My parents knocked on doors near where they found the kitten and naturally no one would claim it. So, being unable to leave him there, they brought him home. My mom woke me up to tell me about this and warned that the kitten would probably not survive the night. My first sight of him was of a marmalade kitten, back leg a ghastly sight...but purring.

    We took him to the vet the next morning. This being a country vet in a small town, he said he could amputate the leg for $45, or put the kitten to sleep for $15. My dad is a carpenter, and was working on a jobsite nearby. My mom went to ask my dad what he thought. The vet had warned that the cat would require special care and would not be able to go outside. My dad did not hesitate when he said that if he had wanted the cat to die he would have left him on the side of the road.

    The cat proved to be amazingly resilient, and not only overcame his injury, but got around just as quickly as the other cats. He had a sweet and happy nature. We named him Malarkey, but he also answered to Tripod.

    Stories like the Combine Cat are worth far more than anyone's attempt to spoil them.

25. Noelegy
    August 18th, 2009 at 7:36 am

    P.S. Dooflotchie is right. Far too often, stories involving kids and animals end in tragedy for the animal. How wonderful that these two boys were raised right.

26. Mitch
    August 18th, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    Earnest Frank, if someone hurt my cat they would be in the hospital and I would be in jail.

27. SP
    August 19th, 2009 at 3:46 pm

    for the ones that are bitchin about " why save cat??".....I would gladly give money to help an animal over dental, medical, taxes etc....where im just throwin money away for someone to sit on there ass and do nothin....just to accept a check and ridiculously high amounts in food stamps.......i go to school full-time, work full-time and have rescued 18 cats and kittens......but yet i cant qualify for medcaid and/or food stamps because im too old and dont have enough kids and o yea i have a job in which they consider I make too much.......so to hell with the government and throwin my tax dollars away to sorry excuses for a human.....humans have a choice.....animals dont....so i commend these children and animal control for their efforts to help a poor soul.....in the south, they could care less....thank you to all involved in this miraculous rescue of this kitten.....it fought to live......R u fightin to work???

28. randomperson
    August 20th, 2009 at 2:48 am

    Wow, some really heartless people in here. Heaven forbid some people have some compassion and save a cat's life. I would rather save a poor kitten's life than some of you people, geez.

29. shocked and bothered
    August 23rd, 2009 at 7:54 pm

    Hmmm...typically when someone is kind to an animal, it signifies that they in turn will show kindness to a person too. I agree that MSU should have chosen to do the procedure free of charge. If they were going to help the cat, then they should have done so without expecting money for their deed. I am delighted to live in the same area of these boys and hope that if ever I am in need of help, that they would be my good samaritans. Says a lot of the children to have such compassion. As for those writing about insurance and the likes, it is obvious that none of you have ever connected with an animal to know the love and joy they can deliver. I have had past animals euthanized because of failing health and not wanting to become poor in prolonging their lives but I also held them on the floor and cradled them with tears as I said goodbye. It is unimaginable that people could criticize the saving of any kind of life. Yes, we have many animals without homes in the world and yes, we are over populated; however, Zero Population in China stated the same thing which led to killings and forceful taking of children from people's homes. No, you can't compare an animal's life to a humans, however, life is life and if one is injured or sick, they should be given the opportunity to live..even if it is an animal.

30. rounder
    August 25th, 2009 at 12:09 am

    And in this corner, weighing in at 3 lbs 6 oz...Hooooooooooward the Conbiiiiiiine Kiiiiiityyyy

31. Nora
    September 28th, 2009 at 8:45 am

    Thanks for your funny comment Rounder, there are a lot of people posting here who need to get a life, think more positively and enjoy a little bit of good news in the world for a change!

32. schtoop
    October 27th, 2009 at 6:53 pm

    Hey Earnest Frank,
    Suck a bag of d*cks

33. vesey
    October 28th, 2009 at 3:32 am

    i am surprised so many people can't applaud something humane and positive like this story is. the comments ranged from evil veterinarians to rhetoric on health insurance and abortions. celebrate something positive instead of using this commentary section as a soap box for your favorite political rant..........

34. Chief
    November 19th, 2009 at 10:39 am

    Aaw, poor kitty.

    @ Betseflets

    Jesus Christ, how cold can you be? Animals have feelings too, don't be so selfish.

    Just so you people know, I am from the Netherlands too, and I want to apologize for Betseflets's weird comment, not all Dutch people are like this.

    @ Skippy

    You're as selfish as Betseflets.

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