If you adopt a pet, please keep in mind that this is a commitment for the life of that pet. This poem was written with Hunter, a cat that Furry Friends rescued in mind. Although we don’t know 100% if Hunter was dumped it seems likely. Jenn Hutchman wrote this for all the dumped cats like him. Maybe one day people will realize this is not a solution to re-homing your pet.*

I got a new family when I was a kitten
They spent time with me all day
They fed me and loved me
And they really loved to play

They gave me a blue collar
And gave me a name
They said no matter what happens
They would love me the same

I was someone’s world 6 months ago
They let me sleep on their warm bed
Then something changed
And I was just too much they said.

They couldn’t find someone to take me
I still don’t understand what I did wrong
So they put me outside somewhere new
On my own, I won’t survive for long

They think someone will take me in
But some people think I’m a burden too
I have to try to survive with no skills
And all I want is to be with you.

I’m too scared to find food
So I’m losing weight and am always hungry
My fur is starting to get matted from the rain
Why didn’t you want me?

I don’t trust people now
I run when they set out the cage with food at one end
I’m not mean, I promise
I just don’t know who’s my friend

I’ve broken a tooth, tore my ear
And got cuts all over my feet
Another animal bit me on my hind leg
Unlike me, some out here are not sweet.

I’m always sick and in pain
I can’t get heathy and well out here
I’m going to go into that cage
I can barely survive from fear

By the time I got to the shelter
I was barely hanging on
They weren’t sure I would make it
But they got me healthy and strong

They said I was a good boy
And they also couldn’t understand why
Why people leave cats like me
I think I made them cry

They said they would take care of me
As they patted my head
They would find me a home
One with a warm bed.

*Dumping your pets is not a solution*

We would like to thank Jenn Hutchman for writing this poem. She has been volunteering with Furry Friends for a couple years and has been an amazing contribution to our team. She has fostered over 100 cats and kittens so far for Furry Friends, and not just the easy ones. She has fostered several bottle baby kittens that require feeding every two hours and has taken on some of the difficult medical cases. She also handles community outreach such as emails/voicemails and does the adoption and cat intake coordination as well as a number of other tasks including fundraising. For 2021 she put in about 1500 volunteer hours for Furry Friends. We are so grateful for all she does.

If you would like to donate to help cats like Hunter, you can go to https://furryfriendswa.org/donate/ and click donate or send a PayPal to information@furryfriendswa.org.

Furry Friends is a nonprofit cat adoption organization. Its mission is to help homeless, relinquished and abused cats by providing spaying and neutering, medical care, and foster shelter for as long as it takes to find their forever home. Copyright © 2013 – 2020 Furry Friends. All rights reserved. Website design and development by Christina Roberts.