Defenseless kitten found 3 miles out to sea
zuz...@webtv.net
just don't see how this could be accidental. I hope whoever did this
rots in hell. I can't even imagine the terror this baby must have felt.
It makes me sick inside.
Photo of this sweet little baby at:
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/07/09/Northpinellas/Holiday_boaters_rescu.shtml
Holiday boaters rescue kitty who went to sea
A sad, soggy ball of fur finds salvation from the Gulf of Mexico when
eagle-eyed boaters stop to give him a lift - and a new life.
By EILEEN SCHULTE, Times Staff Writer
Published July 9, 2004
A group of friends on a scalloping trip were cruising in Homosassa Bay
more than 3 miles into the Gulf of Mexico when one of them spotted
something the color of a plastic Publix shopping bag in the distance.
"Dog in the water!" shouted Bob Kline to Bob Burkenstock, who was
steering the 17-foot Scout Current Drift at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Kline's wife, Maggie Rogers, said she thought maybe it was a piece of
sea kelp or a turtle. But it was hard to tell because the boat was going
35 mph.
Amid heavy traffic that day, Burkenstock turned the boat around to take
a closer look.
"There was a 9-inch-long kitten doing the paddle and screaming at the
top of his lungs," said Rogers, the director of finances at the
Clearwater Marine Aquarium. "We scooped him up and he sat on the boat
with me for eight hours."
The question: How in the world did a kitten get 3 miles out to sea?
Was he an unwanted pet tossed overboard to die? Did he fall off
someone's boat?
As long as he wasn't shark bait.
Several fishing guides said they had never heard of people using live
pets as bait. Some were appalled at the possibility.
"My opinion is somebody that sick should be put on a hook himself," said
Wade Osborne, owner of Afishionado Guide Services and owner of three
cats. "My opinion is he could have fallen off a sailboat."
Indeed, there were at least 40 boats in the area when the Current Drift
passed between Mile Marker 22 and 24, where the kitten was spotted.
For the rest of the day, Rogers held the kitten in her lap trying to
comfort him while the others went scalloping.
"He was exhausted and stressed," Rogers said. "His heart rate was high."
When anyone approached, he cowered and ran for cover behind Rogers'
back.
But he never cried.
"I said to Bob, "Maybe he had screamed himself hoarse,"' Rogers said.
The boaters took the apricot-colored kitty back to a cabin where they
were spending the holiday weekend and gave him a room of his own.
He was terrified, especially of the sound of running water. For two
days, he would not eat or drink.
When the Rogers got home to St. Petersburg, he took up residence in
their shower stall - a dry one. On Tuesday, they took the kitten to
their vet, Dr. Kevin Rose of the St. Pete Beach Veterinary Clinic.
Aside from having worms, the 10-week-old kitten, all 1 pound, six ounces
of him, is in good health.
He was adopted by Rogers' sister-in-law.
His name?
Nemo, of course.
Megan
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Dave C.
<zuz...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:2685-40E...@storefull-3194.bay.webtv.net...
> I suspect some jackass threw this little one overboard on purpose. I
> just don't see how this could be accidental. I hope whoever did this
> rots in hell. I can't even imagine the terror this baby must have felt.
> It makes me sick inside.
>
> Photo of this sweet little baby at:
>
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/07/09/Northpinellas/Holiday_boaters_rescu.shtml
>
>
Where there's one kitten, there are usually others. I just hope "Nemo"
wasn't the only one who SURVIVED. Then I had the thought that maybe someone
took the mother cat and kittens out for a boat ride and one of the kittens
was frisky enough to hop over the side. (big mistake, obviously) It's
possible the previous owner of the kitten isn't even aware the kitten is
gone. Or maybe they are still searching the boat thinking that the kitten
has hidden somewhere. Cats can be very good at hiding when they want to be.
I lost a cat in our house for two days. She just found a new hiding spot
that I hadn't discovered yet . . . an empty space behind a drawer in my
desk. I'd checked behind the desk many times, but hadn't considered the
possibility that she'd be IN the desk. :) Anyway, a kitten would have more
potential hiding spots than a full-grown cat. So I'd like to think that the
previous owners are still looking for this kitten. -Dave
Anne Warfield
>"There was a 9-inch-long kitten doing the paddle and screaming at the
>top of his lungs," said Rogers, the director of finances at the
>Clearwater Marine Aquarium. "We scooped him up and he sat on the boat
>with me for eight hours."
Poor baby. I'm glad he's got a good home now.
--
Anne Warfield
indigoace at goodsol period com
http://www.goodsol.com/cats/
Child
"Dave C." <mdu...@sff.net> wrote in message
news:2la29jF...@uni-berlin.de...
>
> <zuz...@webtv.net> wrote in message
> news:2685-40E...@storefull-3194.bay.webtv.net...
> > I suspect some jackass threw this little one overboard on purpose. I
> > just don't see how this could be accidental. I hope whoever did this
> > rots in hell. I can't even imagine the terror this baby must have felt.
> > It makes me sick inside.
> >
> > Photo of this sweet little baby at:
> >
>
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/07/09/Northpinellas/Holiday_boaters_rescu.shtml
> >
> >
>
> Where there's one kitten, there are usually others. I just hope "Nemo"
> wasn't the only one who SURVIVED. Then I had the thought that maybe
someone
> took the mother cat and kittens out for a boat ride and one of the kittens
> was frisky enough to hop over the side.
It could be a large freighter boat with a ship cat, who had kittens.