I'll just never understand

I stopped by the home of some friends last evening. As I walked to their door, I heard, "Meow, meow, meow ..." This surprised me, since my friends have two indoor-only cats. Fearing that one of their cats had escaped outside, I looked down to see an unfamiliar short-haired, grey tom sitting on the concrete stoop in front of their door, crying in the frigid cold. I picked up the insistent beast and cuddled him against my parka. Very sweet boy. As my friend answered the door and saw the grey cat in my arms, he said, "He can't come in. Don't let him in!" It broke my heart to put the freezing boy back on the concrete, but I did so in order to enter the house and hear his story. Apparently, this cat belongs to a neighbor who "pretends" to care for him, but ends up just turning him outside all the time. Not only are these houses right next to a very busy road, but it's below zero tonight! My friend told me that he has taken the cat home before, just to have the owner turn him outside as soon as my friend leaves. The cat is back at my friend's door within 30 mins. My friend's wife can't tolerate the smell of cat urine, and apparently this boy has been spraying the outside of their house. The spraying, along with the fact that they don't want to upset their own cats, are the reasons they won't allow this poor boy to come inside.

I told my friend that I had a couple of cardboard boxes in my car, and that if he had an old blanket, at least we could set up a little something to block the frigid breeze and give the cat something soft to lie on. I also told my friend that if the neighbor wouldn't listen to him, perhaps she'd listen to the sheriff, who I then called. Of course, the deputy blamed all of this on my friend for feeding the cat, but at least the deputy did deliver the cat back to the owner's house. Anyone want to bet how quickly that poor cat gets turned out into the sub-zero night again?

I'd like to drag that owner out into the weather and see how long she lasts before the temperature shuts down her heartless body. There ought to be a "do unto others" clause in the cruelty statutes, and punishment in kind for all infractions.

Laurie