Understanding Shelter Euthanasia Lists for Cats: Why Saving Every Cat Isn't Always the Best Outcome

When people hear that a cat is on a euthanasia list, the immediate reaction is often heartbreak. Social media posts featuring cats facing euthanasia deadlines frequently generate urgent calls for adopters, fosters, and rescue groups to step in before time runs out.

These efforts save thousands of cats every year. However, the reality behind shelter euthanasia decisions is often far more complicated than a simple story of a healthy cat needing a home.

Understanding how cats are selected for euthanasia lists—and why pulling a cat from that list is not always the best outcome—requires a closer look at the challenges shelters face and the unique needs of cats themselves.

How Cats End Up on a Euthanasia List

Most shelters do not select cats for euthanasia randomly. Decisions are generally based on factors related to health, behavior, quality of life, and available resources.

Medical Conditions

Some cats arrive at shelters with severe injuries, advanced disease, or chronic medical conditions that significantly affect their well-being.

While shelters strive to provide treatment whenever possible, not every condition is treatable within the shelter's available resources. In some cases, euthanasia may be considered the most humane option to prevent ongoing suffering.

Infectious Disease

Cats can be particularly vulnerable to contagious illnesses in shelter environments.

Diseases that spread rapidly through cat populations may require extensive isolation, treatment, and resources. In shelters with limited veterinary capacity, severe or widespread outbreaks can influence euthanasia decisions.

This is not because the cats are unwanted, but because shelters must also protect the health of the larger population.

Feral and Unsocialized Cats

One of the biggest differences between cats and dogs is the existence of truly feral cats.

A feral cat is not simply shy or nervous. These cats have often had little meaningful human contact and may be unable to adapt to life as companion animals.

Historically, many shelters euthanized healthy feral cats because they were considered unadoptable. Today, many communities have embraced Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, which allow healthy feral cats to live in managed outdoor colonies rather than entering shelters.

However, not every community has robust TNR resources, and not every feral cat has a safe outdoor placement available.

Severe Stress and Behavioral Deterioration

Cats often experience shelter stress differently than dogs.

A stressed cat may:

• Stop eating
• Hide constantly
• Withdraw from all interaction
• Become defensive or fearful
• Develop stress-related illness

In some cases, prolonged confinement causes significant deterioration in a cat's mental and physical well-being.

Overcrowding and Capacity Issues

Many municipal shelters experience seasonal surges in cat intake, particularly during kitten season.

When hundreds of kittens and adult cats enter the shelter within a short period, available space, staffing, and resources can become overwhelmed. These pressures can influence outcome decisions, particularly in facilities with limited funding.

The Problem With "Urgent Cat" Culture

Social media has created a powerful movement around saving cats from euthanasia lists.

Photos of frightened cats are shared with captions emphasizing impending deadlines and urgent need. While these posts often come from a place of compassion, they can oversimplify complex situations.

The public rarely sees:

• Medical records
• Behavioral histories
• Quality-of-life assessments
• Previous adoption attempts
• Veterinary recommendations

As a result, many people assume every euthanasia-listed cat is a healthy, friendly pet that simply needs transportation out of the shelter.

The reality is often more nuanced.

Why Pulling a Cat From the Euthanasia List Is Not Always the Best Choice

This can be an uncomfortable subject because it challenges the idea that every rescue is automatically a success.

But saving a life and improving a life are not always the same thing.

Some Cats Are Experiencing Significant Suffering

A cat with advanced disease, severe chronic pain, or a poor medical prognosis may continue to suffer even after leaving the shelter.

In these situations, transferring the cat elsewhere may delay a difficult decision without actually improving the cat's quality of life.

Not Every Cat Is a Suitable Pet

Many euthanasia-listed cats are highly adoptable and simply need an opportunity.

Others may be profoundly unsocialized or feral.

A feral cat placed in a typical household may experience constant fear and stress. In some cases, the cat's welfare may actually decline after removal from the environment it understands.

The goal should not simply be survival but an environment where the cat can thrive.

Rescue Does Not Eliminate the Underlying Problem

Removing a cat from a shelter does not automatically resolve the medical or behavioral challenges that led to the euthanasia recommendation.

Cats with severe medical conditions may require extensive veterinary care. Cats with significant behavioral issues may need specialized placement or long-term management.

Without adequate resources, the cat's struggles often continue.

Resources Are Limited

Every foster home, rescue space, veterinary appointment, and donation dollar is finite.

When organizations commit substantial resources to one extremely difficult case, those resources may not be available for multiple healthy cats and kittens who could be successfully placed with far less intervention.

This is one of the hardest realities in animal welfare and one that rescue organizations confront every day.

Extending Life Is Not Always Improving Welfare

Perhaps the most difficult concept for animal lovers to accept is that humane euthanasia can sometimes be kinder than prolonged suffering.

Animal welfare is about more than keeping an animal alive at all costs.

It is about ensuring that life contains comfort, security, and an acceptable quality of life.

For some cats, particularly those experiencing severe illness, extreme psychological distress, or conditions that cannot realistically be managed, euthanasia may be the more humane option.

What Truly Helps Cats

The most effective ways to reduce feline euthanasia are not found in last-minute rescue efforts alone.

Long-term solutions include:

• Spaying and neutering
• Trap-Neuter-Return programs
• Accessible veterinary care
• Owner support programs
• Foster networks
• Responsible pet ownership
• Community education

These strategies prevent cats from entering shelters in the first place and reduce the pressures that create euthanasia decisions.

Compassion Requires More Than Saving Lives

The desire to save every cat comes from a place of genuine compassion. But meaningful compassion requires looking beyond the deadline and considering the cat's overall welfare.

Not every cat on a euthanasia list is there because of overcrowding. Not every cat can be successfully rehabilitated or rehomed. And not every rescue results in a better life.

The goal of animal welfare should not be to avoid euthanasia at all costs. The goal should be to maximize quality of life, reduce suffering, and create the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of animals.

Sometimes that means celebrating a successful rescue.

Sometimes it means investing in prevention.

And sometimes it means recognizing that the most humane decisions are also the hardest ones to make.

~**~**~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*****~*~~***~*

This is precisely why I have gone to extreme lengths to give the true ferals here a space to enjoy inside and outside, safely, enclosed and with tons of things for stimulation without forcing human contact or socialization. 

A true rescuers knows when a cat is a true feral and allows them to be themselves. 

I have several true ferals, Spicy Carolina was the first to come in, Naughty Nels, Callie, Salem, Abby is super shy and mostly feral and the new guy who got dumped here Mikey are all classified as feral.  This means they will be permanent residents since they cannot be safely adopted and should stay in an environment they know and are comfortable in. 

They didn't ask to be removed but their situation was dire. People were trying to poison the colony, some had already died. Spicy Carolina came in with an injury and just needed time to heal. I posted tons of videos of her on YouTube. 

So, I give them a climate controlled old camper and a small 5 x 5 outdoor catio to enjoy. I will enlarge that space when we get a 10x 10 donated. But they have plenty of space, hiding places etc to enjoy being feral. I have cameras to see them on and make sure they remain healthy.

But a feral should not receive a death sentence simply because it cannot be a pet. 

 

Understanding Shelter Euthanasia Lists: What They Really Mean and Why Saving One Dog Isn't Always Simple

Few phrases in animal welfare provoke as much emotion as "the euthanasia list." Social media posts featuring dogs scheduled for euthanasia often spread rapidly, generating urgent pleas to save them before time runs out. While these efforts can and do save lives, the reality behind shelter euthanasia decisions is far more complex than many people realize.

Understanding how dogs are placed on euthanasia lists—and why pulling a dog from that list is not always the best outcome for the dog, adopter, or community—requires a closer look at how shelters operate.

How Dogs End Up on a Euthanasia List

Contrary to popular belief, most shelters do not choose dogs for euthanasia arbitrarily. Decisions are typically based on a combination of factors that may include:

Medical Issues

Some dogs arrive at shelters with severe injuries, terminal illnesses, or chronic conditions that cause significant suffering. While shelters strive to provide care whenever possible, resources are not unlimited. In some cases, euthanasia is considered the most humane option to prevent prolonged pain.

Behavioral Concerns

Behavior is often the most misunderstood factor. A dog may be placed on a euthanasia list because it has demonstrated dangerous aggression toward people or other animals. In other cases, the shelter environment itself can cause extreme stress, anxiety, or deterioration that makes the dog increasingly difficult to manage safely.

Behavioral euthanasia is one of the most controversial aspects of animal welfare, but shelters have a responsibility to consider public safety as well as the dog's quality of life.

Quality of Life

Some dogs experience severe psychological or physical distress in a kennel environment. Dogs that cannot eat, sleep, interact normally, or recover from extreme fear may have a poor quality of life despite being physically healthy.

Capacity Limitations

Many municipal shelters face overcrowding. While staff work tirelessly to avoid euthanasia through adoption, fostering, and rescue partnerships, there are situations where available space, staffing, and resources simply cannot meet demand.

This reality is heartbreaking, but it is often a symptom of larger community issues such as overbreeding, inadequate spay/neuter efforts, and owner surrenders.

The Rise of "Urgent Dog" Culture

The growth of social media has created a new phenomenon: the urgent rescue post.

Photos of dogs on euthanasia lists are shared with captions that emphasize imminent deadlines. These posts often portray the dog as a victim of circumstance and encourage immediate action to save its life.

While many dogs have found wonderful homes through these efforts, the urgency can sometimes overshadow important information.

Potential adopters may be driven by emotion rather than preparation. Rescue organizations may feel pressure to save every dog regardless of available resources. Critical behavioral or medical concerns may receive less attention than the countdown clock.

Why Pulling a Dog From the List Is Not Always the Best Choice

This idea can be uncomfortable, but saving a dog from euthanasia is not automatically the same thing as helping that dog.

Some Dogs Have Serious Behavioral Challenges

A dog may be on a euthanasia list because it has a documented history of severe aggression. While rehabilitation is possible in some cases, not every dog can be safely placed in a typical home.

When adopters are not fully informed about these challenges, the results can be tragic for both people and animals.

Rescue Is Not Rehabilitation

Removing a dog from a shelter does not solve the underlying issue that led to its placement on the euthanasia list.

A dog with severe anxiety, aggression, or medical needs may require months or years of intensive management, training, and veterinary care. Without adequate resources, the dog's suffering may simply continue in a different setting.

Resources Are Finite

Every kennel, foster home, rescue placement, and donation dollar is limited.

When organizations devote substantial resources to one extremely challenging dog, those resources may not be available for multiple other dogs with excellent prospects for successful adoption.

This is one of the most difficult ethical questions in animal welfare: whether saving one high-needs dog sometimes comes at the expense of helping many others.

Prolonging Suffering Is Not the Same as Saving a Life

Perhaps the hardest truth is that life alone is not always the measure of a good outcome.

A dog living in constant fear, chronic pain, or severe psychological distress may not be experiencing an acceptable quality of life. Humane euthanasia, while heartbreaking, can sometimes be the kinder option.

Animal welfare professionals often describe this as choosing between a difficult death and prolonged suffering.

A Better Way to Think About Shelter Dogs

Rather than viewing euthanasia-list dogs as heroes waiting to be saved or victims of an uncaring system, it is more helpful to see them as individuals with unique needs and circumstances.

The best outcomes occur when:

• Shelters provide transparent information.
• Adopters understand the dog's challenges.
• Rescue groups make decisions based on resources and expertise rather than emotion alone.
• Communities invest in prevention through spay/neuter programs, responsible ownership, and behavioral support.

Compassion Requires Honesty

The desire to save every dog comes from a place of compassion. But compassion also requires honesty.

Not every dog on a euthanasia list is there because of bad luck. Not every dog can be safely or humanely rehabilitated. And not every act of rescue leads to a better life.

The goal of animal welfare should not simply be to prevent euthanasia at all costs. The goal should be to create the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of animals while respecting both public safety and quality of life.

Sometimes that means celebrating a successful rescue. Sometimes it means acknowledging difficult realities. And sometimes it means recognizing that humane decisions are not always the easiest ones to accept.

 

Returning to the Cycle: How Off-Grid Living Can Help Restore Our Relationship With the Planet

For years, the environmental conversation has focused on one central question:

How do we reduce our impact on the planet?

We often look toward large-scale solutions:

• new technologies,
• industrial systems,
• carbon capture,
• advanced energy solutions.

These tools may have a role in the future, but there is another question we should ask:

What if part of the solution is returning to the systems that nature already created?

The planet does not operate through waste. Nature works through cycles.

A fallen tree becomes soil.
Plants become food.
Waste becomes nutrients.
Carbon moves through living systems.

The challenge humanity faces is that we have increasingly built systems that interrupt these cycles.

We extract resources, manufacture products, consume them, and discard what remains.

We have created a world of convenience, but convenience often comes with a hidden cost.

The Disposable Culture Problem

For generations, people repaired what they owned.

Clothing was mended.
Tools were fixed.
Furniture was restored.
Food scraps returned to the soil.

Today, many things are designed around replacement rather than repair.

This creates a cycle:

Extract resources → manufacture products → use them briefly → discard them → repeat.

The problem is not only the waste at the end.

It is everything required to create the replacement:

• more mining,
• more transportation,
• more energy use,
• more pollution.

A sustainable future cannot only ask:

"How can we make things cleaner?"

It must also ask:

"How can we need fewer replacements?"

Nature Already Has a Carbon Solution

Carbon is not the enemy.

Carbon is the foundation of life.

Plants need carbon dioxide to grow. Forests, oceans, and soil naturally move carbon through the Earth’s systems.

The problem is not that carbon exists.

The problem is imbalance.

When forests are destroyed, when soil is depleted, and when natural cycles are disrupted, we lose the systems that helped maintain balance.

This is why replanting forests and restoring ecosystems matters.

A tree is not just a carbon storage device.

A tree:

• captures carbon,
• creates oxygen,
• protects soil,
• supports wildlife,
• regulates water,
• and contributes to a living ecosystem.

A forest is not a machine built to perform one function.

It is a network of life.

Technology Should Support Nature, Not Replace It

Technology has given humanity incredible tools.

The internet expanded access to knowledge beyond anything previous generations imagined. Artificial intelligence may help us solve complex problems. Scientific advances have improved countless lives.

The question is not whether technology is good or bad.

The better question is:

What ecosystem is required to sustain that technology?

A technology should not only be judged by what it produces.

It should also be judged by:

• what resources it consumes,
• what waste it creates,
• how long it lasts,
• what happens when it is no longer useful.

A data center, for example, provides incredible digital services, but it also requires:

• land,
• energy,
• water,
• materials,
• constant hardware replacement.

A solution should not be judged only by the problem it solves.

It should be judged by the total system it creates.

Off-Grid Living: A Return to Participation

This is where off-grid living provides an interesting example.

Off-grid living is not about rejecting modern life.

It is about becoming more connected to the systems that support life.

An off-grid lifestyle often encourages:

Growing food

Even a small garden changes the relationship between people and food.

Instead of food being something that simply appears in a store, people reconnect with:

• soil,
• seasons,
• natural cycles.

Restoring soil

Composting transforms waste into a resource.

Instead of:

Food scraps → landfill

the cycle becomes:

Food scraps → compost → soil → food

This mirrors the natural world.

Reducing waste

Repairing, reusing, and maintaining items reduces the constant demand for new resources.

It challenges the idea that everything is temporary.

Using energy intentionally

Renewable systems, efficient homes, and careful consumption encourage people to think about energy as a resource rather than something unlimited.

The Power of Small Systems

One person may not change the global climate alone.

But one person can restore a piece of the system.

Plant a tree.

Improve soil.

Grow food.

Repair something instead of replacing it.

Teach someone else.

Protect local ecosystems.

These actions may seem small compared with global problems, but ecosystems are built from countless small interactions.

A forest is not created by one tree.

It is created by millions of living relationships working together.

The Future May Require Remembering the Past

The future does not have to be a choice between technology and nature.

The best future may combine both.

Technology can help us:

• communicate,
• learn,
• innovate,
• solve problems.

But nature provides the foundation that technology depends on.

The goal should not be to control every natural process.

The goal should be to understand them well enough to work with them.

Perhaps the most advanced civilization is not the one that creates the most disposable things.

Perhaps it is the one that understands how to preserve, restore, and participate in the systems that make life possible.

Sometimes moving forward means remembering what we already knew:

The planet is not a warehouse of resources. It is a living system — and our survival depends on learning how to live within it.

I had a long chat with chatgpt this morning...... I will not be posting the miles long chat thread that lead to the creation of this article. The bot assisted in this creation by taking ALL of the topics and concepts discussed and simplifying them for me. 

It is a discussion I think people need to take to heart. Enjoy!!!! 

Beyond Carbon Capture: Why Restoring Nature May Be Our Most Powerful Technology

For decades, the conversation around climate change has increasingly focused on one measurement: carbon.

How much carbon are we releasing?
How much carbon can we remove?
How quickly can technology capture what we have put into the atmosphere?

Those are important questions. But perhaps we are asking them too narrowly.

The deeper question should be:

Are we solving environmental problems by working with the systems that support life, or are we creating new systems that require even more resources to maintain?

Carbon itself is not the enemy. Carbon is the foundation of life. Every tree, plant, animal, and human being is part of a natural carbon cycle that has existed for millions of years.

The challenge is not eliminating carbon.

The challenge is restoring balance.

A Forest Is More Than a Carbon Storage Device

When a forest burns, we often look at the loss through one measurement: the carbon released.

But a forest is not just a place where carbon is stored.

A healthy forest:

• captures carbon dioxide,
• creates oxygen,
• protects soil,
• regulates water,
• supports wildlife,
• cools surrounding areas,
• and maintains a living ecosystem.

When we lose a forest, we lose all of those functions at once.

This raises an important question:

If restoring forests can repair multiple parts of the environmental system at the same time, why do we so often look first toward machines to solve problems created by disrupting nature?

Planting trees is not a simple replacement for every climate solution. Forests cannot solve every emission source. But restoration is a solution that works with natural processes instead of attempting to recreate them artificially.

Nature has been refining these systems for millions of years.

The Problem With Looking Only at the End Result

Modern society often evaluates solutions by their immediate output.

A technology captures carbon.
A factory produces food faster.
A machine increases efficiency.

But we rarely ask the next question:

What does the solution require in order to exist?

Every technology has a foundation.

Carbon capture systems require:

• mining,
• manufacturing,
• transportation,
• energy,
• maintenance,
• replacement parts,
• eventual disposal.

Data centers powering artificial intelligence and the modern internet require:

• land,
• electricity,
• water for cooling,
• rare minerals,
• constant hardware replacement.

These technologies may provide enormous benefits, but their environmental impact cannot be judged only by what they accomplish.

They must also be judged by the ecosystem required to sustain them.

A tree requires sunlight, water, and soil.

A machine requires an entire industrial supply chain.

The question is not whether technology is good or bad.

The question is whether the technology creates a healthier relationship with the natural world or creates another dependency.

The Disposable Mindset

This same issue appears throughout modern life.

For generations, people repaired what they owned.

Clothing was mended.
Tools were fixed.
Appliances were maintained.

Today, many products are designed around replacement.

Buy. Use. Throw away. Replace.

The problem is not only the waste created at the end.

The entire cycle requires:

• extracting more resources,
• manufacturing more products,
• using more energy,
• creating more pollution.

The same pattern can appear in environmental solutions.

If we respond to every ecological problem by creating another industrial system, we must consider whether we are truly reducing our impact or simply moving the burden somewhere else.

Restoring Cycles Instead of Breaking Them

For thousands of years, agriculture worked through natural cycles.

Nutrients returned to the soil through organic matter, compost, and animal waste.

Modern agriculture increased production dramatically through advanced fertilizers, chemicals, and technology. These tools helped feed billions, but they also revealed a challenge:

A system can be productive while still damaging the foundation it depends on.

Healthy soil is not just a container for plants. It is a living ecosystem.

The same principle applies to forests, oceans, and climate.

The goal should not simply be controlling nature.

The goal should be understanding how to work within natural systems.

Technology Should Be a Partner, Not a Replacement for Nature

Technology has given humanity extraordinary tools.

The internet transformed access to knowledge. Artificial intelligence may accelerate discoveries. Scientific innovation has improved countless lives.

The answer is not rejecting technology.

The answer is asking better questions.

Before adopting any solution, we should ask:

• What resources does it require?
• What waste does it create?
• What happens when it reaches the end of its life?
• Does it restore natural systems or replace them?
• Does it make communities more resilient or more dependent?

A truly sustainable future may not come from choosing between nature and technology.

It may come from recognizing that the best technology often works alongside the natural world rather than attempting to overpower it.

Perhaps the most advanced solution is also one of the oldest:

Restore the forests.
Restore the soil.
Restore the cycles of life that already know how to work.

Sometimes the future does not require inventing a replacement for nature.

Sometimes it requires giving nature the opportunity to recover.

Shannan's Issues with Boundaries

 

 

Oh, this post may get long and I will rant a bit, but it needs said to someone specific (and anyone else who cannot respect boundaries)…..

 

Let me lay some background….

I have a friend, whose mother is the perpetual victim, a narcissist in the worst way. For this article I will call my friend Maggie and her mother Shannan. Maggie had a rough childhood watching her mother allow their father and another man) be abused while hooked on various drugs (both parents hooked). Both abused the kids as well. Shannan made the kids lives hell growing up and now that they are adults, they are trying to heal from all of that trauma.

That being said, Shannan uses her social media for a pity party for herself. She refuses to even acknowledge what her grown children experienced and refuses to respect the boundaries they set. Those boundaries were established so they could seek the help they need and begin the healing process.

All of the adult children have explained to Shannan they were SA’d by Shannan’s husband / boyfriend and they are pretty sure Shannan knew it was happening. In one conversation I saw screenshots of, Shannan came close to admitting that she knew by accusing one of the grown daughters of “seducing” the man….. That was as close as she ever came to acknowledging that such contact occurred, blamed it on her daughter! The daughter was a teen at the time this occurred.

The children endured neglect, watched Shannan choose drugs over her children’s needs, moved them around frequently, switched from school to school all while Shannan chased the thought of a man or the current drug of choice, or both…..All of which Shannan refuses to acknowledge even happened…..

Shannan’s social media posts portray her as an injured mother who did nothing wrong and only tried to do right by her children…… These posts appear when her children find out she has been stalking their pages again and they block one of her spies, or one of her stalker accounts. Then poof, a post appears digging at whichever child caught her and demeaning them, degrading them and discounting their life experiences.

This has gone on for years. They tried to reconcile with her, more than once….. All they have ever wanted is for her to admit what happened, acknowledge it and stop acting like it didn’t happen. They need this to help with their healing. But Shannan refuses to acknowledge any of it, thus making the rift between widen.

A few years ago they chose to go no contact with her over the fact that she flat refuses to dignify their life experiences. Any time they have communicated with her all she does is demean them, degrade them and put herself on a pedestal. The fact that Shannan holds her online image more important than her children’s healing shows just how narcissistic she truly is. Conversations with her adult children never stay focused on their needs. The conversation ends up being about what Shannan did, what Shannan went through, how bad Shannan had it, etc. Shannan never acknowledges the struggle the children went through, not once has she given her adult children the acknowledgement they need.

Shannan has supported a child molester to the point of accusing one child of “seducing” him, that it wasn’t r@pe / molestation, Shannan basically said it was consensual because the daughter seduced him. This is not true of course, but it IS the lie she is perpetuating in conversations with the victim and online.

LEGALLY, a child under the age of 14 CANNOT consent, so this fact is lost on Shannan.

Shannan also refuses to respect the current boundaries her adult children have attempted to establish. Shannan uses friends and family members to stalk her children’s social media, steal pictures and relay information back to her. When the children find out they do remove the person and block them. Then poof, Shannan makes a post proving she was using that person and claims she has others.

The mere fact she is going to those lengths shows just how little respect she has for her own children and grandchildren. But, oh, poor Shannan was just wanting to see how the grandkids are….. MAYBE her children would share that IF she would respect their boundaries and admit what happened and help in their healing process. But Shannan will die on the hill of how she is the victim, the wronged mother who did nothing wrong.

 

 

A real mother respects their children’s boundaries no matter how badly it hurts.

A real mother understands the space the child needs and does her best to accommodate.

A real mother does NOT stalk, or have others stalk her kids social media profiles.

A real mother can admit what happened and help her children heal from it.

A real mother does NOT use social media to demean and degrade her children’s life experiences and choices.

A real mother would seek help for herself to deal with the trauma they all shared.

A real mother does not use social media for pity for herself over the situation.

A real mother would be supportive, comforting and beneficial to the healing process.

 

Of course Shannan is none of these. Shannan is SUSPECTED to still be addicted, was known as of a couple of years ago, after that it is not known if she has gotten clean or is still using. Sadly, Shannan’s poor choices are what drives this and has driven a rift in her own family.

Maybe she will see this…. Maybe she will take it to heart. MAYBE……

Maybe one day she will realize the trauma the entire family endured is not her trauma alone.

Maybe one day she will stop demeaning and degrading her children on social media.

Maybe one day she will admit the mistakes she made in the past so they all can move forward in a healthy manner.

Maybe she could respect their CURRENT boundaries until that day comes, because it CAN.

 

The road between the current boundaries and true healing of the whole family is held in Shannan’s hands. What she chooses to do with that remains to be seen……  

The Backrooms Movie

 

Open Letter to Kane Parsons,

Yesterday, May 31, 2026 I did a thing….. I have been planning it for months, looking forward to it for years…..

I went to the movies and saw The Backrooms movie.

WOW was it worth it!

Before I get into my thoughts on the film, let me begin with how I became addicted to the YouTube series that I began watching in late 2022.

I am old school and back in the 90’s there was a game called DOOM. The original first-person shooter game. DOOM was one of the first games to make “no clipping” a thing. Sure, some other games did it, but nowhere near the level DOOM took it to. DOOM had tons of liminal spaces, void and empty with buzzing and sounds of doors far off. DOOM also had tons of monsters / entities that could appear out of nothing and were hard to defeat.

I loved playing the game, even though I wasn’t great at it. I loved watching others play it too. No matter how often you played it, you always managed to find something new. Even Nintendo Power Magazine had an entire volume on the game, and it still did not cover all the hidden stuff.

DOOM was the first liminal space game that was addictive, fun and challenging. DOOM set the bar for everything that came after it. So, when I happened across Kane Pixels YouTube channel with “found footage” of the Backrooms, I was hooked. The layout was so much like DOOM. The sounds, the lighting and the entities were so similar.

I had seen the original picture that was posted on 4Chan. I had read tons of creepy comments about the picture. But, Kane hooked me with his very first Backrooms video, all 9 minutes of it. I would spend hours watching everything Backrooms while I was resting. I love seeing all the fan-made films and how they expand on the Backrooms lore. Some are so cheesy and corny, others rise to Kane’s level of mental mind fuck.

Kane’s original YouTube series is most definitely a mental mind fuck. I love that it is done in old school VHS style, small trip down memory lane for those of us old enough to remember using those daily! To say that I cannot get enough of the Backrooms would be an understatement and it is all Kane’s fault!

Then, I learned something absolutely mind blowing. Kane was 16 years old when he made the first Backrooms short film. A 16-year-old kid hooked me and has me coming back for more! Now, kids today are amazing with digital productions without a doubt. I also learned he had signed to make it into a movie when he was 17 years old! From the moment I learned it would be a feature film I waited…..

The fact that Kane is literally 20 years old NOW and has a major, blockbuster, motion picture of such a simple concept deserves to be recognized. Kane should be a role model for kids today so they may see that nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. The kid is not even old enough to buy liquor and has a blockbuster film!!! Let that sink in folks!!!

For those who do not know me, I have Agoraphobia and severe panic disorder. This has been such an issue for me for many years. I stay home, rarely go out. I hate even going out for necessary errands. It had been over 10 years since I had been to the theater to see a movie, probably longer. The fact that I cannot even recall what movie it was should tell you that it takes a lot to impress me. It wasn’t that I couldn’t go or couldn’t afford it. I couldn’t handle the crowds of people.

I will confess that I am one of the millions of people who frequent “pirate” movie sites simply because of the Agoraphobia. Those sites allow me to enjoy the film without stressing my condition. Couple the Agoraphobia with the physical issues and those sites make me seeing new films much easier. Sitting in hard chairs is horrible for my back and hips. Having recently been referred to the spine surgeon, with actual surgery looming in the future, I knew I had to see THIS movie at the theater.

I was always taught to support young talent. Being 56 I have tried to live by this. Now, living on a fixed income, it is hard to afford small subscriptions. But, Kane is talented and young. Every fiber of my being knows he is going to make it big. I knew that when I ran across his first Backrooms short film.

Living on a fixed income makes any outings difficult financially. Yesterday I absolutely spent far more than I should have, but it was 100% worth it. I have not stepped foot in a movie theater since 2012 when I was in Oregon. But I had to see this one in the theater. I juggled things, sold a few things and then treated myself and a friend to supper and the movie.

I can say the Barstow Cinema is very quaint, friendly and not super crowded. The people who work there are also super nice. My anxiety was through the roof, and I had to do my breathing exercises a lot. I saw people of all ages in the theater attending Kane’s film, even though it was competing with Michael. I will also confess that I did use the “pirate” site to view the film a couple of days before going to the theater. But, plans remained the same. I was still going to see it at the theater regardless of the fact that I viewed it on the “pirate” site.

I feel that seeing it at the theater helps support this young, talented genius. It is the least I could do to show support for such a young artist. Coming from me, that says a lot since I do not spend money on such things. The fact that I planned this and then actually did it is a statement in itself.

I admit that I enjoy those sites because with my disabilities it allows me to enjoy new movies with a faux theater experience. The CAM versions have people talking, some moving around but mostly the cries at jump scares. I also understand this takes revenue away from the artist and try to make up for it by ordering some of their merchandise or sharing their channels.

For some of us though, sites like that are sometimes the only way we can enjoy new films.

Kane made me face some of my demons though and come out for the first time in over a decade to attend his film. Even though my anxiety was through the roof, once the lights dimmed it was worth it!

To say that I am impressed with the film would be grossly understated. It far exceeding anything I could have imagined. Yes, I knew what to expect after having seen it on the tablet. But the fact that I went out to support such an incredible young talent speaks volumes. I will see every sequel in the theater as well, even if I do view it first on a “pirate” site.

Just to be clear, none of the pirate sites I use have any fees. I am able to view for free. I would NEVER pay a site like that. I use them because of my disabilities and, as previously stated, the CAM versions give me a faux theater experience when the Agoraphobia prevents me from actually going.

Kane, what you have created is one of the best mental mind fucks I have seen in years. It is unique, new, refreshing and addictive. I am doing my best to write this review without a single spoiler….. The simple fact that you used such a novel idea to create an entire universe at your age should deserve support and if that means I spend a little more than I should, face the anxiety to attend in person, then so be it.

Kane has the potential to be the next big film maker. The talent is unmatched and I look forward to seeing what comes next!!!! I may be washing laundry by hand this month because I spent way too much last night, but it was worth it!

For those reading this who have no clue what the Backrooms are……

 

Here is Kane’s YT channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@kanepixels

 

Watch his series in order, view the fan made ones too.

 

Yes, I have a favorite entity! I love the Bone Thief and look forward to seeing it show up in one of Kane’s future Backrooms sequels!!! That entity is just too cute to be scary! I want a Bone Thief plushy for sure!!!

 

Like many fans I do have questions though….. I hope they get answered in the films to come. One day I will make a list of the questions, today is not that day. Today is for raving about the film and lifting up such a talented young man, one who will soon be bigger than Spielberg.

 

Deep dive into this I promise you it is worth it.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Backrooms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gay Cats.....

 Gay Cats.....

So, this post is about the same person who insisted pills would fix broken teeth.....

So, when this person moved and set up their cat enclosure they bragged about keeping the boys and girls together. Even though it was offered for this person to house one gender at my place until they could fix up separate enclosures for the genders.....

This person swore up and down that her females never go into heat and can't get pregnant, even though none of them are fixed........

But, the strangest part (and she actually believes this shit)..... Her boys are "gay" and only hump each other. They aren't into girls.........

Fact check, which I tried to tell her... No such thing as a "gay" cat.

Now, her female just had kittens maybe a week ago...... The female who never went into heat nor did she notice female was even pregnant....... Knocked up by the "gay" male cat......

She tries to say she is this super great pet parent..... Sure it's a feral female, in an enclosure. Sure she is one that cannot be handled but her pregnant belly should have been visible!!!!

So her gay boys must not be so gay huh? Maybe she should be a responsible cat parent and separate the unfixed genders before the other females start popping out more kittens that she cannot care for!!!!

Another issue..... she will not leave the kittens alone and does not seem to care that a feral mom WILL abandon the babies if the human bothers them too much. But, alas, she knows her boys are gay and her female never goes into heat......... 

 

Maybe now she will separate the genders until she can get them fixed....... Not likely........  I mean this is a person who truly believed her make cats were gay and would never get with a female..........

When I heard about the kittens I laughed so hard I snorted coffee out of my nose because I remember how insistent she was about her boys being gay and how I tried to explain to her that isn't how nature works.

I am still snickering tbh....... The real question is will she learn and separate the genders before she is over run with unwanted litters????

Hanta Virus Links to Deep Dive In

 

Wow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWj6EEzCJjw

https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/tabletop-exercises/catastrophic-contagion

https://abcnews.com/Health/nebraskas-national-quarantine-unit-prepares-bring-hantavirus-cruise/story?id=132794162

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/07/what-was-exercise-cygnus-and-what-did-it-find

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjzGJhdJ0IE

Wow it happened again....

First the "exercise" then boom....

https://www.who.int/news/item/27-04-2026-practicing-today-for-tomorrow-s-emergencies-who-convenes-countries-and-partners-to-simulate-response-to-major-disease-outbreak

https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2025-who-brings-countries-together-to-test-collective-pandemic-response

A Little About Kittens

 

 

Ok, this needs to be said…

After a horrible experience with a “rescuer” I feel some things need to be explained so others do not make these mistakes.

 

I was contacted by a friend who begged me to help her other friend. I made no promises, felt pressured to help though. The FIRST story was that the friend, we will call Sasha for this article, had multiple “stray” mother cats with 10 kittens total. Sasha had caught 6 of them.

As the tale went on, I learned one kitten was very sick and was not gonna make it. Sasha had not included that kitten in the total amount……

The first plan was that I would meet up with her about a week from when we first spoke in order to give me time to prepare to receive 6 kittens……. Again, I had not planned on any intake this year but felt pressured to do so.

Sasha then changed the plan. She needed the kittens gone because of “her daughters allergies”. I found out later this was not true. She wanted them gone because they had the runs and had destroyed her carpet.

So, I met her the following day. Sasha produced 10 kittens…… Most were super skinny, less than 6 weeks old, all looked sickly. I brought them home and began feeding, caring etc for them. Some would not eat I had to use the syringe, which a few also rejected.

All had the runs….. All failed to behave like kittens. They basically ate and slept, no playing or other normal kitten activity.

All were super infested with parasites…… Some were so infested they had bloody stool.

The problem is no dewormer can be given before a kitten is 6 weeks old and even then it is dangerous!!!!

Sasha said the kittens were born on March 14. Sasha knows a good deal about the stray mothers involved. She claims she loves them and has been caring for them for years. When she trapped mama number one and sent her here, the plan was I would house / isolate her to keep her from getting pregnant and Sasha would have her fixed. The conversation looked as if Sasha cared a great deal about the mamas and wanted them back in their colony after they were spayed. She also claimed to have gotten pledges from Actors and Others for the surgeries. She has not provided that info for the one mama already here. Sasha had promised to handle setting the appointment with her vet. I would transport and then post surgery the mama would return to her. That was the plan……

Of course, that plan changed once mama was enroute to me. She asked if she could relinquish her to me. It was at that moment I decided I would not accept anymore from her. The excuses she gave were sickening really. She was being held back and needed to live her life. She failed to understand these are community cats who have known nothing except the area they live in!!!!

Then the kittens started passing away, before an appointment could even be made for an in person visit. I had consulted with a pay per visit online vet who explained that when they turned 6 weeks old I had to deworm them or the parasites would kill them. That vet also explained that due to how infested they were the dewormer might be too little too late.

They advised using a multi dewormer approach since we were not positive which parasite they had. I had seen some in the poo but they could have others. So, the day they turned 6 weeks, dewormer 1 was given. I had to wait 48 hours to give dewormer 2.

Between dewormer 1 and dewormer 2 I lost two of the littles.

At this time I learned it was not one kitten who passed under her care. Now the story is 3 kittens died. There were also four more kittens running around outside that she could not catch.

I am sitting here like how many mama’s do you have??? She claims there are only 3. Do the math….. There has to be more than 3 mamas!!!!

Sasha’s story changed every time I spoke to her. Initially she claimed the kittens used the litter box. I knew this to be a lie because a 5 week old kitten has not learned this yet. She also claimed the litter seemed healthy, ate good, etc. She did not disclose that they had runny, bloody poo…… After I had taken the kittens she did say she had to rip up the carpet in the room she had been keeping them.

So, each day I am burying kittens…… Each day I wonder which one is next?

Today I have 4 of 11 left……

Two of them are struggling hard.

But, as a rescuer, I fully understand part of my job includes showing them LOVE before they have to cross the rainbow bridge.

As a rescuer, I pray for each one. I want them to make it. But, I also make them as comfortable and loved as possible while knowing they are sick and waiting for the dewormers to work their magic…..

I cry over every single one and make sure their resting place is peaceful.

 

I did not write this for pity. I wrote this to show how getting good information might have changed the outcome.

First, with stray mamas and babies never remove the babies from mom unless they have been abandoned or are in danger. NEVER! Stray mamas are great mams and had the babies stayed with mom they may have had a better chance. By removing them from mom at 4 weeks of age, forcing them onto wet food too early only complicated the situation.

At 4 weeks of age the kittens still relied on mom’s milk for nourishment. Yes, they nibble at wet food, but they NEED the nourishment from mom’s milk. Their delicate systems cannot handle regular food until 6 weeks of age. Yes, they nibble at wet food, but how they digest this food is important. Their systems cannot properly digest meals of wet food only until after 6 weeks of age. Prior to that their system relies on mom’s milk.

The babies could have been treated via mom’s milk. The mothers could have been medicated / dewormed via the food and then passed it to the babies via the milk. This may have saved some of them.

But, Sasha took at least 13 away from their mothers…… Three died in her home and I have buried 7 so far…….

When you “save” a kitten it is imperative to give the rescue / foster TRUTHFUL information, even if it is not pretty.

Kittens are delicate, very delicate and their little systems cannot handle much. Truthful information can save lives. When someone misrepresents a kitten’s health status the sick kitten may not get the immediate treatment it needs.

In the case of the ones I have, I did consult the online vet within 48 hours of their arrival to me. But, because they were not yet 6 weeks old I had to wait.

I know the urge is strong to take kittens indoors, cuddle them, pamper them but this is not always what is best for them. Please allow them to stay with their mama until a minimum 6 weeks of age. These kittens had good mamas who were caring for them very well. That was obvious in how clean they were, how clear the eyes were and how well behaved they were.

I have cried so much this past week it is heartbreaking.

 

Remember, I am always available via messenger for kitten questions! People even call me when they feel it is an emergency!!! I don’t mind because I would rather someone ask questions before removing kittens from a stray / feral mom.

Ok, off my soap box now and off to clean up oopsies, feed babies and pray the dewormer works some magic an Leaving them is the best until they are weaned, just take care of mama during that time.d heals them. I know two are struggling….. But they are still here and I will fight for them as long as they have fight in them. If they give in, then I hold them, cry and comfort them.

So, points to remember about this:

1.        Never remove the kittens before consulting someone in the know

2.      Always give the rescue / foster TRUTHFUL details and information!!!

3.      If kittens are under 6 weeks old use kitten replacement milk ONLY, no wet food!!!!

4.      If leaving them with mom you can mix dewormer with the wet food for mom!!!

5.      When dealing with multiple moms and kittens in the same age range, understand that the kittens have more than one care source. The moms will share duties. Just take care of the mams during that time.

Need Opinions on This One Folks

 

Ok folks, I need some help and this one is complicated and tricky!

 

So, a friend of mine has a legal issue that seems to be getting buried, covered up and hidden.

I will admit I had doubts until I did a public records request for the coroners’ report. Yes, this one involves someone’s death.

After hearing what my friend told me about the situation and then reading the report, it is clear that this death never should have happened. I do NOT want to color your opinion of the situation with my own beyond saying the death should not have happened.

I will explain some details, summarize the report and all I ask is your feelings on the matter. Also, if you feel this is a case of wrongful death then I will need help to point my friend in the right direction to get justice.

 

This occurred in 2018 and did involve minor drug use. Let’s call my friend Clara and her husband Charlie for the purposes of this article. Locals may know this event but I beg you do NOT say the actual names!!!

There was a minor domestic incident, no weapons so let’s make sure people understand Charlie was not armed, never armed and never had a weapon. Chalie had Clara by the hair and was trying to “save her” by putting “holy water” on her. No one could get Charlie to let go, but he was NOT hurting Clara, just had her hair very securely.

Clara was trying to get other people to stop hitting Charlie. The friend called 911 and one deputy responded. The deputy used his service baton to beat Charlie, repeatedly while Clara was begging the deputy to stop. The deputy continued to beat Charlie until he became unresponsive. He cuffed Charlie and took him outside. At this point the deputy realized there was a problem, Charlie had stopped breathing.

The deputy had called for an ambulance and there are some differences in what happened at this point. Clara says she heard Charlie pronounced dead over the radio before the ambulance pulled out. The report says Charlie was pronounced after he arrived at the hospital and life saving measures had been tried.

Now this is where the report is strange. Charlie’s personal items were documented in multiple places, each place has a different account of what Charlie had. Clara never received most of Charlie’s personal belongings that are listed in the report.

The report details over 160 individual injuries to Charlie. None of which he had prior to this incident. This means each injury was given to Charlie by the deputy. This screams of excessive force.

The report also details minor amounts of drugs in his system. So, I decided to look up the amounts, types etc since I am not versed in such things. What I learned is that the drugs listed, in the amounts listed would NOT have been near fatal levels. Charlie likely was not even buzzed by the low amounts in his system. No way those amounts caused a fatal overdoes but the report states his manner of death was OVERDOSE, accidental.

I am not an expert on overdoses by any means but the 2 drugs in his system RARELY cause overdoses according to the research. So, with that in mind and the low levels in his system I was puzzled as to why his report claimed accidental overdose when he has over 160 injuries caused by the deputy. Charlie has wounds and broken bones all over his body, including head wounds.

Charlie had so many injuries that the diagram on the report could not list them all. It is written up. Now, Charlie’s body was sent out of county for his autopsy. The locals did not do it. The report was not redacted thankfully. It should have been but someone goofed. I received a full, unredacted version.

Clara said that both of Charlie’s arms were shattered, his head gushed blood and he had injuries all over. 160 plus injuries documented, some of which could have been fatal but the report claims accidental overdose.

Once I have Clara’s permission I will post the report I received, for now this is what I can share with you.

What I am asking you is this excessive force and did the coroner cover up a murder?

If you feel this has been a cover up, how do we help Clara get justice?