Sticky morals on cat cruelty

First, one of those incidents called a "personal journey"— I've fine-arted it into a Sijo

hunting rat marauders, I set a trap by the chicken shed -
currawong songs, morning mist rising, my dog and I stroll down
a pink hand caught by the wrist - two whiskered faces looking to me


Now, to today's gotcha about another sinner with a godgivenly great name
As the Sun crows, "Mindless Mary Bale was condemned around the world" for throwing Lola the tabby into a wheelie bin. She must have been baled up. She was certainly "quizzed by the RSPCA and police … and could face prosecution for animal cruelty."

Yet if she'd set a glue trap and caught a rodent, then tossed the critter in the bin to die a slow death with no chance of escape, that's just life.

Another poor moggie was recently covered by the Daily Mail. "Meet Sticky, the kitten who was saved from a rat-catching glue trap."

RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer Boris Lasserre said: 'This kitten has suffered as a result of the irresponsible and inhumane use of traps.'

Common advice to soft-hearted souls with pest problems is that you can use these traps humanely by pouring vegetable oil over the rodents so they can release themselves. This must be after you gather them up at morning cockcrow, and after talking soothingly, transport them on their traps (strapping them in securely with your little backseat harnesses always ready for humane transportation, and making sure the cup holders are filled with fresh hydration fluids and within their reach) to sylvan countryside where they, the little mice and/or rats or giant rodents that prefer to live in the tropics, can scamper off.

I don't know why no one thought of doing this to the kitten—at least pouring oil over it. Possibly the trap was more like this one described by a satisfied, though once scowering, user.

"Please note that these sheets are extremely sticky and if any of the glue gets on your shoes or floor you will have a hard time removing it. I ended up having to use some bleach and a scowering pad to lift if off the kitchen floor."