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A woman from Chicago is waiting unsuspectingly for the train. Suddenly a stranger puts a cat in her hand and disappears.
With the words “Thank you for being a good person,” a stranger pressed a black and white cat into Erin Beck’s hand, jumped onto the next train and disappeared never to be seen again. She had already noticed the man beforehand, the young woman tells her followers shortly after the strange event on TikTok (@e.c.beck).
A black and white cat like this one was handed to Erin Beck by a stranger on the train tracks in Chicago. The stranger then disappeared without a trace. (Symbolic image) © IMAGO / Westend61
Many people assumed that the man was homeless. Erin Beck does not believe that. “That was his cat, which he loved,” the young woman told newsweek.com. She suspected another reason why the man was forced to give up the cat. This ten-year-old cat found a new home thanks to TikTok.
Erin Beck didn’t have the heart to abandon the cat to its fate and took it home. There she gave the animal a bath because, according to her, it smelled like garbage. However, she couldn’t keep the little house cat – after all, she already has three cats of her own. Fortunately, a friend agreed to take the black and white cat in. “That was one of the strangest things that has happened to me in a long time,” said Erin, and so she made a firm resolution not to make eye contact with strangers in the future. This is what you should keep in mind if a cat comes to you.
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Time, money, interest: reasons why people give up their animals
There are many reasons why people give up their pets. Sometimes the owners simply cannot keep their pets, for example because they themselves have become ill. Sometimes it is better for both sides to go their separate ways, for example if life circumstances change and the animal cannot lead a happy life under the new circumstances. Loneliness in cats or The dog is a big problem. However, some pet owners act irresponsibly and give away a pet because they no longer want it or are going on vacation. This cat also ended up in an animal shelter, but thanks to a lucky coincidence he found his way back to his owner.
According to the animal welfare organisation, the most common reasons for giving up pets are Four paws:
- Too little time: The owners do not have enough time to care for the pet as much as is necessary. Either they misjudged the effort beforehand or their life situation changes so that the pet can no longer be given enough attention.
- Too little experience: The animal owners are overwhelmed because they lack the knowledge to care for the animal in a species-appropriate manner. This often happens when an animal is acquired without thinking. Living together often suffers because the animal develops behavioral problems.
- Animal health and age: Many animals are given away because of their age or illness. Either because the treatment is too expensive or because it becomes more time-consuming to care for the animal.
- No longer interested: Pets are often bought for children. If the children lose interest in them, parents want to get rid of the animals quickly.
- Uncontrolled reproduction: If pets are not neutered, they can reproduce uncontrollably. The baby animals are given to animal shelters or, in the worst case, abandoned.
- Undesirable behavior: Dogs that bark too much or cats that pee in the house are just two examples of behavioral problems that can become annoying for people. Instead of getting to the bottom of the cause and working on it, some people take the easy way out and simply give the animals away.
- Financial reasons: Pets cost money. Visits to the vet in particular can be very expensive. Sometimes this is beyond the means of pet owners or they underestimate the costs of a cat or dog, so they have to give up their animals.
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Pets mean responsibility – for a lifetime
In general, pets should never be acquired without thinking. You have to be aware that you are responsible for the animal for the entire life of the animal – up to 15 years for dogs and up to 20 years for cats. Future cat owners should consider these points before purchasing one. If you have to give up your pet, it is the owner’s duty to find a good new home for the pet where its needs can be better met. Simply handing the pet over to a stranger on the train platform is certainly not the best idea. The black and white cat was lucky to have found a caring person like Erin Beck.
