As an animal enthusiast, I used to believe that humans need to rescue all animals from their harsh environments, free them from suffering, and provide them with prosperous lives on our premises. But a kitten taught me otherwise.
He ran away at a very young age with a not fully healed leg fracture (at least I think so!) from my house, where I had kept him after rescuing him months earlier from a sewage canal. We fed him well and gave him all possible medical and emotional support. He was the pet of the house, and there were other rescued cats as well. He was the centre of attention for everyone.
But when he was ready, he ran away from us. I thought he would perish in the harsh outside world and searched for him for several days. Finally, I stopped searching and accepted his fate. Even then, I felt guilty for losing him.
Then one day, I saw him full of life, running into our premises, meowing and purring. I immediately took him and locked him in the house, not letting him slip away again. But he was visibly disturbed and wanted to get out somehow. Finally, I had to let him go.
That day, I was really sad and equally surprised. I was unable to understand his behaviour. But later, I realized why he chose to run away. He was seeking his identity and maturity as an individual. In my house, he could never be what he wanted him to be, as I always treated him like a child and never saw him as an individual. Moreover, he was just one of the many cats I had. He taught me the boundary of care, which I had overstepped.
”The IUCN states that around 11,000 species are threatened due to catastrophic changes in the biosphere caused by human interventions.
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We don’t have to keep them all!
We need to help and support animals in suffering because we cannot deny our role in making their lives miserable. The IUCN states that around 11,000 species are threatened due to catastrophic changes in the biosphere caused by human interventions. This makes us primarily responsible for the existential threats they face. But the question is, who should we support, and to what extent? In a world where even humans are not treated well, we cannot expect animals to receive better treatment. Supporting them doesn’t mean taking them all from the streets and their habitats to the protected environments. This often happens when individuals without formal expertise assume the rescuer’s role. With limited resources and capacity, this approach is not economically viable. Experts in the field know this very well. But what about us- the individual enthusiasts?
Many of us who do animal rescue out of personal interest are not trained professionals. In fact, in countries like India, this is the best that can happen, at least for the time being. Expecting every rescuer to get certified before rescuing animals is not feasible. But as a rescuer myself, I believe there are some rules that we, individual enthusiasts, need to know and uphold.
The Rules
The first and most important thing to understand is:
Animals are not helpless, pitiful beings. Rather, they have all the rights that we enjoy, especially individuality and autonomy.
Animal rescue should only be done when necessary. Circumstances that warrant rescue include animals suffering from illness, hygiene issues that can harm a healthy life, young ones who have been abandoned or orphaned, those who are terminally ill, or those who have met with accidents caused by human actions (not animal fights), etc.
This applies not only to wildlife but also to street animals. Street animals are important as they help maintain the homeostasis of their habitat. They control the population of other animals, such as rodents and insects, preventing toxic overgrowth.
Removing them from their habitat merely to improve their diet and living standards to match those of a human household is not a rescue. Rescue happens when we help them at the right time with the right resources.
Breeding and inbreeding are dangerous practices invented by humans—these double-edged swords have caused many problems for animals as well as humans. Often, the way we breed animals excessively leads to the spread of diseases, including some zoonoses.
Unauthorized breeding facilities, hygiene issues, and the spread of diseases are just the tip of the iceberg regarding the problems caused by humans’ obsession with breeding. These are the kinds of situations where animals cannot handle things on their own, and human intervention is required. But when animals are capable of conducting their lives independently, it’s better to release them to their original habitat.
The lessons
The kitten taught me to see animals as individuals. In return, I taught him to come back and seek help whenever he needed it. Although I was deeply emotionally attached to him, I later realized how mature he was when he decided to leave, and how naive I was in trying to keep him.
Animal rescue is our responsibility, but it’s equally important to understand and treat animals as individuals. They are not pitiful; they are living their own lives. We need to channel our resources wisely to achieve the right outcomes in animal rescue efforts.
I hope the lesson I learned serves as a light for you as well.
