Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

 

Posters for this poor lost kitty named Breckin have been plastered around the area for a good nine months, extending in a radius of at least 2 miles from its home address. Occasionally the owner will report a sighting on the neighborhood listserv, noting coordinates and asking nearby neighbors to be on the lookout.  

But listservs being cesspools of nosiness, judginess, and rants of various sorts (among offers of free baby hand me downs, in-home clarinet lessons, and dining room tables for sale), someone decided to reply to the latest notice of a Breckin sighting by admonishing the owner for not using a cat tracker initially (apparently she did) and then providing a detailed explanation of how it was inconceivable that a domesticated cat could survive so long in the wild.  "Your damn cat is dead," was the obvious subtext.  

I'm not a cat person and I too have doubts about whether Breckin is still out there, foraging on mice and trash can leftovers.  But was that reply really necessary?  Why trample on the hopes of the poor owner who doesn't want to imagine the worst...or at the very least, still believes that there are people out there who would come to her pet's rescue.

C'mon people; have a little compassion.  Just because you can say something doesn't mean you should.  And if you have to share your unvarnished opinion with someone, tell your partner or your best friend rather than blasting it out to the community. Can't we all just exercise a bit more restraint to get along?