What's The Right Thing To Do?

I need the advice of all of my friends today as I'm struggling with knowing what is the "right thing to do". There are many sides to being right. There's my responsibility as a business person, my responsibility as an advocate for rescue, and my responsibility to my soul.

Last week we had two pre-teen young girls come into the store carrying a 1 week old kitten. They asked our advice on what to do as they'd found the kitten in their shed in the backyard. We explained that the mother cat was probably around and they should return the kitten to the shed because his best chance is with his mother. Two days later, the same girls came back into the store carrying the kitten. He was lethargic, his belly was very distended and he didn't cry with handling him. The girls told me the mother had never returned. They had attempted to feed him formula with a bottle and he wasn't interested. I asked if he had been to the bathroom in the three days they had him and they indicated he had not. Three days without eating, urinating, or defecating meant he didn't have much time left.

I took the kitten in the vet clinic and warmed formula. He didn't want to nurse as he was too weak. I ended up force feeding him (gently) and then stroking his genitals with a warm cloth to get him to pass urine and deficate. I was successful in getting some urine from him. I explained to the little girls that they needed to do this every three hours around the clock if he were to have any chance of survival. The girls were very young and hesitant. Being a surrogate kitten mom is a dirty job and I could tell they were digusted at the thought of having to assist the kitten in going to the bathroom every time.

One started to cry and said she was afraid they'd do it wrong and kill him. The older girl said she'd do it. The younger one said, "What about school...we're gone for 8 hours at school!" The older girl said, "He'll be fine while we're at school...we'll just give him more milk when we get home". I explained that kittens cannot pass urine or bowel without assistance. If he goes long hours without being attended to he could go septic. If he goes long hours without eating he will continue to grow weaker. I asked if they had a friend or family member that would be able to tend him. They said no. So I asked them to surrender the kitten for rescue. I explained it was the humane thing to do for the kitten. The older girl became very upset and called her mother on her cell saying I was trying to take their kitten from them.

They left with the kitten.

Under Maryland law pets are personal property. A person cannot knowingly neglect or torture an animal, but this was a different situation and I had no legal rights to keep them from taking it home.

A few hours later the smallest of the little girls came back into the store...crying very hard and handing me the kitten. She said, "my sister doesn't want me to let you care for him because she said you'd just give him to the humane society or sell him at your store and we'll never see him again...but I'm so afraid he's going to die...please help me". I had to promise her that I would not give the kitten to anyone else after he was old enough without talking to her or giving her the option to adopt him back. She was very sincere and she had gone against her family to bring the kitten back to me in hopes of saving his life.

So I took the kitten in and I've been fostering it back to health for a week. He is eating regularly every three hours and passing bowels. He is improving each day.

Here lies my delimma....co-workers, family members, and rescue personnel all tell me that I cannot foster this kitten for 6 weeks to save it's life to just give it back to this young girl. Yet, there's a part of me that feels like I've given my word to the girl that I won't sell or adopt out their kitten. I realize it is a big expense for me to care for this kitten for six weeks, including the veterinary expenses of shots and deworming and testing for feline luekemia. I also know that I know nothing about their household and as a rescue advocate you don't give a pet to a household you haven't verified is prepared to be a good caregiver. But they brought the kitten to me...and since they found it on their property by law it is their property so I have no right to deny them the kitten.

So everyone is advising me to give the kitten back to them right now even though he's only two weeks old. I've extended his life for one week. I could turn the kitten back over to them with detailed instructions on how to continue his care until he's old enough to start solid foods, but I so fear that they won't be able to keep to the damanding schedule and responsibility.

I have to made a decision on what to do today.....

Was I wrong to try to save his life when I knew they were refusing to truly surrender him?

My word...my honesty...and my integrity are so very important to me. So I don't want to go back on my word and legally I have no right to keep him. But I also know I'm violating all of the rules of rescue if I save him and then just give him back not knowing what kind of home he's going to....and the Guardian Furry Tale advocate in me doesn't want to hand him back over at two weeks old to starve or die from not being able to go to the bathroom.

I welcome your comments or advice....

What would you do?