There are many misconceptions about so-called “Cat People”: that they are awkward, unmarried loners; that they are fur-covered abominations born of the profane union between man and cat; that they are completely insane. Actually, these are just conceptions. These are all true.

A tipster recently forwarded Gawker the following email exchange, which allegedly took place between a woman named Stefanie seeking to save a cat from an animal shelter’s “kill list,” and the feline charity she contacted for assistance. Almost immediately, the exchange escalates to blasphemy. Lunacy. A hailstorm of CAPSLOCKED insults.

NYC Siamese Rescue, reached over email, refused to confirm that the emails came from an employee. A woman named L.J., linked on pet rescue sites to the email account, is listed in IRS records as the organization’s “Principal Officer."

The exchange kicks off with a message submitted by Stefanie using a form on NYC Siamese Rescue website.

Formatting (i.e. text size) has been preserved from the originals.

Form Response Notification
Your Name: = Stefanie
Your Email Address: = [redacted]
Your Message : = Hello!

I am writing because I saw this cat that appears Siamese listed as being in an NYCACC shelter. I am not an expert, but I myself have a purebred Tonkinese (bred from Siamese and Burmese). This young guy looks a lot like him. They are wonderful cats. I thought I would just pass this on in case anyone could pull him from that shelter (he's on the kill list). I live in South Jersey or I would try to help in person. Here is the http://petharbor.com/pet.asp?uaid=N…

Thank you!

From: NYC Siamese Rescue <nycsiameserescue@yahoo.com>
To: [Redacted]
Sent: Sunday, September 8, 2013 3:36 AM
Subject: Re: Siamese at the ACC

Stefanie,

About a dozen Siamese come into the ACC every week, and we are notified long before the public.

You do not need to tell us there is a cat at the pound. In fact, doing so while offering NOTHING of yourself, KILLS ANIMALS by wasting rescue resources. That is right!

STEFANIE [REDACTED] KILL CATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want to help instead of HURTING as you JUST DID, then adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate.

If you actually read the instructions on those lurid dead tomorrow facebook pages, they specifically ask you to NOT do exactly what you just did.

You do not say where you are in South Jersey, but your local animal pound likely kills more animals than the NYC one. Go help them !

L.J.

NYC Siamese Rescue

From: [Redacted]

To: NYC Siamese Rescue <nycsiameserescue@yahoo.com>

Sent: Sunday, September 8, 2013 10:14 AM

Subject: Re: Siamese at the ACC

Dear L.J.,

Please read this at a time when it does not contribute to the death of cats. L.J., I just wanted you to know that I am a Christian woman, I forgive you for your response and that I care about you and your cats. The thing is L.J., I have been a criminal law attorney for almost a decade. So when you wrote "STEFANIE [REDACTED] KILL CATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (taking that precious time from the cats to increase the font and hit caps lock off and ON) I recognized from experience your distinct intention to hurt and shock me as a means to make yourself feel better because YOU are suffering. You needed to vent. I get it. You are working hard to do good in a bad world. It may seem to you that the majority of people are ignorant, selfish and apathetic to your cause. Many are. I've been there. But you need to stop for a minute and reflect on what you say and how. Not for me, but for others whom you will hurt and for the cats. There is a person on the other end of your emails. You do not know me or my heart. You did not consider my feelings the way I now consider yours. You automatically assumed that I could afford to donate and/or had the physical capability to volunteer. What if I was a cat lover who was on welfare or social security, elderly or disabled? That person would have felt embarrassed and crushed. Would that have been worth it to you? I could have helped, but you did not ask for the help that I would have given. You failed.

I bet you have been doing this kind of work for years. If I had to guess, I would say you have become justifiably jaded to the point where you are scaring people away with callous language rather than helping more cats. I know that is not your intention. I pray that I am the only person who got an email like that from you.

You see, I could have written back a scathing reply about how I did apply to adopt this cat yesterday, well before you wrote me back. I could have pointed out that that lurid site you hate so much, likely has saved a cat you did not save. That is a good thing. I applied to adopt this cat despite the fact that I have four rescued and adopted cats in my home now. I will try my best to adopt him even though I live three hours away and have no assistance getting to the shelter as quickly as may have been necessary.

If I wanted to mirror your tone, maybe I could have said that I was going to share your email with as many people as humanly possible - with anyone, anywhere who has anything to do with cats, including anyone who works with you, above you or with any Siamese rescues. I could have justified sharing it with potential donors to your particular group because of the dismal PR you just provided for your rescue. But, I assume you just had a bad moment. Therefore, this is not that kind of letter.

L.J., I need you to understand that people are much better than you surmise and you are harming the cats you want to help when you prejudge and jump to conclusions. I forgive you for being tired, overworked, emotional and mean. Keep up the good fight.

I pray you have a great week,

Stefanie [Redacted]

From: "NYC Siamese Rescue" <nycsiameserescue@yahoo.com>
Date: Sep 9, 2013 5:15 AM
Subject: Re: Siamese at the ACC

To: [Redacted]

No, Stefanie [Redacted] - as an attorney, you have both a professional and moral obligation to understand the damage you do by your ill-flounded actions and their consequences, which you compound by this ridiculous trash I will not even read in full. Not only does

"STEFANIE [REDACTED] KILL CATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"STEFANIE [REDACTED] is an UNREPENTENT DEVIL WORSHIPPER"

"STEFANIE [REDACTED] DEFILES CHRIST WITH HER SINFUL ACTIONS"

"STEFANIE [REDACTED] FUCKS JESUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

(Thanks, Kara.)

[Art by Sam Woolley; source photos via Shutterstock]