Cats as a disposable item

Is it right that during this time of financial difficulty for some people, that they should treat cats as a disposable item?

It seems that the abandonment of domestic cats is on the increase in the United States. The Shelby County Humane Society has taken in a significantly larger number of abandoned and stray animals this year compared to 2007. This is despite the fact the county has a high proportion of educated people.

Cats that are handed in to the The Shelby County Humane Society facility are most likely to be euthanized as there is no chance of the owners turning up to recover a lost cat. The rescue center must be turning into a kind of processing plant as a large number of cats must be euthanized as they are full.

The situation seems hopeless. It seems that some (perhaps a significant number judging by the increase in abandoned cats) people do treat cats as a disposable item in the same way that they would throw away a old washing machine. It is understandable but we cannot it seems to me treat a living creature like an inert machine. We have to find a better way surely.

If the people can find somewhere to live isn't it possible to keep there cats? If a house is repossessed don't the local authorities help with rehousing in some way? And if the rehoming precludes a cat why should this be the case?

It seems to me that we have a responsibility to our domestic cats that we cannot walk away from and a little more effort and commitment may save many cat's lives. Am I being too harsh?

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