“The kids didn’t learn responsibility,” the parent said. That was one reason why Sansa, a now-spayed, cloud-gray, eight-month-old kitten and her sisters lost their home. The other reason was that two female cats, that adult owners hadn’t spayed, had kittens. So, all females came to the Shelter. The males stayed.

Now Sansa is overcoming her skittishness. Noises propel her into hiding. People moving quickly make her run. The kids living with Sansa may not have learned, but the gentle, older kitten did.

Pets, on their own, can’t teach kids responsibility. By themselves, pets can try to win love. And losing a creature he loves may not teach a child the lesson that parents want. And, above all, Sansa doesn’t deserve to be the one punished.