Happy thoughts was (Re: "Put down" or "put to sleep"? Killing animals

[potioncat]

> 
>  Alex:
 Get your 
> animals spayed and neutered before they create more little lives 
that have to be snuffed 
> out. 

Potioncat:
Actually, it depends on whether an unwanted animal is being put down, 
or a beloved pet is being put out of misery.

In our house "put down" means being sent to the basement for the 
night. Our kitten thought it was great fun to pounce on sleeping 
family members in the middle of the night. Or better, to pounce on 
kids just as they were falling asleep. Part of the bedtime routine 
was to "put down the kitty."

So we FILKed the Sesame Street Song  "Put Down the Duckie"

You gotta put down the kitty.
You gotta put down the kitty.
You gotta put down the kitty,
if you want to get to sleep tonight.

It took us a while to learn that the kitty knew what the song meant. 
If we started singing it "before" we had her securely in our arms, it 
took forever to find her.