Suffering pet , what to do?

Strangely enough, I've been in the exact situation you find yourself in
What I did doesn't mean I'm suggesting it was right, but well, I did it
I took my neighbours cat, who very obviously had a badly injured leg, which hadn't had medical attention, to a cat sanctuary, and told them she was a stray.
I never told a soul, and feel I did the right thing.
My neighbours told me the cat was limping "for attention". They had various pets, which they got rid of as and when the novelty wore off, or neglected. They really weren't animals lovers at at..

I think the vet would examine the cat whether it belonged to you or not. You do need to be careful though. My aunt was sorry for a neighbour's neglected cat which kept coming in, she took him to a vet and paid for his treatment, and was then accused of luring him in and stealing him! This wasn't a valuable pedigree cat but a mixed moggy. (Eventually not only that one but also the mother cat decided to move in with her)

Have you thought of contacting the Cats Protection League? www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/helpline
A friend has done a lot of work with them and they have a helpline which may be able to give you advice.
I know they work with vets to alleviate suffering in cats. Tricky problem for you.

Do you think that the owners would care if the cat ' dissapeared'. It doesn't sound like it to me. In fact it's downright bloody cruel. If it were me I would take it to the vet to be humanely put out of its misery.

There are a few awful cat diseases that could be causing the poor old things problems
I'm sure its actually illegal not to seek medical treatment for a poorly pet.
I suppose you could dress up a policeman?
Sorry for making light, because its a horrible situation.

I know it isn't what you want to hear but I believe you have to speak to your neighbours. Are you sure they haven't already taken their cat to the vet, or that they are deliberately neglecting it. Old cats often look dreadful, skinny things. If it were my cat, I'm sure I'd be making that final loving decision but it isn't my cat, it belongs to your neighbours.

Thanks for all the replies , it is so awful watching the poor thing suffering for so long . Iam I have spoken to them many times about the cat , one time they did take him to the vet but that was 18 months ago . Everyone who comes to my house and sees him says they would report the neighbours to the RSPCA for neglect but I just don`t relish the idea of having to live next door if I did this . He really is not that old at 12 , my 20 year old cat looked in better condition . I think I will speak to cats protection to see if they can help .

Or perhaps the PDSA.

Is the cat microchipped because if it is you probably can't do anything without the owners permission. If it's not chipped then I'd be very tempted to claim it's a stray & do what you think best

f77ms. Good luck wth the CPL route. Our dearly loved cat died in June after becoming horribly thin. Luckily she was insured because it cost us over £1000 in vets bills. Poor thing had untreatable liver cancer and she was only 7, so age is not necessarily a factor. Hope the prognosis is better for your neighbour's cat.

Yes, f77 best to ring one of the animal welfare organisations and ask their advice. They are used to dealing with cases of neglect all the time.

Do you know if the cat is currently on any medication?

Our cat became quite ill when he was 15, lost a lot of weight very quickly, was constantly thirsty, stopped grooming himself and looked a sorry sight.
Our vet ran various tests and diagnosed a thyroid problem. Even with medication being given daily and my grooming him daily, it was several months before he started to have the appearance of a healthy cat. He lived for another 5 years.

It is possible that your neighbour's cat is currently being treated for an illness which will take time resolve.

Perhaps I'm way off the mark but I thought I had better point out the possibility.

Poor little puss. I hope it all ends well.

It really is a case for the RSPCA. They can advise the owners on the need for treatment. You can always call them anonymously.

Linsco Poor puss has been in my house now for 4 days without going home, he has used my cats litter tray and not moved except to eat or use the loo , I wonder why the neighbours don`t question why they have not seen him or fed him for that long ?

I have spoken to them lots of times about his condition and I think they just think I am an interfering old so and so ! purpledaf sorry about your puss , I lost my 20 year old in June , she had had a good long life but I was still very sad .

Aren't cats classed more as wild animals?
We had a cat turn up a few years ago in a very poor state. After caring for it for a while he was eventually euthanased by the vet because of throat cancer.

I don`t think so Whitewave . Cats are domesticated and don`t do very well when living as strays .

Have to agree with Deedaa, ring the rspca, you dont have to give your name.

Are you prepared to pay vet bills for the cat? If so I would just ask them if they mind you taking it to the vet.

Yes the rspca are the ones to ring. I'm sure you are not the only neighbour to notice how ill the cat looks, so they need not assume it's you who reported them. They can investigate at their vets in case there is on going treatment. But please do it sooner rather than later as it must be suffering.
Some owners just don't deserve the love a pet gives them. I know how hard it is to euthanize a much loved pet, but it appears your neighbours just don't care. Good luck.

No I meant for legal purposes. They aren't seen as the "owners" responsibility -they are their own bosses as it were. So that's why I think there is no problem with taking him in and caring for him including vet visits as he has "chosen" you for the time at least.

Change your catflap to one that works with a special collar that only your cats wear. Personally I would take it to a sanctuary and claim it was a stray but not easy to be deceitful like that

From the sounds of it he's living with you now. You've spoken to your neighbours about his health and doesn't seem like they're taking care of him, which is animal neglect. I'd take him to the vet, as I couldn't bear to see him suffering, poor little mite.

You could call Cats Protection www.cats.org.uk/contact-cp
I wouldn't bother with the RSPCA. They've never helped me when I've reported animal cruelty.

A chip doesn't confer ownership, it just defines identity. Your neighbours own the cat whether chipped or not.

I had a cat which produced two kittens. We kept them, much to Mum's displeasure. She decided to move to a house round the corner, where she stayed despite the ownership changing twice! The latest lot took her to the vet (the expensive one) for something and presented me with the bill. Dream on!

I would definitely take him to the vets and explain the situation. He could have kidney problems but after so long there is probably not a lot they can do for him. Poor thing - it's so hard to see them suffering and being unable to help. The PDSA or Cat's Protection might help but if you've been looking after him they will probably class him as not their responsibility I took a stray several times with various wounds and abscesses which cost me quite a bit - he practically lived in my house too with my cats. Sadly he vanished a year ago and I suspect he just passed away somewhere on his own. Good luck.