Suffering pet , what to do?

You could also call the Blue Cross (who helped James and Bob) when James was busking on the street and found Bob who saved him from drugs etc ...the Blue Cross healed the injuries the cat had and, I believe, did not charge him, You could phone them for advice or you could approach your neighbour just to ask if they had any objection to your taking him to someone as you are concerned about him ..that is if your neighbours are approachable ! Our neighbours cat decided it was going to live with us and our three cats instead of at theirs, We asked them if the minded if we paid for it to be sterilised, They had no objection, and we received a voucher for a reduced price at selected vets, from a cat charity, Sadly after a few years the little cat disappeared one night and we could never find him, he had a chip so we have to assume the worst. If you look on Facebook there is a group, James and Bobs fundraising ..they are extremely helpful in cases like this !"
Goof luck

Good luck of course ...not goof luck ! Hate these tiny keys !

f77ms. Please please don't let this poor creature suffer anymore. Make that call or make that trip to the vets.

petra I will not let him suffer any longer than I have to , I adore cats and have 4 of my own . I have spoken to our local charity today who have given me a number to ring to see if they will pay for the vet . I have not got through yet but will try later . He is still here and I have just mashed up some food which he has eaten .

What I am most afraid of is retribution from the neighbours , that they may harm one of mine in retaliation if they find out it was me . I really wouldn`t put it past them . If I can take him and get him treated without them finding out that would be the best scenario. I worry that he has gone beyond treatment though and they may want to put him to sleep .

£500 to have his teeth taken out!! No wonder they're not keen on a return trip to the vet, especially as it didn't solve problem. Vets are sheisters.
Poor little cat. I would ring an animal charity and explain your dilemma. RSPCA can be fairly hopeless. But maybe one of the others will help.
Kindest thing maybe having the poor thing put to sleep if he's suffering so much.

But, it isn't for the OP, however caring she is, to make that decision for this animal. I agree, the RSPCA can be hopeless but if the health of this cat is being neglected to the extent its owners ignore it over a period of days, then maybe that's the place to start

Iam64 I agree , it should not be me who is making a decision about this poor cat . It should be the owners but as I have said they are quite happy to allow me to look after him, feed him , clean up after him for 99% of the time and this has been going on for years . I do not have a choice as he comes in through the cat flap .A few years ago I actually bought one which works with a magnet to stop him but he broke the door off ! I really DO NOT want to be in this position hence me posting for advice . The cats owners have not ignored him for a period of days it is actually a period of years , if you read my posts I say why I am worried about contacting the RSPCA - fear of retribution . Violette thanks I will look at that website x

We were in a similar situation several years ago. A stray was taken in by our neighbours, lovely little cat, very trusting and loved sleeping in vehicles which is how we think she arrived. Our neighbours weren't particularly pet people and we noticed that she had a nasty looking wound on her leg. They were not bothered, said it would get better on its own. We were concerned and offered to take her to the vet where she had injections and antibiotics and fully recovered. After that she moved in with us and no more was said. I hope you manage to reach a solution with your neighbour.

I've had a similar experience. Cat charities are the way to go. Take their advice.
Do you have a PDSA in your area? They provide free treatment if you are eligible.
You are a compassionate lady doing all the right things and I hope this gets resolved without too much expense for you.
Good luck with the neighbours. It's a difficult dilemma. I wonder how they'd respond if you let them know that the cat seems to have insisted on moving in with you and would they mind if you took him on. You are taking all the responsibility anyway. If they haven't asked around for him by now then nothing will change.

That last suggestion by Lupin is a good one.

Do your neighbours work? I just thought if they are out all day you could whip it off to the vet saying it suddenly took a turn for the worse and as they were out you panicked...,????

If you could afford the cost of keeping him, f77ms I'd ask the neighbours if they'd let you have him permanently. If they agreed, you could do what needs to be done without worrying about it.

Good luck in dealing with this, it must be heartbreaking.

The first consideration here is the cat's state of health. There is always a reason why a pet 'chooses' to desert his normal home and that is because his needs are not met adequately. This cat has chosen your home because he knows he will receive care and attention. I wouldn't think twice. I would take him to the vet's ASAP and make that my priority. He is clearly suffering and needs medical treatment. You have got in your house a pet in need of help, so give him the help he needs without worrying about whose pet it is. If your assessment of the situation was different and your neighbours actually looked after the cat well I would say that the decision you would then take might be different but it appears that they don't care about the cat. You have lost your pet recently and from your letter it is clear that you are an animal lover. This cat might become unofficially your new pet as the owners appear not to care. I would not discuss the issue with them as you are likely to get a mouthful of abuse and ultimately then this would put you in a difficult position if you decided to go ahead and go to the vet with the cat anyway. They may also try and keep the cat indoors from then on so as to prevent you from giving him medical treatment.
You could also ring the RSPCA and discuss this with them but I would do this after you have taken the pet to the vet's so as not to blur the issues about what is really important, and that is that the cat receives treatment NOW.
I am in a similar situation with a neighbour's cat from across the road who comes and asks for food. I have found out that the owners do not let him in at all all through the winter and generally the cat fends for itself. After careful consideration I have decided to leave food and liquids out for him. He is now looking much better. However I haven't let him in overnight as I don't have a cat flap but my next door neighbours let their cat flap open for him, so you have 2 families sort of 'looking after' him without the owners being aware. The end result is that the cat gets fed properly, still goes home and receive the level of care they give him, gets to sleep somewhere warm at night if he chooses to and we keep an eye on him. That's the best option without going into discussion with the owners and maybe having a falling out. Could this work for you? The vet treatment is needed and you will have to pay but to my mind it is worth it for the cat and to stop you worrying. What you say to the vet is up to you but I would not hand him over to the cat protection league as they might have him put to sleep? Maybe discuss it all with them as well but their hands might be tied if you tell them you know the owners! Good luck and please let us all know how you got on and how the cat is please.

You've summed the situation up very well Misty'

My late dad was "adopted" by 5 cats who all moved in with him at one point or another. Dad was quite aware that they probably had a home elsewhere but he was very much an animal lover and they seemed to enjoy each other's company. When any one of the cats was ill dad would take it along to the vet. I'm sure he was never asked if he was the actual owner and I doubt he said otherwise. When the end came, dad would sit with them on his knee whilst the vet did the necessary. I do appreciate this isn't always possible if you don't have the money. He did live in a small village and most people knew that he was the local cats home do if someone's cat was actually missing they would have known where to go

Just to update ... I have spoken to a lovely lady from an animal charity who says to take him to their vet and they will pay !!! He is still here in the same place , is eating a little and has the loudest purr when I stroke him . I will take him on Monday and post again .

Thanks for the update
I'll be looking out for any news regarding the little guy. Its a very kind thing you've done. Thanks, on his behalf! X

Good that someone, apart from you, has taken ownership of this problem.

i didnt know this but a vet told me that cats can purr when ill or stressed it may be used as a warning signal
I m glad this chap is going to get help

I have heard that too Bluebelle , but I think he is so unused to affection he is in heaven if he gets a bit !

Many years ago, I came home, to find my two cats apparently looking after a young female cat which appeared to have been abandoned. I took her to the Cats' Protection and was told that she had recently given birth to kittens - I hate to think what happened to them. They kept her, said she would be spayed and re-homed.
My ginger cat purred when he was puzzled or doubtful about something.

Yes, cat's purring isn't always a sign of happiness. It's the same with dogs, people assume a wagging tail indicates the dog is happy and friendly - nope, it can indicate all kinds of different emotional or psychological states in the dog. A tail held high is usually an indicator of a confident, some might say, dominant dog. My big dog holds her tail high and wags it as a warning to overly fussy, interfering, sniffing all the bits she doesn't want sniffed dogs that if they don't stop, they'll be sorry.

Sorry, if there was an edit button, I would add that it's good to hear the charity are responding so positively f77ms.

Sad news . Poor puss had a massive tumour in his throat and one in his eye . The vet said he would have been in a lot of pain . This morning he had blood coming from his mouth and wouldn`t eat anything so I knew I had to take him . He was put to sleep and I stayed and stroked him while it was done . I am so glad he is out of pain , no pet deserves to go through what he has . Thanks for all the messages while this has been happening , they did help xxx

RIP puss. Good that you took him to the vet and will you tell your neighbours

Bless him and you.