Suffering pet , what to do?

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

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

£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.

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 .

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

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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 .

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Or perhaps the PDSA.

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 .