Post Code TW19 - cat living around a bus stop

Person_one

You don't know she wasn't being fed!

If you saw my beloved, adored, still miss her every day little dog who died at 16 you'd have probably tried to take her away from me. You said yourself you've never had a very elderly and ill animal, maybe that's why I have a different perspective.

gettingready

The outdoor cat, one that does not want to come in... never once tried to get out of the room...

gettingready

Person_one wrote: »

You don't know she wasn't being fed!

I know she was. By Ewa. In owner's full view.

Gold_Dust_2

I agree that this cat needs TLC, and that she looks very comfortable indoors. I also agree with the fact that the owners don't seem very responsible in that they've stated that she is on a special diet yet don't seem very bothered by a stranger feeding her. Her coat is disgusting and she needs to be inside, all true.

However, I also agree with person one. I thought that your plan was to take her to a vet to ascertain the truth of the owner's story and to see whether she was completely neglected, but to decide to rehome her without seeing what the vet says is hasty. The RSPCA gives the owner a chance to change their ways before confiscating the animal, and they have not received this chance at all, they've just seen that a stranger is interested in the welfare of this cat but obviously don't feel the pressure to change that they would feel if an official body took over. It shouldn't take this kind of pressure to make a person change, but unfortunately it does sometimes.

gettingready wrote: »

That is actually correct - unless the vet says it is in best interest of the CAT to release the cat back to living under cars/behind bricks in all weather and rely on strangers to feed it.

And I doubt any vet will say that.

Of course no vet would say that, so to decide to base your decision upon it means that you have obviously already made up your mind. The vet would need the whole story to be able to make a comment that cannot be taken out of context.

I don't think that the owners have done a wonderful job, but for a bunch of strangers to nick their cat with the approval of more strangers on a forum without the owners getting a chance to change or to say anything is just not fair. Your friend has had brief conversations with the owners twice, and been seen feeding the cat by them once or twice, you've also stated yourself that she has no experience owning cats, which makes a big difference to the judgements being made. At what point did your friend suggest that they take better care of the cat else they'd be reported to the RSPCA? There are a lot of members on here validating your actions, but that does not mean that it is right. Now these owners have lost their cat based upon a couple of brief interactions, and you have gone from thinking about helping the cat to permanently rehoming her regardless of whatever happens. That is not fair.

This is all very one-sided.

gettingready

This is all very one-sided

Yes, one sided, CAT sided.

FatVonD

Jeez, I hope you and your mate never walk past my house when my mostly white cat has oil stains on her coat from rolling around under hubby's cab on our drive.

If the cat is old and sick it may well have been on one of veterinary diets, I do hope you will get her kidneys etc checked out at the vets.

FatVonD

Btw, hubby drives a cab in that area, if he spots a 'missing' notice on a lamp post I'll tell him to nab it and give them a call to let them know where their cat is.

gettingready

If Ewa sees a notice like that, she will contact them and tell them herself, no worries.

Gold_Dust_2

gettingready wrote: »

Yes, one sided, CAT sided.

Yes, but whilst you both should have been working with the owners to help the cat and exhausting every option you had with them, you moved straight onto option B and decided that the cat needed a new home.

A few people have mentioned that they could have been lying, have cast aspersions on the comments and actions of the owners and the rescue effort kicked into high gear. They could have fed the cat at 1am and during the day when your friend was at work, for all that she knew, and they could have put the bowls down twice a day and removed them, and your friend wouldn't have seen. God knows my cats would have scrounged anything in a heartbeat because they were on restricted diets, doesn't mean that they were starved - would have looked like it though. I've given my cats a once a day med at 1am before, and again, nobody would know. In fact, when my cat was reported to the RSPCA he was being heavily medicated and cared for on a daily basis, but they just saw what they saw on the outside and reported him.

I don't disapprove of your desire to help the cat, just your methods.

Froglet

FatVonD wrote: »

Btw, hubby drives a cab in that area, if he spots a 'missing' notice on a lamp post I'll tell him to nab it and give them a call to let them know where their cat is.

Going on their previous interest in the cat's welfare i think it highly unlikely.

So what would you all have rather happened? Let this cat starve and freeze to death? I'm sure some would think urgh manky cat,keep away from me .

Thankfully there are still some people with compassion in this often rotten,selfish world.