Neighbor's cat with very advanced stage of cancer...What to do?

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Oliver

I'm WAY handsome

Purred: Wed Aug 8, '12 3:48pm PST


	I'm not sure what type of responses I'm actually looking for here, but I just ran into a situation and I can't shake it from my mind. I feel like I have to do SOMETHING, although I'm not quite sure what I should be doing. About an hour ago after work, I walked up to the store and on my way home I came across a cat lying on the sidewalk (just napping) As I got closer, he lifted his head to look at me and that's when I noticed something was very wrong. I don't mean to be so graphic, but it basically looked like most of the cat's face was ripped off. I dropped my groceries and called to the cat and he basically ran right towards me meowing and purring. Such a sweet and affectionate and vocal cat. Upon closer inspection I could see that the cat was completely missing an eye, while the other eye looked deformed and cloudy. I'm assuming the cat is blind. The nose appears to be missing and instead there is just a very large raw patch covering it's face. He is also missing his teeth and his mouth looks deformed and "ripped apart too" Assuming he was injured, I started calling a few people because I was trying to find someone to go to my house to grab my cat crate so I could bring this cat to the vet. I was about to start knocking on doors to see if anyone knew who's cat this was, but someone beat me to it. A woman came outside and asked if everything was ok and when I asked her if she knew who's cat that was, she told me it was her neighbor's cat. He's away right now for a few days and must have left him outside but she said the cat has cancer, but the owner just doesn't want to have him put to sleep With that I grabbed my groceries and left(after petting the cat for a while) Now while I understand this really is none of my business, being the animal lover I am, I am so deeply disturbed that someone would leave their pet in this type of shape, and especially outside! I can't imagine that this cat isn't suffering. He sounds like he's having trouble breathing (I guess no nose will cause such an issue) It was such a heartbreaking sight. I'm going back tonight to bring him some cat food and water just to make sure he has enough to eat and drink. I plan on going back every day to check on the cat and to hopefully run into his owner. I don't want to yell at him, but I do want to talk with him and hear from him what his reasons are for not having this poor thing put out if it's misery. Again, I know it's none of my business, but as far as I'm concerned this is a form of animal abuse. I did take a picture of him and if anyone saw this poor creature, I'm sure you'd understand why I feel like I need to do something. I don't know anything about this cat's owner, nor do I know that any type of discussion would change anything. I guess I just want to know, what would fellow Catsters do in this situation?

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Beatrice- (Miss You!- '94-'12)

The very Beast- of all

moderator

Purred: Wed Aug 8, '12 8:48pm PST


	I don't know the laws in your area, but it sounds like this is, at the very least, a case of severe neglect. I'd go ahead and document it with photos and contact your local Humane Society or SPCA to see if they can advise you as to whether this is something that should be reported to the authorities. Edited by author Wed Aug 8, '12 8:49pm PST

RADDY (my- heart's- darling)

I am still my- Meouwmy's- Beloved....

Purred: Thu Aug 9, '12 3:45am PST


	Dear Oliver's Meouwmy.....I started to read your post...but I could not finish it.... Can you not just pick the cat up and take it to your vets and have it put to sleep? I think - yes, I'm almost sure - that that is what I would do and damn the consequences....it cannot be left to suffer..... Jan

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Batfink

1254481

Purred: Thu Aug 9, '12 4:32am PST


	I know exactly what i would be doing, i would scoop up this poor soul and take him strait to the vets,and i would probably end up giving the neighbour a large piece of my mind....but then, i sometimes act without thinking and i can see why youve held back on this one, you dont want to cause trouble and i can see you are doing what you can to help this cat, we dont know what hes been through,if he is neglected or not,if that were a human, we would not allow it, this cat obviously need some Medical attention...... dont worry too much about what other people will say or do, do whats right for kitty, if that means you cant leave him...dont, pick him up and bring him home, get him some help from the vet .....xxx hope you are well. xxxxx

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Batfink

1254481

Purred: Thu Aug 9, '12 4:35am PST


	Also im not sure if it is for us to decide to have him euthanised..... i think to look after him untill you chat to his owner is an idea though....

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Orange Ruffy

The Baboo Kitty- has Spoken!

Purred: Thu Aug 9, '12 8:42am PST


	What to do? Please take the cat to the vet. I know this isn't any of your business, but perhaps you could reach out to a vet who could help? A similar story we had happen 2 years ago.... A cat showed up at the house mommy and daddy lived in. The cat was very ill...hard breathing, etc. Mommy had a vet friend here at the time who's since moved. She told Mommy to bring the kitty in. She treated the kitty, and it turned out he had a msas in his stomach. She told Mommy he was very sick. She called her friend, another vet who was a cancer doctor. He did a sonogram... vet said there was ' a little hope'. he offered to do the surgery for free. Mommy's vet housed him...and guess what? She wound up keeping him. 2 days later a lady said her cat was missing. She had been away. Someone told her Mommy had picked up her cat. Mommy told her that she did, the cat was very sick, and at the vets. Lady yelled at her. Told her that she wanted him back. Mommy went off. She said 'when was the last time you even bought him to the vet?" lady said she didn't have the money for a vet. Mommy told her that the cat would have died without the surgery. She said there was a chance he would die even now. She told the lady 'if you loved your cat, you wouldn't leave him outside, ill, in pain, to fend for himself'. The lady told Mommy that she was a stupid.....and went away. Mommy later found out that this lady got a dog that she wound up 'giving away' because 'it barked'. There are some people who are just not able to take care of animals. Please, if you can, help this cat. Then speak with the owner. There may be something that can be done for the poor creature. And the owner may not know what to do... if something needs to be done, you can always speak with them. But the cat is outside..and left to it's own devices. Thats just not fair. love and light, Ruffy and Mom and the KG Cats

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Pete- Fountain

So happy to have- a safe and- loving home!

Purred: Thu Aug 9, '12 12:16pm PST


	Good Grief!! I got sick to my stomach from your description of this poor cat!!! Bless you for wanting to help it.....agree with the poster who said to check on about what the laws are in a case like this. The poor cat should be put down, and out of its suffering, certainly there is not hope of it getting better. How could someone just let a cat (or ANY animal for that matter) get to such a condition. No, none of us want to let our pets go.....but this is WAY beyond thinking the cat will recover. And the "friend who is taking care of it"....sorry, they don't sound much better. Please post and let us know what happens. The New Orleans Kitties and Meowmy Faye

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Oliver

I'm WAY handsome

Purred: Thu Aug 9, '12 2:59pm PST


	Hi again everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who responded so far. So last night I went back over to where I originally saw the cat and I wasn't able to find him. Today at work I was telling my boss about what was going on and showed him the picture I took. He told me his neighbor/friend is a vet and called her and explained the situation. She said it does sound like a severe case of animal neglect but it's not in my hands to take the cat into my home or to the vet now that I know it belongs to someone. After my boss left I made a few phone calls of my own. First I called my vet and the receptionist was horrified and told me that's definitely animal abuse and gave me the number to a local animal abuse hotline. I called the number and spoke with someone briefly but they needed the specific address of the owner of the cat before they were able to officially file a claim. I told them I was going back over after work and would call back once I had more information. I went over and spoke with the same neighbor from yesterday. She told me her neighbor is a very nice man and loves his cat very much. She said that she and another neighbor are actually caring for his cat while he's away. The cat is mostly indoors but sometimes goes out and basically stays in the front yard. I asked if she had any idea whether or not the cat was receiving any type of medical treatment or if it's been to the vet recently but she wasnt really sure. I asked when he would be coming back and she told me he wouldn't be back until the end of August. Unfortunately I feel like my hands are tied at this point, or at least until the cat's owner comes home. I told the neighbor not to be alarmed if she sees me over there a lot because I'm just going to be checking in from time to time. I told her also I wasn't there to cause any trouble, but what's happening to that cat's face is gruesome and a complete tragedy and I'm not willing to just ignore the situation and brush it off simply because it's not my cat. I know I want to speak directly to the cat's owner, but unfortunately that will have to wait another 2 weeks. Sighh I wish I could do more, but not sure what I'm going to call the animal abuse hotline back right now with what little bit of information I have and will see what they say the next step is. Thank you all for caring and I will update again!

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Batfink

1254481

Purred: Fri Aug 10, '12 1:53am PST


	Yeah i can see how your hands are tied here, you must be so stressed out, but dont worry, Im a bit appauled they cant just send someone out to see the cat,assess the situation speak to the neighbours etc, looks like you are doing the job of the spca here, its not about ownership is it, its about the quality of life of an animal that has its own feelings, but cannot express them, just as well there are people that care like you able to speak for him, You are making a tremendous effort here, i hope when the owner comes back you area able to get some answers.....keep us posted, hope you are well, and hope he is well, purrss xx

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Baron

1120674

Purred: Fri Aug 10, '12 6:35am PST


	Is there any way you could give the address of the neighbor who is watching the cat when filing a report? That way the kitty can be assessed asap and something can be done. If that happens, the neighbor can call the cat owner (if she doesn;t have the owners # then something is seriously not right), and the cat owner can be in contact with whoever.

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