Shelter immediately or delay it?

[fireheart]

So my former friend (who I'll call Flower) is moving out in a month and a half. For those of you who read my thread in Fratching about the Flower/Nord/Falcon saga, this is the same Flower.

One of the things she has asked (read: expected/forced) Nord (my boyfriend) to do is take care of the cat that she has up at the house currently. Nord may be moving interstate in a month, I cannot take over the lease and neither of us can currently afford to take care of the cat. I originally said that if she does not find an alternate house for him by the time she leaves, I will trap the cat and take him to a shelter myself*, but I'm beginning to think that the trapping/moving needs to occur MUCH sooner. Why?

She does not take care of him properly. and I don't mean by comparing him to my cat (who is basically spoilt), this is why:

-She has not made ANY effort to have him desexed, microchipped, wormed or vaccinated. The latter two she has not done to ANY of her pets actually**. Even after I suggested a company that will do desexing cheaply, she basically ignored it.

-She lets him roam around outside. At night. Now the backyard is not particularly well-secured (we also live on a rental property), but at the basic, you would keep him in at night! He will come in for food, bonks, rubs and sleep if someone is around. That's it.

-When he "ran away" (translation: didn't bother to contain him or look for him), she was "very upset". When I trapped him for one night? She saw him, acknowledged him, then sent him back outside. She didn't do ANYTHING along the lines of looking for him at all.

-When he has come back inside, he's had the occasional bump/scrape from getting into a fight. Instead of taking him to the vet and/or checking his wounds, what does she do? Lets him back out.

-She does not make any effort to be a companion towards him. Because he was a stray previously, he would take a little longer to get settled with human company, so you would OBVIOUSLY make the effort to be his companion and to encourage him to hang around. The way she treats him? Like an annoyance. If anything, it comes off more as a "trophy" cat or a "perfect household" pet for her twisted little fantasy. She didn't buy ANY toys for him whatsoever, no scratching post, nothing of the sort. If he mewed his butt off, she'd release him right back out. If he went to sleep near or on her, she'd throw a fit. He's stopped sleeping in her bedroom now and will sleep anywhere but.

-as for WHAT she's been feeding him? While she does have pouches of cat food available, the cans that she has for him? Dog food. Specifically fish-flavoured dog food.

So my question is: do I hold off on the trapping until after she leaves or should I take him to the shelter ASAP?

*-It's illegal in my state to trap an easily identifiable cat (with a collar) and it's also an offence to remove said collar (obviously!). I do have a cat at my place but there is no way I can take care of him.

**-She has two dogs and a cat at another place (all of which were rescues). They currently spend time at another location as they are shared with a former housemate of hers. She does visit them, but as far as I'm aware, while she "cares" for them, she has not bothered to get them vaccinated or wormed (because they were all rescues, they're desexed). Her idea of a Christmas present for them was to give them a 20kg bag of food.

[Kittish]

I would take him to the shelter asap. For one thing, unless he's getting proper food elsewhere, he's going to be getting pretty badly malnourished soon. Dog food does NOT equal cat food, and doesn't have the nutrients cats need.

That plus the other neglect you describe makes me think the cat would certainly be better off with someone who treated him right.

[fireheart]

I would take him to the shelter asap. For one thing, unless he's getting proper food elsewhere, he's going to be getting pretty badly malnourished soon. Dog food does NOT equal cat food, and doesn't have the nutrients cats need.

That plus the other neglect you describe makes me think the cat would certainly be better off with someone who treated him right.

Oops, I should've clarified: she does feed him the cat food pouches, the cans are for when she runs out of said pouches.

I also brought this up with her and she argued otherwise. I shut up since it was her cat, not mine.

As for his body condition, he came in tonight and seemed slightly better. He was looking a little less mangy, but was still mewing his butt off. I've told Nord from now on that if he does come into the house while Flower is not around, that he's to feed him ASAP and if needed, do a litter change.

She is finding a home for him as of now though. I've also told Nord that if he has to purchase anything for the cat, that he's to go after her for it.

[Sapphire Silk]

I would take him to the shelter asap. For one thing, unless he's getting proper food elsewhere, he's going to be getting pretty badly malnourished soon. Dog food does NOT equal cat food, and doesn't have the nutrients cats need.

That plus the other neglect you describe makes me think the cat would certainly be better off with someone who treated him right.

fireheart could get in trouble for doing that. The cat is legally Flower's property; fireheart could get dinged for theft if she takes Flower's cat to the shelter.

What she CAN do is a file a complaint with Animal Control that her roommate is not providing adequate food, shelter, and vet care. However, Animal Control usually prefers to work with pet owners and often gives them multiple chances to fix problems before taking an animal. It would just inflame things between fireheart and Flower.

It sounds to me like the problem has been going on for some time. I have no doubt Flower's cat has been hunting, and maybe getting food from neighbors (dog food is not appropriate for cats). He does sound like he could be socialized since he wanted to sleep with Flower until he realized she would not tolerate it. With some work, he'd probably make a pretty good pet.

Hopefully Flower will find him a good home. If she leaves the cat behind when she moves out, then the cat is then abandoned property and fireheart can take him to the shelter at that point. Better yet, if fireheart gets Flower to sign him over to her when she moves out, then she's really in the clear to take the cat to the shelter when Flower leaves.

I've done that before, frankly. I was helping a CW's daughter move back in with the CW (daughter was very pregnant), and she had two cats. CW would only let her keep one. I took the other one to the shelter, and told the daughter I'd found a home for him in the neighborhood because daughter was fearful the cat would be put down if taken to the county shelter.

A reasonable fear since we do have a kill shelter. However, unless the animal is sick or dangerous, they wait as long as possible, and a lot of cats or dogs that would be euthanized are picked up by the no kill shelters so they don't put down that many animals.

[fireheart]

fireheart could get in trouble for doing that. The cat is legally Flower's property; fireheart could get dinged for theft if she takes Flower's cat to the shelter.

The law in my state with trapped cats is that if you trap a cat and it has a collar with an ID tag, it must be returned to the property immediately.
If it lacks a collar, but has a microchip or other form of ID, then SA practice is to give the owner 3 days to claim it. If it's not claimed, it's re homed or euthenased. If it is claimed, the owner is liable for a fee.

What she CAN do is a file a complaint with Animal Control that her roommate is not providing adequate food, shelter, and vet care. However, Animal Control usually prefers to work with pet owners and often gives them multiple chances to fix problems before taking an animal. It would just inflame things between fireheart and Flower.

The rspca will not deal with 3rd party reports, but I have witnessed enough of this to count as a "first party" witness.

It sounds to me like the problem has been going on for some time. I have no doubt Flower's cat has been hunting, and maybe getting food from neighbors (dog food is not appropriate for cats). He does sound like he could be socialized since he wanted to sleep with Flower until he realized she would not tolerate it. With some work, he'd probably make a pretty good pet.

He is VERY sociable. If she's not around, he'll give head bonks or rubs to anyone else available, even my partner who is normally not a cat person. He'll sleep on me (albeit on a cushion since she hasn't bothered to trim his claws) or near me. He also purrs when I pick him up, but if I mishandle him, he'll let me know.

Food wise, he is a guts. If we put down any wet food, it is gone within about 5 minutes and he'll beg for more if we go near the laundry. I haven't been using this as a yardstick of health however, as my grandmothers cat (indoor and cared for properly) displays the exact same thing.

Hopefully Flower will find him a good home. If she leaves the cat behind when she moves out, then the cat is then abandoned property and fireheart can take him to the shelter at that point. Better yet, if fireheart gets Flower to sign him over to her when she moves out, then she's really in the clear to take the cat to the shelter when Flower leaves.

She moves out early march. I've told nord (her housemate) that she has until then to find him a good home. If she doesn't, shelter time!
I can't take care of him myself as I don't live in the house and we cannot take care of 2 cats at my place: definitely not an ex-stray.
My boyfriend cannot take care of him financially.

[EricKei]

You guys are all very correct about the malnourishment thing -- cats need Taurine; cat food has it as an additive, dog food doesn't >_< Dogs can live on cat food just fine as a temporary thing, but the reverse is not true unless the poor thing has indeed been hunting.

[MoonCat]

Shelter. NOW. Cats CANNOT eat dog food, it does not have the proper nutrients. Cats must eat a higher percentage of meat than dogs do, not to mention the vitamins such as taurine which are necessary for good health.

What she's doing is abusive. No vet care, no treatment of injuries, wrong food. SHELTER. Please.

[Pixilated]

Fireheart, you emphasized that it's illegal to trap an "easily identifiable cat (with a collar)" -- does that mean this one has a collar?

If you can find any way to get this poor thing to a shelter ASAP, that would be great. She obviously can't be bothered to do even the basics of animal care. It would stand a better chance at a good life at a shelter.

[EricKei]

Is there an equivalent to Animal Control there that may be able to help you, or at least provide advice?

[fireheart]

Well I got lucky. She's rehomed it, so at least I can hope that he's getting the treatment he sorely needs. If he does make his way back to the property though, he's going straight to the shelter.

[Pixilated]

Abuse isn't the only thing that justifies removing an animal. Neglect does as well. And only a lack of vaccination shots ... no, that's not enough, in and of itself. My cats haven't had their vaccinations in years either (they will when I can afford it) and like yours, they are indoor cats so it's not an issue. From the overall sound of this situation described in the OP, though, I would say it does qualify as neglect and does justify intervention ... although ATM the situation seems to have settled itself.

[Moirae]

It doesn't sound like neglect to me. It sounds like the op doesn't like the owner.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The cat has been re-homed, so the point may be moot.

[Aethian]

It doesn't sound like neglect to me. It sounds like the op doesn't like the owner.

Let's number off the reasons this is neglect...

1. Feeding the wrong specie of food
2. Not keeping up with shots
3/4. Ignoring the feline or making a excuse to toss the feline outside
5. Not finding vet care when the feline comes in with injuries

1 & 5 would have me calling for neglect. 2 & 5 should go hand in hand. If your going to force a animal to be a outside animal then you should keep up with vet care.

[MoonCat]

Let's number off the reasons this is neglect...

1. Feeding the wrong specie of food
2. Not keeping up with shots
3/4. Ignoring the feline or making a excuse to toss the feline outside
5. Not finding vet care when the feline comes in with injuries

1 & 5 would have me calling for neglect. 2 & 5 should go hand in hand. If your going to force a animal to be a outside animal then you should keep up with vet care.

This. Having a pet means taking on responsibility for its life and health. I'll say no more.

I'm glad the cat was rehomed.