Mumsnet Talk

I walk to work (about 10 minutes) and this morning spotted a small fluffy bundle on top of a wall. I didn't really have time to check it out, but it played on my mind all day.

I checked it out on the way home, and it's a dead cat I work shifts (which is why I'm posting 12 hours after I first saw it) and have tomorrow off. I need advice on what to do:

a) Nothing
b) Go back with a cardboard pet carrier and rubber gloves and contact the local vet in the morning
c) Call the emergency vet and/or some kind of local council department

I don't think I'm heartless enough for option a. I was incredibly grateful to the stranger who took my cat to the vet when he was run over even though he didn't pull through. Option b seems logical but I would have to store it in the dustbin as I don't really want it in the house, but that seems disrespectful. Option c might be the proper way to do things, but I'd like to know that the owner knew what had happened.

I don't have dc's so am free to go with the MN verdict! Thank you

C.

How will you find the owner with any of the options unless the cat is microchipped?

B.

I take it there was no id tag?

You're a good person.

Thank you!

Katherine, I didn't get that close; the poor thing was curled up as if it were asleep and I didn't want to touch it without gloves should have nicked some from work

Anyone have any clues as to which department I should google if I go for council? Also, is storing someone's dead pet in the dustbin (empty) an ok thing to do?!

our vet will scan dead pets to see if they are microchipped and then dispose of them if there is no way of id'ing them

so i would do B

Different councils might have different rules, but when we found a dead cat in our garden the council refused to take it. They would have taken it from the roadside, but not a private garden. So be wary of taking it home if you don't want to have to dispose of it yourself (or find the owners).

You're lovely for not just leaving it there though. Poor kitty.

I've also put it as my fb status, and am off to google the emergency vet number. I can at least ring them and collect if they can't.

I was so grateful to the kind person who took my cat down when he was run over, this is my turn to do the right thing!

I have taken 2 dead cats in to my local vets (not at the same time!). I put them in a box and took them in.
The vets scanned them for any id and then send them to the crematorium with the other 'waste' afaik.
I also put posters up.
I think they were feral cats though as no one ever came looking for them.

The nice chap is going to get the duty vet to ring me back.

It's quarter to nine in the evening here, so I can't just walk into a surgery - which is why I pondered the carrier and dustbin (out of the way of foxes) idea

I used to work for the council as Animal Warden and we would always go out and collect the animal, check for collar or microchip and if no id would store it for 7 days in the freezer at the depot, to give owners a chance to report their pet missing. After that they would be sent for incineration if not claimed.

Give the Environmental Health dept a ring - check out your councils website for nos or email.

Or you could pop it down your local vets tomorrow and they should scan it foc. They most likely will dispose of it for you as well.

Apparently my local council will just dispose, so the poor mite is going to stay in my bin for the night

Then I can take it to the surgery in the morning, and hopefully the owner will be notified

It's safe with me, the vet is only 2mins away so I'll take it in first thing tomorrow.

It's tiny

Aw, that's so sad. Probably one of this years kittens.

Oh, Katherine, no!

That's lovely of you. If it were my cat I would be really grateful to a kind soul like you for going to the trouble. They will be sad, I'm sure, but at least it won't mean they spend weeks looking for it and hoping it will come home. I think posters if a good idea too, giving the number of the vet you have contacted if you can't face breaking the news to the owner.

I saw what I thought was a dead cat on the side of a road at night a few months ago and called the local RSPCA number. They said they wouldn't send someone to fetch it but that they would make a note in case anyone called to report a missing cat.

Not sure where you are but my local council dog warden will assist with collection and identification I'm these circumstances. Your general council contact number should be able to put you through to the right department.

Thanks, the duty vet's advice was that our local council would dispose of the body like any other rubbish

A wonderful person took my cat (the ginger one on my profile) to the vet earlier this year when he was run over. I never found out who, but did put an ad in the local rag to say thank you. So this feels like Karma - it's my "turn". Cynical DP agrees he's away for work so didn't know til too late

For anyone still following, I have made a total twat of myself. It wasn't a dead cat. It was a toy cat. I dropped it off to the vet this morning, and they just rang back to tell me

So sad... until your last post. That is hilarious, sorry. Must have been a realistic cat!

Sorry but I did burst out laughing! How did you not realise?!

Don't woryy, the vet and I were in giggly hysterics! I don't know how I'm going to face them when the cat's jabs are due!

It was just curled up on top of a 6' brick gate pillar thing. I saw a cat face, and assumed the worst.

Am I the biggest twat on MN today? I must be!

Really? and for you!

I followed this thread <lurker> all sorrowfull, but that, that's hilarious

HA HA HA HA HA

I was getting all upset (pregnant) so am very pleased to read the end of this thread! Classic!!

Reading this with tears in my eyes, even more so, now I've read you last post