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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Should we call the RSPCA or rescue this cat ourselves?

49 replies

ShinyMoonInAPurpleSky · 26/04/2011 15:22

Ok, this is my second problem of the day. My first is [http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childrens_health/1201657-How-do-you-keep-a-baby-hydrated-when-they-refuse-to-drink here] and any help would be greatly appreciated!

There is a cat that lives near to my MIL that is skin and bones. She is always outside and is literally the loveliest thing you have ever met, although I do wonder if that is because she is so starved of attention.

One of MIL's children, my BIL (11 years old) has been asked to feed the cat while this family are on holiday. BIL asked me how much a cat should eat because they have never had a cat, I have had lots, and he was concerned at how often he had been told to feed this cat.

I told him that 3 pouches or 1 tin a day is usually enough for our cat but some eat more or less and he said that he was told to only give this cat 1 pouch and a bowl of dry biscuits every morning. I said that that definately doesn't sound like enough and it would explain why the cat is so skinny.

So now I'm worried about the cat. I feel I need to do something but what is the question. If I call the RSPCA will they do anything to help? (I once called them about a sick bat I found and they told me to just leave it do die ). Do the RSPCA put animals down if they can't rehome them? If they do I'd rather take her home myself!

DH said we should just take the cat and keep her as our own, as her current family don't care for her. Aside from the legal and moral implications of this, I'm worried whether our own cat would take to her...which leads me back to the RSPCA again.

OP posts:

Original poster

ShinyMoonInAPurpleSky · 26/04/2011 15:23

Poo, sorry - here is the link to my other thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childrens_health/1201657-How-do-you-keep-a-baby-hydrated-when-they-refuse-to-drink?msgid=25051708#25051708

OP posts:

BooyHoo · 26/04/2011 15:25

i would take her tbh but i am a sucker for cats that look even slightly hungry.

squeakytoy · 26/04/2011 15:25

I think you could be asking for trouble if you "steal" the cat, how about taking it to the vets because you "thought it was ill and were worried" and find out if it is ill, is underfed, or is just a skinny cat.

Cats are natural predators and if it is allowed outdoors, they will usually catch their own food if they are hungry and not ill.

LoopyLoopsNincompoop · 26/04/2011 15:25

RSPCA do put down animals, rather swiftly if they look unlikely to find a home immediately.

If you can, I would take her in yourself. Failing that, find a local no kill rescue. Try the Cat's Protection League, I think they don't kill.

BooyHoo · 26/04/2011 15:26

btw. as far as i know, there are no legal implications. a cat isn't property.

unsurevalentine · 26/04/2011 15:27

You should call the RSPCA esp if there are children in the family as animal neglect is often a sign of child/domestic abuse and RSPCA officers are trained to deal with it if it is.

Insomnia11 · 26/04/2011 15:27

She may just be ill - do you really know she isn't looked after? Is she an elderly cat? Hyperthyroid perhaps? When my cat was 18/19 she looked terrible in spite of being very well looked after.

LoopyLoopsNincompoop · 26/04/2011 15:28

I didn't read the post properly, sorry.

I have two cats and they eat a bowl of biscuits in the morning, and about half a tin between them in the evening. They are not thin nor undernourished. Dried food looks like less, but is more filling than tinned food. It sounds like enough to me, do you have concerns other than the amount of food?

worraliberty · 26/04/2011 15:28

1 pouch and a bowl of dry biscuits sounds perfectly adequate to me?

Some cats only have the dried food and no pouch.

If she's that thin she may have worms. Why not speak to the owners instead of going behind their backs to the RSPCA?

Incidentally the RSPCA are a pile of shit anyway.

LoopyLoopsNincompoop · 26/04/2011 15:29

If she were being neglected, surely they wouldn't have bothered to find someone to feed her?

Elk · 26/04/2011 15:29

My friend has a maine coon it is enormous, not in the least bit thin and it only has one pouch a day and a bowl of dry biscuits. (but I am a bit touchy on this subject at the moment)

LoopyLoopsNincompoop · 26/04/2011 15:29

What worral said.

squeakytoy · 26/04/2011 15:29

You should call the RSPCA esp if there are children in the family as animal neglect is often a sign of child/domestic abuse and RSPCA officers are trained to deal with it if it is.

there isnt even any proof the cat is being mistreated yet! calm down

unsurevalentine · 26/04/2011 15:32

I meant if it was established the cat was being neglected...sorry..

Original poster

ShinyMoonInAPurpleSky · 26/04/2011 15:42

Ok, bit of background:

There used to be 2 cats, we thought they must be sisters but apparently they were mother and daughter. They were never allowed in the house and the next door neighbour used to feed them until she moved away. The neighbour said that they were always hungry when she saw them (and because they knew she gave them food they nearly tried to move in with her, but I know that some cats will always ask for food even if they don't really want it - mine does it all the time) The daughter cat was hit by a car about a year ago and no one from this family went to collect her from the side of the road.

MIL told me, while I was discussing the amount of food with BIL, that the mother of the family who owns the cat has told her that the cat is her daughter's (she is about 12 I think - she is friends with BIL) but that the child isn't that interested in looking after her so it is left to the mother to do it and she doesn't like animals.

The cat may well have worms but the family are not very approachable according to MIL. The only connection between the two families is that the children play together in the street sometimes.

OP posts:

Insomnia11 · 26/04/2011 15:42

My cats have 40g each of dried food a day plus half a 'Potty About Fish' at tea time. It's not very much but they are only little 3kg cats.

missedith01 · 26/04/2011 15:45

My cat has a pouch and as much dried food as she wants per day. It depends a lot on the cat.

sprinkles77 · 26/04/2011 15:50

food could be adequate, depends on cat. Could have worms or thyroid condition. It sounds like the owners care about it a bit cos they have made arrangements for cat to be fed. But then they didn't care much when the other one got run over. If you can accomadate a cat, I'd just take it. If the neighbors seem genuinely upset it could just "magically" re-appear. If you take it to the vet and they say it's really sick and needs to be put down you could just do it.

zikes · 26/04/2011 15:51

Dry food is usually a 'complete' food and so you can feed your cat on that alone, the pouch may be for variety. What you know of the family's relationship with the cat is all based on hearsay, and you have the fact that they have asked someone to look after it while they're away.

I think you should mind your own business and leave their cat alone.

penguin73 · 26/04/2011 15:54

That amount of food is perfectly fine and is what the vet advised me to give mine (a big tom). Lots of cats are also outside lots of the time - I know one of mine is. YABU to just take someone's cat - if you genuinely think the cat isn't loved then offer to give it a home when the family return but don't just assume that it's being neglected.

ddubsgirl · 26/04/2011 15:56

ours had dried food in morning and pouch at tea time,same with the dog(dry & 1 tin) but ours is still a kitten and doesnt finish his food half the time.

Original poster

ShinyMoonInAPurpleSky · 26/04/2011 15:57

I don't want to confront this family myself, plus it could potentially cause trouble for MIL as she will still have to be neighbours with them. I will look into the Cats Protection League, does anyone know of any other organisations that could look into it objectively and unlike the RSPCA, will actually have the cat's best interests at heart.

If they aren't mistreating her then a visit from someone like that to just check the cat is ok won't do any harm will it?

OP posts:

penguin73 · 26/04/2011 16:02

It doesn't have to be confrontational - how about you or MIL saying that you/your children have been helping feed it and have got attached?

worraliberty · 26/04/2011 16:03

Oh ffs please grow a backbone before you go bothering already over stretched charities

All you have to do is mention how lovely the cat is, how your BIL enjoyed feeding it...and then mention it's a bit on the thin side and ask if its been wormed.

I'm sure you or your BIL can be subtle enough not to start some sort of neighbourly fued

theagedparent · 26/04/2011 16:09

There was a very thin cat living next door to my mother, she used to feed it and moan about it being neglected. Turned out that it was ill with cancer and the owners were caring for it very well. Maybe this cat is ill?

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