Saturday afternoon person knocks on the door to say that they have seen my cat staggering into the back garden and they think its been hit by a car as its dragging its legs. Me and DSs go and hunt for the cat which we find but it turns out not to be ours. Its quite clearly got cat flu or the like as has green snot running out of its eyes and its nose is completely caked over. It also doesn't seem able to stand.
I ring the vets to say can I take it in to be told they don't have a stray cat account and so to ring the RSPCA to get a log number so they can see it and the RSPCA will pay for it. Done and we take the cat in.
The good news is that theres nothing wrong with its back end, it seems to be staggering because its got an ear infection as well as the cat flu. Vet can't keep cat in surgery because there is noone there on the Sunday, so its agreed it will come home with me until Monday and I am given some medication to give it Sun night / monday morning.
Its the cutest little thing and mega friendly but its not eating or drinking and I ring the emergency vet sunday night to ask advice as medication is to be given on a full stomach. They say not to give one lot of the medication and ring my surgery first thing Monday as originally planned.
I ring my vet this morning and am basically told there is nothing they are willing can do. They can't have it at the surgery as they have healthy cats in and no isolation room. They won't see it or give it any more treatment as the cover vet on Saturday did a lot and bill is already £150 and she has only ever known RSPCA to pay up to £80 so they already won't get paid whole amount so cant do more. She knows local cat charities are full and it will be difficult for any of them to take cat it. Suggests I ring RSPCA
I ring RSPCA and am basically told to release the cat back where I found it as emergency treatment has been completed. I point out this likely means the cat will die and am basically politely told tough crap. After falling out with the call handler, it has been agreed that she will pass a message onto someone higher up the chain and see if there is anything else that can be done but am told that the policy with strays is emergency treatment only and then release.
AIBU to think both the vet and the RSPCA are utter jerks and what can I do with it now. I don't really have the funds for any expensive treatment for her, but I could pay to have her PTS rather than leave her to a long lingering death outside but that just seems grim.