To think the vet/RSPCA are BU and what do i do now?

[Chaosdragon]

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.

There's not a lot of point in people keep saying the cat might belong to someone. She isn't chipped. Op can a) have her pts to save her suffering or b) hope that the Cat's Protection people can help (they are very good). If she starts FB campaigns etc looking for owners she'll also be leaving the poor little thing to suffer.
As for the RSPCA - no surprises there. The more awareness is spread of how badly they let animals down the better.

That's awful, but par for the course with the RSPCA.

Where in the country are you? Here is a list of cat charities in your local area: www.catchat.org One might be able to help.

If you're in London/Essex/North Wales/Liverpool I can definitely point you towards help.

Also the Blue Cross and the PDSA are probably the best bet for treatment. They are normally for people on low incomes, but I think they help strays too, although I'm not sure about their policies.

Blue Cross are very good and CP League. PDSA do some treatments for free but you have to be on benefits. Still better than the RSPCA though. I find that very frustrating - if you are still on a low income they won’t help but of course you don’t have the funds to pay either. I am so sorry to hear about this little one :( She has been lucky to find you. Have you thought about keeping her? Maybe it was meant to be if she survives and cats are wonderful souls. I have six for my sins and most are rescued. But they do need long term care, food and insurance of course. The costs of vet bills put so many people off and then when they realise the true cost of a pet, the poor creature is dumped. Try those agencies.

There are many, many groups on Facebook for lost, stolen, missing, found pets, if you can post on some of those with a photos and your area, it will be shared to many others, and on timelines.

She may be lost or stolen and dumped, if not someone might be able to take her in. If anyone saw the recent story about Max the sick stray you will know how much effort was made to help him by strangers who love cats.

The RSPCA are absolute shite, and a lot of vets are the same. I only know one vet in our area who will take any responsibility for injured strays or wild animals.

I know vets are businesses, but you'd think that just from compassion they would be able to offer something.

But I have never known the RSPCA do anything.

Would be happy to chip in if you start a fund

I would be inclined to just take her to another local vet, say you found her as a stray and she's clearly ill, and hand her over. Don't linger or get involved. The vets will either treat her and keep her in, and if she recovers organise her being rehomed, or they'll deem that PTS is the kindest option. They won't just abandon her on the streets again though.

The RSPCA are a horrible charity I am more surprised that they actually agreed to fund any treatment than the fact that they won't fund any more.

I have called them a few times about a neighbours dogs and basically they have told me to leave the animal to die or that leaving two dogs in cages in a garage 24/7 not walking them and then kicking them when they shit in the garden is just mild cruelty and wouldn't even come and visit to check on them.
I think they should be stripped of their charitable status

I guess some people have had bad experiences with the RSPCA, but generally they just don't have the money or resources to do everything they would like. I'm sure they're not turning down an ill cat while cackling over piles of gold coins! I've only got good things to say about them personally.

Re chips, our cat actually has two - both with our details, because the vet couldn't find the first one, so they're not infallible. We had her chipped when we first got her, then last year she was a bit off her food and DP took her in. She needed some dental work, and they insisted she was chipped before it was done. DP just paid for it because they couldn't read the original chip when they scanned her - it was actually done at the same vet surgery a few years earlier, and they later saw it on her records.

I don't think the vet is BU. Most of the smaller vet practices are struggling to make ends meet. They must have hundreds of requests a year for free treatment - if they said yes to them all, they'd go bust.

The RSPCA - yes, they are shit but I'm afraid it's par for the course. I had a horribly injured fox in our garden a few years back, and the RSPCA refused to help - though I'm sure they would have been keen to prosecute me if I had tried to put it out of its misery. As far as I can see, they are hypocrites & bullies.

You can't have it PTS if it belongs to someone! One of my cats rarely comes home any more but if he was unwell and someone else had had him PTS I would be furious with you as he's insured!

I hope you have him chipped then!

It's no good bullying OP - she's doing her best with an ill kitten with no identification. Instead of yelling the odds why don't you offer to take it in and care for it?

Have you also tried PDSA?
RSPCA always at their best when TV cameras are on them.

Btw, my dog is an RSPCA rescue and he was near death due to injuries when he was discovered. They covered very expensive life-saving treatment for him, and the staff at the local branch still run up and say hi and fuss over him when they see us out for a walk.

My dog was used for badger baiting (hence the injuries) and the RSPCA are doing a lot of investigative work to try and track down and prosecute the people involved.

Do you think the perspn who knocked on your door to mention they saw a cat stagger into your yard might be the person who dumped her?

Please keep us updated OP. I would be happy to help this little girl.

Rspca told the vet to put down a stray cat who'd been hit by a car as they weren't paying for treatment. The vet, vets nurses paid for treatment themselves as didn't want to pts. A local rescue took over his care and we adopted him. We got a copy of his vet notes and it's heartbreaking reading, he's such a lovely cat, I will have nothing to do with the rspca now.
Really hope the cat gets some help, even if worst case it's pts xx

If the cat is still struggling to breathe steam up the bathroom & let it sit in there for a bit. For food try something really strong smelling if you have it or can get it like fish. I ended up with my cat in similar circumstances - she was pregnant on top of having cat flu. The RSPCA came all the way to my house for her then refused to take her because she hadn't collapsed. A charity that helped me said the RSPCA would've put her to sleep! They are a joke.

In my experience working with a smaller animal charity, the RSPCA really are a pack of heartless cunts. Their main joy in life seems to lie in harassing grieving families to hurry up and sell the deceased family members property so they can get their grasping hands on their exact percentage. And who knows where most of that money goes, it's like pulling teeth to get them to actually help an animal in my town.

It is the law now to microchip cats

It is the law to microchip dogs in the U.K. not cats.

RSPCA and vets can be wankers over stuff like that. My nan looked out for a stray for years, she was ancient and it was cruel keeping her alive, she was dying slowly. I called the RSPCA who gave me a code/reference to give to the vet to cover the cost of her being PTS My nan took her there to be PTS and they bullied her into paying it because they said the RSPCA wont pay out anyway, which isnt the point. RSPCA then backtracked and said oh well she fed it so its legally her cat now anyway.

I had a kitten (older) who I rescued. She’d been condemned because she had cat flu but I went down to the rescue and told them I was taking her. I got her to the vets and vet said she had around a 10% chance if she didn’t start eating within 48 hours. I tried everything. Nothing worked. And then I got some kitten food and puréed it with cat milk and syringed her. She didn’t like it - but she survived.

@mouldyoldonkey it is a legal requirement to chip dogs but not cats.

Our cats aren't chipped and they are in a loving and caring home @ShesGotBetteDavisEyes

Are you able to afford the cats treatment and keep her op? If so, I would get the treatment she requires and hopefully she will get better. You can also do fb posts to see if someone is missing her. Maybe a few posters in the area you found her.

Can you try it with cat soup to get some fluids into it.