I have a cat who is 21 years old. She is deaf and very, very wobbly on her legs. She also seems to be going blind.
Twice this morning she has been brought back to me because she has been found wandering aimlessly. Both times the people who brought her back said she had been wandering in the road. She cannot move fast enough to get out of the way if a car should come.
There is a problem with where she lives. About 18 months ago she 'adopted' another family of her own accord. At first they kept bringing her back but she would keep returning to them. In the end I told them that if they liked they could consider her 'their' cat. The reason for this was that she had turned up on their doorstep on the first anniversary of the childrens' mother's death, so you can imagine what the children felt about my cat. I couldn't bring myself to demand that she was brought home(even if I could) so left her there. I did, however, leave her collar and tag with our details on her so that I would be called if there were an accident- after all, I have loved and cared for her for 20 years.
But now I don't know what to do. I'm afarid that she'll die a painful death if she's knocked over in the street. It's just not possible to keep her indoors here. I know I must go and talk to the father of the children who adopted her, but should I say I think it's time to have her out to sleep? Or is there another option?
I just don't know what to do. She means a lot to me and the thought of her dying in pain is awful. Any advice?