Reposted from chat; What to do with this cat?

[MoongirlsCat]

As some of you may know, I lost my gorgeous ginger cat (5 weeks Sunday). Done all I can, posters everywhere, flyers in letterboxes, advert in paper, call outs on facebook and daily searches. I can't find him and am trying to move on.

During the Olympic opening ceremony we had a call about a ginger cat in the road about half a mile from us. Wasn't ours but was dirty, flea ridden (those grim red fox fleas) and sooooo skinny.

We brought him home gave him some food, frontline and a blanket. He was in such a state we weren't really expecting him to live but thought he would at least die somewhere clean and dry and on a naice fluffy blanket.

Four weeks later he's still here. He's been bathed and blow-dried and is much healthier looking. He's still thin, but I reckon he'll fatten up over a few more months.

He's been to see a vet (no micro-chip). Needs some dental work but apart from the malnourishment is actually okay. They reckon he's well over 10 though, so an old cat. They also suggested 'cat dementia'.

We can't keep him, we have too many other pets. My mum suggested taking him (he likes to be hugged all day long and she'll be able to oblige) but I'm not convinced it'll happen. My dad doesn't really want another cat and he's the dominant personality.

The trouble is, he's not very bright. Only this morning I left my front door open for about 30 seconds and he's wandered out and was about to stroll in front of a car . He's also very wobbly on his legs still. The RSPCA didn't want to know, they refused to take him and said they'd call me if they found a place for him. They haven't called.

I want him to be happy (I've fallen in love with him a little bit). I've tried cats protection and simiar. No one seems interested. All efforts to find his owner failed and several people have suggested that because he needed dental work/had dementia/was old that the owners may have just ditched him. (He was found nearish to fields and I've heard at least two people talk about releasing their cats in fields because they don't want them).

What should I do?

You sure you can't keep him as a house cat? I got my current old boy when he was 13 and he had a full dental procedure (albeit after much discussion with vet and blood work) at 16 so I don't really consider 10 as that old.

I don't have the money to sort out his detal work. My DP was made redundant in March and has only just started a new job.

I asked the PDSA who just repeated over and over again that I didn't qualify as I wasn't claiming Council Tax benefit or similar. Woman on the phone sounded really disinterested and the RSPCA told me they'd just put him down.

I need to re home him with someone who won't mind paying vets bills for a while.

Well I think your options are a bit limited, to be honest. (I'm assuming that you won't just be kicking him out to fend for himself.)

You can keep him permanently as a house cat, saving up money to pay for dental work - maybe your Mom would help there?

You can keep him temporarily while trying to find a new place for him, maybe saving up for dental work as above to increase his chances.

You can have him put to sleep or send him to somewhere who will do the same.

It's your call really, I'm afraid.

My cat I only took on to 'foster' but I wouldnt part with her now so maybe one day you will feel the same :)

Sorry to hear of the loss of your cat but had he stayed he might have needed money spending on him at some point for dentistry or something more serious, what would you have done in those circumstances? When you took this cat home you took responsibility for him, there isnt anyone else who will. Your good deed for the year maybe? As the other poster said, dental work isnt an emergency and you have time to save up for it. Keep asking about a home, but its highly likely none will arrive (rescues struggle to find a home for every young, problem free cat they find) so you are his only plan B.

I'd have to disagree with you there a little bit Nigglenaggle. The OP hasn't actually said how bad the dental situation was but they can be emergencies in older cats. (The difference between 'Oh he'll need to have some work done some time' and rotten teeth/infections/abscesses etc - which can be life threatening at worst and seriously impair quality of life at best.)

I had to have dental work carried out on two cats last year but they were both family members so the money had to be found. My only concern was for them coming through the GA well: it's no mean undertaking even for a healthy young animal - and one of mine was neither; although he came through fine and hasn't looked back since toothwise.

I think that my earlier post may have sounded a bit harsh. MoongirlsCat has actually done a very fine thing indeed, taking a sick, dopey old cat off the street and giving him another chance. However, finding a few hundred pounds for a dental when you have no money - or it's earmarked for school uniforms or essential car repairs - is a very big thing indeed, particularly when the cat might not survive the GA at his age or might go quickly to another family. It's her call as I said - but not a call I'd like to have to make in her position.

Best of luck anyway, OP. I hope you resolve the situation somehow.

Do your parents get the right benefits to qualify for free vet care off the pdsa? If they do they could say it's their cat.

Bit naughty but the only other thing I can think of is to put to sleep or save up for dental care/ask the vet to do a repayment plan for you.

I wouldnt like to have to make the decision though.

Please dont encourage people to rip off the PDSA. Its a charity, and fradulent claims are one of the reasons they are having to tighten their belts. Its not cheap to run the hospitals and the supply of money isnt endless.

No one I know claims benefits anyway but I'm not entirely sure I have the balls to do that!

Yes, I'd have forked out the cash if one of 'my' cats was ill, but this isn't my cat. He was lying in the road - we had no other option other than bring him home, he was hungry, dirty band cold.

PDSA are very low in my estimation after my previous phonecall and I'd hate to have to rely on a company like that for anything now.

It's not urgent dental work, but it will need doing. I guess I'll have to fork out for it.

He does seem to be a very old cat, I'm going to have to give it another month or so and see how he does. Like I said, he was in such a state that I didn't expect him to live.

Cheers for the suggestions.

At least he's warm and fed and cared for, not lying dead in a ditch.

Poor thing, I wonder what went wrong that he ended up lying on a road waiting to die. .

Its maybe hard to understand from the outside, but if you worked for the PDSA you would spend alot of your time watching people drive up in nice cars and expect treatment for free; having people lie to you so they can get treatment for free; having people try to make formal complaints because they have been asked for a donation towrds treatment costing several hundred pounds; forking out free treatment for someone with a puppy that cost £1500 to buy (they are clamping down on this now). Thus they do not have a nice phone manner. They are a charity not a company, they do not make a profit and they are trying to help the animals in most need. Sorry, know this is deviation, but cant help but stick up for them.

It is nice you have given the cat a home. I'm pleased for him and perhaps was a little harsh. But the truth is the worlds a nasty evil place full of horrible things, and there isnt enough money for these charities or the government to deal with them all. There isnt the money to go round. So this cat only has you and its lovely that you care. You cant expect anyone else to be able to help Im afraid, thats all. Its not that they dont care, its just that they cant. If you dont want him the reality is he has nothing.

Can you put up a notice in the local shop/similar to see if anyone can offer him a home?

An experienced cat-owner who had just lost theirs (for example) might be very happy to have a new friend.

The risk is that they could be just anybody, of course, but depending how big the place is that you live I guess you could try to check out any applicants independently.

can you take him back to the field? or wherever he was found
somebody must own him?

Put him on a low dose pain killer and wait for the teeth to sort themselves out as they would do with no intervention, they will fall out eventually.
It looks to me as there are the following options:
Pay for the treatment, keep him until he passes on.
Don't pay for the treatment, manage any pain, keep him until he passes on.
Have him put to sleep or have someone else put him to sleep.
Talk to your father about taking the cat on.
Take him to Cats Protection or a local rescue and make him their problem.

There are some humane rescue societies around like this one www.humaneeducationsociety.co.uk/default. They will not destroy an animal. Perhaps you could try to find one near you. People tend to leave animals on their door step in the night.