Help! Stray cat dilemma

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I moved into a new flat last year. It's a nice flat and my neighbours are lovely. I have a cat, so it's wonderful to have a big communal garden. The neighbours either side of me have cats so there's no problem with my having one.

The one problem is there is an old cat who is homeless and lives in a hedge in the back garden. He's a lovely cat, if it weren't for my own cat, I'd have taken him in. He is totally deaf (always has been), is going blind, has an untreated dislocated hip that has formed a false joint, is very stiff and just seems sad and tired.

My neighbours have been feeding this cat since he was chucked out as a three-month old kitten. He almost starved to death, as he doesn't seem able to hunt, possibly because of his deafness. So he's been here for almost a decade. He's never been to a vet, he's obviously un-vaccinated and hasn't been neutered. He's been seriously injured at least once, probably by a very aggressive cat, which caused the dislocated hip and also caused a huge wound on his face.

Obviously, the first thing I did on moving in was suggest getting Cats Protection to rehome this poor soul. Then the neighbours started saying that he was "quite happy", that another neighbour would be very upset, etc. Basically, I was given lots of reasons why he couldn't go. I backed down because I'm the new girl and I don't want to cause problems. I help feed him but he's nervous due to being mistreated and also because my big, furry twerp of a cat is trying to chase all the other cats out of "his" territory.

The situation really upsets me. A few weeks ago, we had snow one night, I was sobbing thinking of this poor cat out there trying to stay warm and lying on cold, hard ground with his sore joints. I'm saving up to get him a little shelter but there's no guarantee he'll use it. Plus, he must be in a lot of pain, and might have other problems, so he needs to see a vet. He's a lovely cat and deserves to spend what remains of his life in a nice home, lying in a soft bed in front of a fire, with a loving owner there to cuddle him. I wish I could give him that home but my cat would never accept him.

What do I do? Should I phone Cats Protection and ask for their help? One neighbour is going away for a few days and that might be a good time to trap the cat, as she said she couldn't bear the thought of this cat being in a trap all night as he'd be frightened, so she'd let him out. However, I don't think CP would have a space for him. I'm also worried that they might decide that the branch couldn't afford his medical bills and would put him to sleep. He's not going to be easy to home, he's 10, he's deaf, going blind, is arthritic and he's the most unpopular colour: black. He'll need to go into a foster home and they'll be overrun with kittens.

I have Asperger's Syndrome so I struggle with understanding how people will react in a given situation. What should I do?

Fingers and paws crossed, I may have found an answer. There is a rescue about 30 miles away that specialises in cats of this kind. Even though they're full to the gunnels, have a horrific vet bill due at the end of the month (£3000!) and also need to raise £1500 to replace their air-conditioning unit, they're going to do their best for him. They're a great charity and don't put a cat to sleep unless it's what you'd do for a pet. They even saved a kitten with a cleft palate last year.

They've warned me that there's a high chance that Blackie has cancer, as the vast majority of cats who live outdoors, like Blackie has, develop aggressive cancers as they get older. If that is the case, he'll be put to sleep (unless it's in his leg or tail, then they'd amputate). Otherwise, he'll be rested, given painkillers and any possible treatments and then go to a loving foster home for the rest of his days.

If they can't help in the next few days, they're at least going to come and see him and leave some painkillers for him.

I really hope they can help. The rescue is called Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue here if anyone is interested. I am going to give them what I saved for a shelter, to help them out with Blackie's costs. It's not much (I'm disabled) but it'll help.

Will donate tomorrow.

Donated. What a great chArity. I am sure it's the best place for Blackie.

have donated ; poor little Blackie..I really hope they can help

I am borrowing a trap from our local CP next week to trap another stray who has been sniffing around. Will get him neutered and then bring him back and release

I've sent a donation too. Poor Black or I hope they can help him.

Aagh predictive text! Should say Blackie

Thanks to everyone who has/will donate, I'm sure they'll really appreciate it. They're an amazing couple, how they get the energy to do what they do is beyond me. Whatever the outcome, they'll do what's best for poor wee Blackie.

Donated her too.

I've donated too - what a wonderful charity! Here's hoping they get a chance to help Blackie who sounds like he's a lucky boy to have you looking out for him!

I know this is a very old thread but I wanted to give the thread a happy ending. Apologies for how long it is!

It took weeks for a space to come up in the shelter but Blackie was trapped and rescued. It was very stressful because Blackie became very ill. He was struggling to walk due to his arthritis, he was losing all the fur on his back legs, tail and lower back, and he suddenly stopped eating. Sunny Harbour told us to give him some evaporated milk, which saved his life as he was so weak and dehydrated. We kept him alive on that plus special "recovery" food. Blackie was so sick that both of my neighbours realised that Blackie needed help, so they were desperate for him to be rescued. I think because they'd cared for Blackie for years, they couldn't see how bad his arthritis and other problems had become and, after their experience with Cats Protection, they didn't have anywhere to turn for help.

When a space opened up and Paul from Sunny Harbour came to set up the trap, I thought it was hopeless because Blackie hadn't eaten for two days, so I didn't think we could lure him with food. It was late afternoon in autumn so it was near sunset. The trap must've been baited with miraculous cat food because 30 minutes later, Blackie appeared. My neighbour and I watched as Blackie tried to get the food by putting a paw through the bars of the trap but he couldn't reach it. He was desperate to get whatever this stuff was. Remember, this cat hadn't wanted to eat for days and wasn't turning up for his painkillers either. After trying to reach the food from every angle, Blackie worked out he would have to go inside the trap. He went in very slowly but Blackie wanted that bait food, he finally reached it and the trap slammed shut. I quickly put a blanket over the trap to calm him and keep him warm.

Paul came back to collect Blackie and then Blackie spent his first night in over thirteen years indoors, safe and warm. They sent me a video the next morning of Blackie lying in his litter tray(!) purring away as he was being stroked. For the first couple of weeks Blackie slept 23 hours a day, exhausted from years of being unable to sleep deeply because he wasn't safe. He quickly improved under the care of Sunny Harbour. He had kidney problems and severe arthritis but with treatment he started eating again and soon perked up.

It was wonderful that first night after Blackie's rescue thinking that he was safe and warm. It was a really cold night too, I doubt he would've survived, since he wasn't eating. Instead, Blackie spent that winter inside in the shelter. He was then fostered by Paul and Sarah, the amazing couple who run Sunny Harbour. They described him as a big, soft, drooly boy. Blackie loved Paul and Paul made sure he spent at least an hour or two each evening sitting on the floor, just stroking Blackie, with Blackie purring, padding and drooling. He was happy, safe, warm and loved, he must've thought he was in Heaven.

Earlier this year, kidney failure caught up with Blackie and Sarah and Paul felt that he was telling them that he'd had enough, so they made the heartbreaking decision to have him put to sleep. Blackie crossed Rainbow Bridge in Paul's arms. I have his ashes in a casket that's shaped like a sleeping cat and he'll lie in front of my neighbour's fire, something he loved doing in life, so he can sleep safe and warm.

I miss him as he was a lovely, intelligent cat with a quiet dignity. Even when he was crippled with arthritis, the other cats were scared of him (apart from my cat, sadly) so he must've been a tough cat in his prime! Even after all he'd been through, he would trust you once he got to know you. On warm summer evenings, he would lie at your feet and beg to be stroked. Even in colder weather, he would lie down to try and stop you going back inside. Being with us made him feel safe. He would've made a fantastic pet for someone who was home most of the time. He would've loved having a human all to himself, lying beside them, getting his lovely soft fur stroked and sleeping deeply, safe and warm.

For a memorial in the garden, I planted a rose bush at his favourite spot with a wooden plaque beside it. The plaque says:

BLACKIE
2003-2018
Never owned but always loved

Blackie was a great cat and deserves to be remembered. Sleep tight boyo, see you at Rainbow Bridge.

I'm sitting here with tears running down my face. I'm so glad that Blackie spent his final years in the warm.

RIP lovely Blackie.

This made me 😢.

Thank you for the update

Oh dear, I also have tears streaming down my face. Thank you so much for your perseverance and getting him safe & warm in his golden years.

I’m bawling my eyes out here! How lovely you all were to that boy. Thank you Xxxxxxx