Skin and bones stray what can I do?

[Hazelnutwhirls]

Hi, for the last few weeks I have seen a cat where I park my car for work sitting outside the same house, I assumed he lived there and was returning from a night out! On Monday I saw her further down the road and it came up to me crying, this is when I saw she is so skinny!! You can see every bone in her body . I went to the shop and bought her some food and fed her and I have been feeding her each day for the rest of this week, she will come close and cry at me but not close enough that I can catch her, (not really sure what I would do if I could catch her to be honest) , she does eat the food when I walk away, I have spied from round the corner!!!
I have tried knocking at the door the cat sits near but I start work very early and there is no answer, I put a note through the door but no-one has responded and I am fairly sure this cat hasn't got much life left in her if something isn't done , I called my local council and they don't come out for stray cats and considered the RSPCA but read somewhere they would likely put her to sleep. What else can I do? Thanks

Cats protection?

Definitely give the Cats Protection a ring. I phoned them a few months ago about a stray I had in my garden and they phoned me back the next day. They were really helpful. If you have any local rescues it might be worth trying them too.

It may be the cat is very old and that's why it looks so skinny - I had a 19 year old cat once who looked like a bag of bones due to a thyroid condition or sadly it may be, as you suspect, a starving stray who desperately needs help.

Good luck, I hope you get some help.

I will try the cats protection when they open tomorrow, maybe I am worrying about nothing and it is a health issue because I didn't think it was stray to start with because it's always outside the same house. Actually maybe I shouldn't be feeding it until I have spoken to someone in case it's on special food or something? I will call cats protection first thing and see if there are any other rescues local to me, I don't want to call about someone's cat unnecessarily though!!! I guess asking them for advice wouldn't be bad!! Thank you both for replying!!

RSPCA are a bunch of bastards. They put my cat to sleep when she'd only wandered 2 doors down, then incinerated her before we even knew she was dead.

Definitely go with Cats Protection and good for you for looking after a poor hungry kitty!

I’d feed it. If it’s someones cat with a food issue it would have a collar on and a tag saying not to feed it.

@mamasnet, I’m so sorry for you

Op, you are lovely for being willing to try to help this poor kitty.

Mamansnet I am so sorry for your loss and that is terrible I will definitely avoid the RSPCA and try cats protection tomorrow amd I will carry on feeding her till I'm told otherwise, she really is in a terrible state and I'm honestly not sure how she is even still going

Thank you everyone for your advice

Please can you say the general area you live in and we might be able to recommend other rescues,

Hi I live I south east London the cat is near my work in plumstead se18.

Brilliant! www.celiahammond.org/lewisham I'm with Celia Hammonds, but with the Canning Town branch. If you have any problems please pm me and I will, if necessary, come myself. Call them first though.

And don't call the RSPCA!

Thank you so much I will be on the phone first thing In the morning. Hopefully they can help her/him. I will keep you posted!! And will stay far away from the RSPCA!!

Fantastic, the power of Mumsnet to the rescue. Hope you get her to safety soon OP.

Fingers crossed!! 😊😊

You are a star @thecatneuterer! Keep us up-dated Op.

@thecatneuterer is indeed a star and o have hope for the poor cat now! I will update as soon as i speak to Celia Hammond

Just wondering how things are getting on. You and thecatneuterer are both brilliant in my book ✨✨🐾🐾

Hi, I called and have left a message on the answer phone with my details and hopefully I will hear back very soon

There is a cat sanctuary in Croydon who came out to Lewisham to rescue two strays I found if you don't hear from Celia Hammond.I will try to remember the name!

Is there an answer machine for rescue calls? We don't have one at Canning Town. It would be much better to speak to someone. I would call next week during office hours.

Hi @thecatneuterer I did speak to a lady, she said I had come through to the clinic number and transferred me to the rescue line and told me to leave a message and wait to be called back? I didn't hear back on Friday but I assumed they would be very busy and there would be a bit of a wait, if I don't hear I will ca back Monday morning. Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it

Hope this cat is soon safe, well done TCN and Hazelnutwhirls! Heart warming to see that people care.

Ah, the Lewisham branch obviously have a different system then. As you were.

@thecatneuterer hi Celia Hammond lewisham called me back yesterday, they said they are full to bursting and can't help, they suggested I try the cats protection, local rescues or my local RSPCA branch. I have emailed my local rescue, cat cuddles(can't find a number for them) and can't get through to cats protection but will keep trying but I'm a bit worried about calling the RSPCA? Would you recommend that? Thanks