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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Lonely old ginger Tom.

51 replies

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 05:47

My great aunt died recently. She left behind her faithful companion, her big old ginger Tom who has been living in her house on his own for the past 4 months.

Local animal charities won't take him. (Despite the fact she left them her entire estate) There are no relatives nearby.

We'd take him but we are abroad and apparently he wouldn't survive the flight. My DM is executor of the will but lives nearly 3 hours away and says her house isn't cat friendly so she can't have him.

So, at the moment a neighbour visits him daily but the other neighbours are complaining saying it's neglectful.

What would happen if they complain officially and what would you do?

OP posts:

CatsBooksAndCoffee · 25/02/2021 06:01

Poor cat. Would none of the neighbours re-home him? I'm shocked at the animal charities response.
There are some good small charities for cats ( Cat Concern in Scotland, Caring For Cats in Southern England). Perhaps they can help. The small charities often punch above their weight comparied to the big ones
Whereabouts in the country is he?

smartiecake · 25/02/2021 06:04

Find a small local cat rescue who can arrange to come and catch him and rehome him. Poor bugger you can't just leave him there.

Original poster

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 06:18

No, none of the neighbours will have him. He's in Wales. Quiet cul-de-sac but not rural.

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Gatekeeper · 25/02/2021 06:23

Poor boy...disgraceful that the animal charities who willingly accepted your Gr Aunt's money are refusing to help him in his hour of need...they should be ashamed of themselves

Keep posting op as someone on here will be able to help...which part of Wales is he in?

Original poster

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 06:33

I agree about the charities. To be honest I don't know if my DM has tried the smaller ones. I will double check if she's tried them all.

I was thinking my DM should take him. She does like him but her house isn't cat friendly at all. Close to a main road in a town centre and very little outside space. Also my parents intend to go away for long periods of time to catch up with family when lockdown is lifted.

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Original poster

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 06:36

Forgot to say He's near Cardiff

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Original poster

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 07:37

Also, the reason the charities are giving for not taking him on is apparently because he's old and is missing some teeth nobody will want him. We don't know how old he is exactly but guess about 15

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Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 25/02/2021 07:52

If your great aunt's money has gone to local rehoming charities who are refusing to help with her cat, I'd go to the local papers.

Name and shame the charities involved who will then undoubtedly fall over themselves to help.

Kitsmummy · 25/02/2021 08:02

That's such a bad response from the charity! Someone would take him...we adopted a 12 year old ginger Tom from our local rescue. He's had a load of teeth out and dribbles everywhere, but I always like the underdog!

Vinorosso74 · 25/02/2021 08:47

That surprises me. I volunteer for CP (nowhere near Cardiff unfortunately) and last year so many oldies came in. Most of them needed a fair bit of vet treatment but did get rehomed.
Sadly, there are waiting lists but they are generally prioritised on need. I would get him on as many waiting lists as possible. Also, charities are running at minimal staff/volunteers at present so it makes things harder.
The website Catchat will list all rescues in the area.

Vinorosso74 · 25/02/2021 08:48

I mean it surprises me charities won't take him due to his age and missing teeth!

Youngatheart00 · 25/02/2021 08:49

This is heartbreaking 😫

Cats protection definitely won’t have him? The poor, poor boy.

Exwebcamworker · 25/02/2021 08:53

Are you on Facebook op? Go on every vegan page,animal rehoming page, cat lovers page you can find. Obviously gst someone you trust to do checks, pay a friend or whatever but I'll be surprised if you dont find him a home quickly like that.

Chemenger · 25/02/2021 08:55

I volunteer for CP. we have a waiting list but would definitely get him in as soon as we could. In my experience elderly cats are pretty easy to rehome. We have serial adopters who take cats for the last few years of their lives and spoil them.

Original poster

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 09:14

CP are one of the charities in question. The RSPCA is the other one. I don't know who else mum has tried but I'll find out later.

Catchat and Facebook are good shouts.

I think the situation is definitely being made worse by Covid. The figures in the area are quite bad.

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Chemenger · 25/02/2021 09:17

I think smaller rescues, which you can find in Catchat might be the answer. CP might be able to facilitate a home-to-home adoption, where they advertise and deal with enquiries if the neighbours would deal with handing the cat over?

Vinorosso74 · 25/02/2021 09:38

Another thought: local vets may even know someone who would take him.
Regarding CP, they have a big adoption centre in Bridgend. They may be able to help more than a local branch.

Want2beme · 25/02/2021 11:29

How dreadful. I wouldn't give the RSPCA my last penny. There's a rescue I've often seen mentioned on gransnet, who rehome the pets of people who've passed away, but I just can't think of it. I'll have see a look and see if I can find it.

Chemenger · 25/02/2021 11:40

Does the Cinnamon Trust do this?

Original poster

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 13:51

Thanks there's some excellent ideas here I'll discuss with DM later.

Also, if we do get him adopted yes the nice neighbour would absolutely help with a handover.

I kind of agree about leaving a fortune to some charities. Actually her sister left her fortune to animal charities and they were awful. Chasing the money and giving advice about how we could maximise the funds etc. We tried to discourage her from leaving so much because of the experience we'd had with her sister but it was hard to explain without it sounding like we wanted the cash ourselves.

Also my DM has been up to Cardiff whenever she can get special permission so she's stayed there on a few separate ocassions during the 4 months and she'll be there again soon because there was another relative nearby but she died from Covid a few days ago.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 25/02/2021 14:13

At 15 he might not have long left himself so your mum could keep him as an indoor cat and board him when she goes away.

Original poster

mrsnec · 25/02/2021 14:34

@Fluffycloudland77 Personally I think this is the best solution. My DM loves this cat and when she's staying with me she loves mine too but she seems to have reservations about it and I can't convince her it's the right thing to do.

DM lives in a cottage in South Devon. Her only outside space is a terrace big enough for a table. Her entire downstairs is open plan. I'm guessing the litter tray business might be the issue and she's also close to a main road in a town centre. So he'd have to be a house cat but would litter training an old cat be a problem?

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Fluffycloudland77 · 25/02/2021 14:50

No he probably knows what a trays for. Just needs a nice ultra clumping litter for old paw pads.

Labobo · 25/02/2021 14:54

FWIW, ginger cats are often the first to be rehomed once you find a chairty who will take them. Everyone loves a ginger!

I completely agree about naming and shaming the charities in the local press. That is cruel. The very least they should do is treat him well until the end of his days because of her bequest.

Chemenger · 25/02/2021 15:43

At 15 he's probably reaching the stage where he'd happily stay inside (not all cats are like this but my last elderly lady didn't go out much at all at that age). A seat on a sunny terrace might be all he wants. He'll manage a litter tray fine, I've never had problems with adult fosters, even those who have been strays. Even if your mum just took him until rescues local to her can find him a home that would be a better situation than he's in now. (And she's never give him up, I bet).

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