Skinny cat visiting

[blueblueelectricblue28]

I’ve got a poor little skinny cat visiting my garden every day. Was very hissy but after a few lick e Lix sessions I was able to get close and stroke. I can feel their shoulder blades, spine and pelvis very sharply. I had thought the cat was potentially old - straggly fur, v skinny and sunken face or possibly hypothyroid. I got a local lady with a chip scanner to come and scan him. Yay he’s chipped - turns out he’s only 2 or 3! I would have guessed 17/18 so really shocked at that.
he has an owner nearby, according to the chip (rescue/their affiliated vet couldn’t tell me exactly where due to GDPR)
I’m at a loss what to do now. I am sure he is being mistreated as he is so malnourished, breaking into my house to get at my cats food and I’ve seen him trying to eat stones and sticks from the garden.
The lady who lent me the scanner who works with a rescue is going to ask the vet practice to call and gently enquire if the owner wants to keep the cat.
I just feel so sad about it - I want to help but I’m conscious of getting overly involved. I’m leaving food and drink out for the poor little thing but they really do look on deaths door. Any advice much welcomed!

Oh the poor little thing. I'd probably take him in and feed him up. Could you let him stay in your house until you hear further from the rescue/vet regarding the owner's intentions?

I would love to but my resident puss won’t allow it! In the meantime I guess I’ll just keep putting food and water out (london so still warm at nighttime)
breaking my heart - so difficult when he has a chip but the owner appears not to give a shit! I honestly would have guessed his age at late teens/early twenties, not 2 or 3!

Yes I’d feed too, at that age it’s totally abnormal to be that skinny and eating stones/sticks.

Resident puss may get accostomed to him with time and then he can move in.

Thank you for taking an interest in this poor cat, you have galvanized all the necessary agencies to get this little mite looked after 💐
I hope it finds a forever home soon, thanks to you

(I mean a forever home that will care for it properly!)

Any news @blueblueelectricblue28 ?

I scanned for a chip, and the cat is chipped to a house a couple of doors down - apparently the cat is just left to come and go as it pleases, I’m shocked that according to the chip the cat is only 2/3 years old - it looks ancient!
I am speaking to a lady who does rescue in the local area who is going to persuade the owner to sign him over to them. Fingers crossed!

Oh poor little cat. Thank you for looking after him. A cat so young should be in the prime of life, not looking as though he is at death’s door.

I have very mixed feelings about the requirement to chip all pet cats. On the one hand it’s good to have as a tool to trace lost pets, but I hate the idea that it ties living creatures to abusive owners.