Greetings. I'm not really sure where to post this but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on a situation. I'll try to go over it without rambling too much...
For years I have been seeing a small, yellow/grey cat in the neighborhood, pretty fleetingly. She seemed to be going to a house across the street. Well, recently my neighbor who is also a cat lover told me that she started feeding the cat and how friendly it was, and that she was worried about it (We both have several cats already and aren't really in a position to take in more). She told me who she thought the cat belonged to, a married couple across the street.
So, I decided to just go over and ask them about the cat. The wife answered the door and she says that the cat was left by some people in a neighborhood apartment years ago and that they spayed her and feed her everyday but she doesn't come inside. The woman said that animal control has been called to pick the cat up by a neighbor before, and they went down to the shelter and paid to get the cat back. She said that the cat is afraid of their dogs and won't go in the house, and will also rip a collar off. I asked if there was any shelter for the cat, she said the garage or back porch. I ask if they consider the cat "their cat", and she says it's kind of the "neighborhood's cat".
Not long after that, I realize there are actually two cats. Apparently (from what my neighbor tells me), the original cat had a litter some years ago, the couple found homes for most of the kittens but not for one female. They are mother and daughter cats who look very alike, apparently both spayed. They stay outside all the time. My neighbor talked to the local shelter, the shelter says it's not allowed to keep the cats outside all the time and they don't want it happening, but not to just take them because it would be stealing - however it is ok to catch them and bring them to the shelter.
Since my neighbor was feeding the cats, they were coming around a lot. My neighbor asked the couple if it was ok to look for homes for the two cats. Ok, the guy says he wants the older cat on his property to catch mice, and that they're fine outside all the time, but that she can find a home for the daughter cat if she wants. The daughter cat was the really friendly one, and was always looking to be petted and held. One cold day I just took her inside.
So now I've had the daughter cat inside for almost two weeks. I took her to the vet, they could not confirm a spay but said the scar might not be visible if it was done when she was very young. They cleaned a lot of gunk out of her ears, gave her a flea treatment and a worming pill, and gave her some drops for an ear infection. She was filthy and crawling with fleas when I first took her in.
Now, I called the couple and left them a message saying I had the one cat and they could call me back if they wanted to talk - I did not hear back from them.
Here's my question - what would you do about the mother cat? I know the shelter has traps set up to try to catch loose cats, and there are some disgruntled neighbors of this couple who have already called animal control in the past but as I said, the couple got the cats back. I'm afraid if she goes to the shelter she'll be put to sleep, because she isn't cuddly like her daughter. She's not feral, but not that friendly. And now kitten season is starting, so shelters will be filling up. Winter is ending, but for the freezing nights I set up a makeshift shelter on my porch and I know the mother cat went in and slept in it sometimes because I saw her come out of it.
What I was thinking was to try to rehome the daughter, and then maybe I could figure out a way to convince the couple to let me take in and socialize the mother and find her a real home. I'm sure the mother has fleas, dirt, possible infection, who knows. She has a very faint, croaky meow that worries me.
Any thoughts, suggestions? What would you do? Thanks!
P.S., I know I did ramble a lot, so let me know if I can clarify anything.
For years I have been seeing a small, yellow/grey cat in the neighborhood, pretty fleetingly. She seemed to be going to a house across the street. Well, recently my neighbor who is also a cat lover told me that she started feeding the cat and how friendly it was, and that she was worried about it (We both have several cats already and aren't really in a position to take in more). She told me who she thought the cat belonged to, a married couple across the street.
So, I decided to just go over and ask them about the cat. The wife answered the door and she says that the cat was left by some people in a neighborhood apartment years ago and that they spayed her and feed her everyday but she doesn't come inside. The woman said that animal control has been called to pick the cat up by a neighbor before, and they went down to the shelter and paid to get the cat back. She said that the cat is afraid of their dogs and won't go in the house, and will also rip a collar off. I asked if there was any shelter for the cat, she said the garage or back porch. I ask if they consider the cat "their cat", and she says it's kind of the "neighborhood's cat".
Not long after that, I realize there are actually two cats. Apparently (from what my neighbor tells me), the original cat had a litter some years ago, the couple found homes for most of the kittens but not for one female. They are mother and daughter cats who look very alike, apparently both spayed. They stay outside all the time. My neighbor talked to the local shelter, the shelter says it's not allowed to keep the cats outside all the time and they don't want it happening, but not to just take them because it would be stealing - however it is ok to catch them and bring them to the shelter.
Since my neighbor was feeding the cats, they were coming around a lot. My neighbor asked the couple if it was ok to look for homes for the two cats. Ok, the guy says he wants the older cat on his property to catch mice, and that they're fine outside all the time, but that she can find a home for the daughter cat if she wants. The daughter cat was the really friendly one, and was always looking to be petted and held. One cold day I just took her inside.
So now I've had the daughter cat inside for almost two weeks. I took her to the vet, they could not confirm a spay but said the scar might not be visible if it was done when she was very young. They cleaned a lot of gunk out of her ears, gave her a flea treatment and a worming pill, and gave her some drops for an ear infection. She was filthy and crawling with fleas when I first took her in.
Now, I called the couple and left them a message saying I had the one cat and they could call me back if they wanted to talk - I did not hear back from them.
Here's my question - what would you do about the mother cat? I know the shelter has traps set up to try to catch loose cats, and there are some disgruntled neighbors of this couple who have already called animal control in the past but as I said, the couple got the cats back. I'm afraid if she goes to the shelter she'll be put to sleep, because she isn't cuddly like her daughter. She's not feral, but not that friendly. And now kitten season is starting, so shelters will be filling up. Winter is ending, but for the freezing nights I set up a makeshift shelter on my porch and I know the mother cat went in and slept in it sometimes because I saw her come out of it.
What I was thinking was to try to rehome the daughter, and then maybe I could figure out a way to convince the couple to let me take in and socialize the mother and find her a real home. I'm sure the mother has fleas, dirt, possible infection, who knows. She has a very faint, croaky meow that worries me.
Any thoughts, suggestions? What would you do? Thanks!
P.S., I know I did ramble a lot, so let me know if I can clarify anything.
