Is this cat neglect?? Need advice on whether to report or not.

flickafille

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Hi there, I was looking to clarify some things about animal care as I am concerned but unsure if someone I flat with is neglecting their cat. I looked up online but feel I couldn't clearly determine this and was looking for advice. My flatmate has a kitten that is 8 months old and free feeds premium cat food from the vet and generally has full clean drinking water - however occasionally I come home and see that the food bowl has been empty for several hours, and once or twice I have seen the water bowl empty for 3-5 hours also.

The litter tray often goes several days without being emptied full of poo, and after an injury to his tail following a brawl with local strays the kitten has been inside the last month to avoid further injury while awaiting surgery to amputate the tip of his tail (a bite severed a crucial nerve and while there is hope some of the tail may regain function some of it will definitely not recover).

I am worried as during this time kept inside he seems desperate to go outside and lonely as he incredibly affectionate and clingy, though she plays with him with fairly active exercise/toys and actively gives him company and massages for some hours several times a day, he also spends much of each day alone. He has also had fairly common accidents pooping/peeing around the house in repeated areas (3-4 times a week) which the vet says may be behavioural due to being unhappy kept inside for long, and having less stimulation and attention than he was used to, although she is trying her best and about to integrate a cat pheromone the vet recommended that apparently calms cats that are lonely and having behavioural poo problems.

I’ve caught him drinking out of the toilet bowls a few times which really concerns me, I know he seems curious and generally has access to clean water but I don’t think that is normal behaviour for cats. He has also vomited several times around the house, and I don’t know if that has got to do with the toilet or sometimes getting into human food when he has a sensitive stomach.

My flatmate loves her cat and says she is trying her best, but though the vet has said the cat is very healthy I am very concerned he may have an neglectful environment that is harming him. Please help clarify on whether this constitutes neglect, as I am quite worried and unsure whether to pursue action to get SPCA  to take him away.
Many thanks,
Felicity (Flick)
 

freyaandzelda

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Out of all the information you gave me, the only thing that concerns me is that the cat sometimes doesn't have appropriate access to water. This could be resolved by getting one of those water bowls that has the jug attached to the top, so it takes a lot longer for the bowl to run out of water, or just keeping down more than one water bowl. I use a dog water bowl, and I have to fill it at least once a day.

Depending on how much food my cats eat during the day, they sometimes go the evening without food. They get a can of good in the morning and a cup of dry food each to free feed on during the day. Usually, they still have some left in the bowl by the end of the day but sometimes they don't. It doesn't matter how full or empty their bowl is in the evening, they express the same amount of eagerness every morning for their morning meal, and both are at a perfectly healthy weight.

My cats are strictly inside only. This hasn't seemed to affect them detrimentally in any way, and I in fact feel this is much safer for them anyway. Occasionally they will try to dart out the door, but that seems to be more out of curiosity about where the door is leading than any deep longing to go outside. I understand it's harder to keep a cat indoors permanently after they've had free access to the outdoors. I work four days a week and during that time period they are alone for as long as eight hours a day, depending on whether or not I have time to go home or can have my parents check on them.

It does not surprise me at all that the cat is drinking out of the toilet. Had the cat seen the toilet flush before? A lot of cats are interested in running water. One of my cats is obsessed with the sink and she always has water down. I simply keep my toilet bowl lid closed.

The vomiting may be cause for concern. I don't see why the toilet water would cause this unless you guys keep some kind of cleaner in it, in which case the toilet bowl lid should really be kept closed anyway. Have you seen him eating human food? Has he recently switched food? Is he on some sort of medication? Freya had to be on antibiotics for a week after developing an infection and although she never vomited, she had liquid diarrhea for nearly a week.

Is there only one litter box? The general rule is one per cat plus one. If there's only one box, your flatmate should consider getting another. I have three, and although I try to scoop daily I admit there have been some days that I have skipped or forgotten. A dirty litter box could be contributing to the peeing and pooping around the house. Your flatmate might want to try scooping once or twice everyday, and possibly putting litter boxes in or near the places her cat is continually having accidents.

At the most, you might want to talk to your flatmate about your concerns, maybe mention some of the things I suggested like an extra litter box and closing the toilet bowl lid. I see no reason to have the cat taken away from an owner who obviously loves it. It's great that you're concerned, but if the cat is removed, there is no guarantee it will be adopted by a new owner, nor is there any guarantee it won't be euthanized unless taken to a no kill shelter. Like I said, you should probably just talk to your flat mate first and voice your concerns.
 

Norachan

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Hi Felicity,

Welcome to The Cat Site. What is considered animal neglect varies a lot from country to country and state to state so I really can't tell you for sure if the conditions you have described are neglect or not.

It sounds to me that the kitten is fairly well cared for, but there are a few things that worry me. The main thing is that the kitten has been allowed outdoors unsupervised. It's way too dangerous for cats to roam around outside. The fact that he has already been injured shows you just how dangerous. Please ask your friend to keep him indoors from now on. Cats be trained to walk on a harness. If she wants to let him out it would be far safer to take him out for walks like this.

Has he been neutered yet? If not that should be done soon. The vet can do this at the same time as he has the surgery on his tail. It's a very simple procedure. Problems such as urinating indoors, fighting with other cats and being desperate to get out all come from leaving a cat unneutered.

As you are sharing a flat with the cat's owner you have a right to complain about things such as a dirty litter box. I think the reason he is pooping and peeing around the house are because his litter box is so dirty. You wouldn't want to use a toilet that hasn't been flushed for several days and neither does the cat. Litter boxes need to be scooped twice a day and he really should have more than one box. Nag your room mate about this, it's your home too and no one wants to come home to the smell of cat poop.

Things such as timed feeders and water fountains are really useful for people who are too busy to fill up their cat's bowls regularly. Maybe you could suggest your room mate gets some of these for her cat.

Oh, and keep the toilet lid down. It's not safe for him to be drinking from there.

 

peagreenboat82

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Hi! It's good of you to be concerned about the cat's welfare. It sounds like your flat mate loves her kitty but just needs to take some extra steps in the care she's giving. It looks like you've already received some excellent advice and tips about the outdoors, litter boxes, and water.

I just also wanted to reassure you the drinking from the toilet thing is completely normal (although not a good idea to allow them to do). I have two cats who try to drink from the toilet so we just have to keep the lid down. They absolutely love running water.

Of course, sometimes someone forgets, especially when there are visitors. Here's a photo of my cat Phantom caught in the act. He seems to be saying, "but moooom...." [emoji]128521[/emoji]

 
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