How Do We Help Our Little Friend?

Some of you may remember my story about the stray Siamese cat that has been hanging out at our little apartment complex..he is a beautiful, sweet boy who has adopted us, we have been feeding him twice a day & trying to look out for him. I think of him as "Skyler".
We already have 2 cats, our apartment is small, & space is limited- if we had a house, I would bring him permanently into our little family.
We think Skyler is sick, & don't know what to do. If my indoor cats had worms, I know he has them, as he is outside all the time.
The other day I noticed that his sides are heaving. He isn't panting, but his belly is going in & out like a bellows, as if he is a little old man. We have gotten attached to him, & feel terrible about not being able to take care of him-our funds are limited, we could afford some, but not alot.. And we know that he would need a full work-up at the vet, PLUS curing him of whatever is making him sick. I've held off on taking him to the humane society because I am afraid of it being a death sentence for him. Shelters were so overloaded after our hurricanes, I don't feel right about it. An Internet search for Florida Siamese cat rescues turned up nothing but a poem that made me cry off & on all night, thinking about this sweet little gentleman. Our conscience is telling us to take him to the vet, but we are afraid that his bill is going to be in the hundreds!
Nobody around this crappy neighborhood is going to claim him, I'm not even going to go that route. I think he "belonged" to some long-lost crackheads across the street. It looks like he "belongs" to us, now, but we can't bring him in-what should we do?

Here is a link to a cat rescue in your town.
http://cats.about.com/gi/dynamic/off...ww.pawsfla.com
Sounds like they are overwhelmed, and need foster homes. Maybe you could foster him while he heals.

I foster for a local agency, and it is very rewarding. They usually let you set the pace, so just let them know you only want to foster one cat at a time, and maybe after you find a new home for the siamese, you could get another to foster.

I only foster 2 litters a year, because my life is very full with work, kids, my pets...but just that small amount is a big help!

Good luck!

I know a cat lover coming down to Fort Meyers in a few months, if you can get him well, I might be able to talk her into taking him... Just a though.

I don't think you have much choice - call your vet ASAP, explain the situation. Maybe you can get a multiple cat discount (my vet does this), maybe he'll let you do a payment plan. Your conscience won't allow you not to help this poor baby.

Keep looking for a Siamese rescue group (did you try Petfinder.com?). There may be one in Georgia, not around the block, I know, but they might meet you halfway if you're willing to drive him up.

I would love to foster him, but we are renting a small apartment with 2 cats already..all we can do with that is to keep feeding him. Yes, he'll have to go to the vet, but it sucks to have do do that & just put him back outside. It is breaking my heart already that he is out there to begin with.

If he is indeed sick and you turn him over to a shelter, they will at least end his suffering quickly. Sometimes you have to look at it that way- if there is no other option out there for him, and it really sounds like without the funds to take him to the vet, his options are very limited.

But the reality is, you don't know how much the vet visit will be. You are guessing it will be expensive. I would take him in and talk to your vet and say, look, I have $45.00 or $75.00 or? Do what you can for him or let me know if there is nothing you can do for him-

Have you looked into Siamese rescues in your area? Many times Siamese cats will not be put down, they will be held longer at shelters or the shelters will call Siamese rescue groups. If he is sweet, he has a good chance of finding a home.

What tangible actions did you take on the advice you got last time?

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45692

Does the cat still belong to these other people?

Unfortunately, Hissy is probably right. The bottom line here is that he not suffer any more than necessary. maybe you could take him to the vet for an estimate and base your decision on that. If only you had a neighbor who could take him in. I will light a candle for Skyler, that you and he will find some assistance, ASAP. Please keep us updated.

Originally Posted by Nano

What tangible actions did you take on the advice you got last time?

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45692

Does the cat still belong to these other people?

Click to expand...

I never got an answer who he belonged to. At this point, I don't care- meaning that I would be pretty pissed off at someone who approached me about him, there would be no civility in me whatsoever. I made an appointment for him, & my boss is supposed to ask his mother-in-law if she can take him in, I was honest about Skyler being sick, so who knows.. he did say that she took in a sick dog, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
After taking to the lady at the vet on the phone, she said it could be any number of things, & basically admitted that it could cost hundreds of dollars in diagnostics alone..
I would feel horrible taking him to the Humane Society- like signing a death warrant for a sweet cat that may never have known what it means to have a decent life. Like, "Damn, is this all there is?" I'm having a very hard time dealing with that.

Can I ask what the outcome of this situation has been? Has this poor cat been looked after?

Yes, we took him to the vet & he has been inside with us ever since.
There is an update thread on him about everything that's been going on.