Would it be dangerous?

There is a tom cat that hangs out quite a bit around our house that I know lives across the street from us. When we first moved here, he looked very well cared for and healthy. Now, he has grown extremely thin. I know he has owners, as he is occassionally let in the house and fed regularly outside (the neighbors next to us also leave food out for him, and let him in to play with their cats).

I am certainly no expert, but I would be willing to guess this poor loving guy has worms. His owners have no intention (obviously) of helping him. Would it be safe for me to purchase product to treat him? But I think it would be difficult to track, as he comes and goes as he pleases. I guess I just feel bad for the poor boy and want to see him healthy again.

Should I just leave him be and continue dropping hints to his owners that he needs to see a vet? It's difficult for me to turn a blind eye to it; it breaks my heart to see him neglected. But I also wonder- would it be out of line for me to assume his care? But again, I wonder how effective it would be, since I have no control over him whatsoever (I know, who really has control over their cat? What I mean is he's not my cat, in my house). I also am extremely hesitant because I don't even know for certain that worms are his issue. I've just watched him grow increasingly thinner, but he still is extremely friendly and playful.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

There's a variety of issues Mr. Kitty could have besides/in addition to worms, and vet care could end up being very costly. If you are willing to assume that risk, the only way you can treat him is if you get his owners to allow you to adopt him...treating him without their permission could invite a whole host of issues, even legal ones.
The least you can do is let the owners know you think he needs better care...if you think he is truly being neglected you could call Animal Control...but that certainly will make your neighbors angry.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I don't want to step on any toes or cause any kind of unnecessary upset. I have been entertaining the idea for some time, but I was very hesitant because of the fact that I could be causing more harm than good. I know it very well could be something other than/on top of worms, that just seemed like the likeliest cause. I just wanted to get some outside input on this. He's such a sweet boy! I at first thought he was a stray, and had mentioned to our neighbor that if he was a stray, I was thinking about trapping him (but I really wouldn't need to trap him, he's very friendly) and taking him to get altered. She's the one who told me where his owners lived, and after that he had a collar on for a few days, but I think he ditched it.

Thanks for the thoughts. I don't think Animal Control is the proper action to take at this point. I will drop heavier hints to his owners. Now that I look back at my post, I almost feel silly. I have grown quite fond of Tomcat (I don't know what his name is, that's what I call him), but since he's not mine, my involvement is very limited.

I don't know. I'm a really aggressive person, but for an animal, I'd stomp on as many toes as needed to get that animal proper care. I'd rather have angry neighbors than see a life, god forbid, ended because people can be such IDIOTS. If it were me, I'd confront my neighbors about it. If they didn't respond, I'd confront them again, this time giving them a date that I'd call animal control. But that's me. And I'm pushy and have very little patience with most humans.

Originally Posted by lionessrampant

I don't know. I'm a really aggressive person, but for an animal, I'd stomp on as many toes as needed to get that animal proper care. I'd rather have angry neighbors than see a life, god forbid, ended because people can be such IDIOTS. If it were me, I'd confront my neighbors about it. If they didn't respond, I'd confront them again, this time giving them a date that I'd call animal control. But that's me. And I'm pushy and have very little patience with most humans.

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Well, you're not a sugar-coater, are you? Don't get me wrong- I admire and appreciate people who refuse to beat around the bush.

I have been sitting on this for a while, now, and have grown antsy about it. I think that I will drop heavier hints, and if this goes nowhere, I will then rethink my approach.

I would just go over to your neighbors and tell them straight out that their cat needs medical attention. Just tell them in a nice way that if they are willing to just give you the cat that you will take care of it. If not, then just warn them if they don't take him to the vet then you will call animal control. If it was a neglected child, no-one would hesitate to call child protective services, this is a neglected animal.

If you don't want to get on peoples toes, then you can also call animal control and asked to remain anonimous. Its not fair for this cat, and it could be alot more serious than just worms.

I once had a neighbor whose cat came down with feline leukemia and got very thin and the first visit to the vet did not occur until the disease had progressed so bad that he had to be put to sleep. Hopefully it is not that serious, but he should be treated asap to prevent any further suffering. GOOD LUCK.