ADVICE BADLY NEEDED!! Abandoned cat & Problem cat. Different issues + rehoming?

[luke]

Hello, everyone, I'm new around here. I'm having two different problems with two different cats named Tiger and Bandit and could really use some advice right now, as I'm seriously being pushed to my limits.

• MYSELF:
  Hi! I'm Luke and I'm 19 years old. I live in a low-income household with a beagle, my two kittens and older cat, and the two new cats that I'll get to in a second. I do love my dog Ellie, but I consider myself to be more of a "cat dad". I have a part-time, minimum-wage job and still live at home, where I've been finding myself having to put way more money into these animals than I ever thought I would. I have issues with chronic pain and mental health. I literally love my companions more than anything, but it's been hard on me recently. I guess that's why I'm coming to you guys. Smokey's my baby and older cat, Ellie's the hound, and Samson and Juliet are the kittens that we took in this past summer, whose litters were rescued after being abandoned. The other two cats I'm going to be describing we acquired recently.
  
• TIGER:
  Tiger belonged to our neighbors. The parent passed away and the kids had to move and rehome their cats. Tiger is a very sweet boy, and would often walk right into our house anyway, so my mom told the children that we'd take him off their hands.
  Tiger has become very depressed. He doesn't play well with other animals at all and obviously hates being in our house, and the male kitten (Samson) won't ever leave him alone. He misses his family so much and has been trying to get back into his house. My heart breaks for him.
  Our problem with him is his fighting with the other animals and spraying EVERYWHERE. The pantry shelf, all over the basement, the attic, my bedroom, you name it. It's completely random and unavoidable, as we have multiple litter boxes that he chooses not to use and has nowhere in our relatively tiny home that can have his own space. I brought his own cat tree to my room and tried several times to shut the animals out and give him quiet time with me, but he didn't seem to enjoy it and sprayed when I took my eyes off him. He literally loathes the animals, is very uncomfortable around them, and fights with them nearly constantly.
  We really can't take it anymore. My mom didn't tell us that we'd be adopting Tiger. She's unemployed and my dad's on disability and doesn't work his min-wage job as often as I do, so who the heck does she expect will pay his vet bills?? And all this cat food? I'm so stressed out by the pee and the fact that he hates this home.
  
  I know this sounds terrible, but I want to try and find a home that will take him on as a single-pet. I feel so bad, but I just don't think it's working out at all. We're going to talk to his previous owners' guardian about doing this and about how to talk to the girls about it, too. I really don't know what else to do.
  
• BANDIT:
  What started out as a supposed two-day-stay ended in an almost three-month battle between my family and a Houseguest From Hell. She's a huge addict and lost her home, so my father let her stay in the basement of our house because our families have been close for years. She's honestly terrible. Without going into too many details here, I'll say that she FINALLY left and fled the state to be with her husband, who'd left over a month earlier. She was making us give her a thirty day notice of eviction so she could get another month out of us, but left about half way through.
  
  She left in a hurry and gave us absolutely no instructions or anything about her kitty, Bandit, who was also crashing in the basement. She's got a rabies vaccination tag from 2012 issued in her name, but that's it. I doubt that she's licensed, but there's no way to know for sure. The lady's been gone about a month now, so I want to know what I should do with Bandit. She's a real sweetheart, but there's no way I can afford to keep her. I've been buying her food, and I definitely want to get her vaccinations, but she can't stay forever. I'm just afraid that if the lady ever comes back, I could get in trouble.
  
  This houseguest was NOT staying "officially" and there's nothing in writing. We said we'd keep whatever furniture she had until she got back, but that's it. She wasn't even thinking about the cat before she left. The lady's kids are staying in town, and one of them is very attached to this cat, but she can't take her back in because no pets are allowed there.
  
  As far as I'm concerned, she's an abandoned animal. If I got her vaccinations in my name, and even license her, would that make her legally mine?? I want to do it for Bandit's sake, but also so that I can rehome her without getting in trouble. The lady has no real legal ties to us or anything, but I know that cats are considered property. I just don't know if we have some sort of legal obligation to care for this "property", or be sued if we don't? I just know that I cannot, in good conscience, give Bandit back to those people. I'd rather just keep her than further endanger her, but it would be great for both Bandit and I if I could search out a new forever home for her.

Caring for the four animals we started with was difficult (in some aspects) enough, but six? No way I can do that. My mental and physical health are being affected and I'm really stressed. I can't start saving for school because I have to budget for vet bills and the several pounds of cat food that my growing kittens and the others go through every month.

I'm sorry this was so long! I would very much appreciate any comments or advice you guys might have and I'll try to reply. I have no idea where to turn for help at the moment. I feel like I've exhausted my only options, but I'm not sure.

Thanks so much for reading.
-Lucas

 

[catpack]

First and foremost are all of YOUR cats spayed/neutered? (By that I mean Smokey, Samson and Juliet).

Secondly, based on your description it sounds as if Tiger is NOT neutered. This would explain the spraying and him not getting along with the other animals in the house. Rejoining him without getting him neutered will not solve the spraying issue.

As for Bandit, in my opinion, yes, if the houseguest left without asking if you and your parents to care for her, I would consider this an abandonment and would say that yes, she could be considered yours. However, since you know the daughter of Bandit's owner, I would contact her and see if she would be willing to vouch that Bandit can be rehomed.

You sound as if you have a very level head about you and your mom certainly means well in trying to care for all the cats. But, you have to know what you can handle/afford.

If you do rehome Tiger and/or Bandit, make sure to ask for vet references and as for a small rehoming fee (at least $30.) The rehoming fee can either be used to cover spay/neuters and vaccines or can be made as a donation to a shelter/rescue in honor of the cat. This is simply to ensure the cat goes to a loving home and one in which the owner can provide adequate care.

 

[luke]

Thanks for the reply.

To answer your first question, yes. Smokey was spayed years ago, and Samson and Juliet were both "fixed" a few months back.

Tiger actually is neutered, and we have his veterinary paperwork for that and his last vaccinations. That's part of the reason why I'm so confused about his behavior. He met my kittens AFTER they were fixed. Oh, and Bandit is spayed as well.

I agree with you about my mom. I know she meant well in trying to care for Tiger and help his owners, and I'm just as crazy (if not more so) about cats as she is, so I know where she was coming from. This situation just didn't really turn out as planned, I guess. :frusty:

My mom and I agreed that she's going to try and talk to the aunt of Bandit's owner's daughter (with whom she's staying) about Bandit. Since she's technically got some sort of custody/guardianship over the former-houseguest's children, I'm wondering if she can be the one to give us permission to re-home the cat, or at least back us up on our claim that she truly was abandoned by the "owner".

 

[catsknowme]

  Welcome to TCS, Luke!  Kudos on a VERY well written post - I am so impressed! You would make an excellent journalist or do very well in a law office

Regarding Tiger, it sounds like rehoming will be best although peeing to recall the original owner is very common although it is EXTREMELY frustrating! When my father passed away, both his inside kitties began to pee all over the place and that made matters worse with my mom. She finally kicked his cats outside and although both cats loved their new found freedom, one disappeared one night and never returned

 

Bandit, however, may qualify as an abandoned animal. Your local animal control officer might know the answer on that one. Typically, when a person leaves the animal without arranging for its care, it is considered abandonment. You could try researching your state's laws or perhaps try asking a law school in your area.

Bless you and your mother for caring for both those kitties. You have gone above and beyond

 

[luke]

Catsknowme - thank you for the kind reply! It's funny, because I'm considering going into journalism, haha.

Since first publishing this post, I think Tiger found himself a new home. A girl across the street told my father that he's been going over to their place, where they let him inside. She said that she calls him "Franklin" and that he jumps on the counter and wails until she feeds him or turns on the tap (he loves drinking from faucets). She's moving and wants to take him with her. And like, we thought she'd moved by now because we hadn't seen Tiger in days, but then my dad saw him in the yard two days ago. :/ So I'm confused. We have seen him since then, so I'm hoping she's taken him in for good.

Bandit is still with us. One of the kittens attacked her and gave her an open wound on her leg. The next day I took her to our vet and spent $127 on her, so there's NO WAY I'm giving her back to her old "family" (not that I'd want to anyway, but it's official now, lol). Her leg seems okay now, and she's a bit more comfortable living in my room. I'm going to start searching for a new home for her because this has been way too expensive, even though I love her. She's the sweetest cat, and super mellow - I can pick her up and drape her around my shoulders and walk around like that, and she's perfectly content. It's great. She deserves a better home, I just don't know how to start looking.