Fostering a friend cat but can't afford anymore

[kelby675]

Hey everybody, I'm new and while this first post is not ideal i need help. Resources, advice, anything really.

Long story short: in march i offered to take in a friends cat until he got a place of his own, he pays $30 a month for her bare minimum supplies. Shes a very sweet cat in general but shes also... Well a cat lolz.

What i need help with is this. My husbands job ends on new years eve and hes yet to find another. This friend still has not found a place nor does he have anywhere else to put his cat, but $30 isnt enough for anything but food, litter box bags, and litter when we need it. She needs to see a vet for a check up but we can barely afford to take our great dane to the vet. Weve told our friend that the time has come for his cat to leave our care, problem is hes going to drag his feet and use every excuse under the sun. I will not let my family starve for a cat thats not mine, i love animals and would never do anything to harm the cat but she needs a home or foster home that can give her all the care she needs.

Im stuck and dont know what to do because we could potentially lose our house with my husbands job ending and be forced to move back into an apartment where its going to be hard enough to take a great dane even as an ESA.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS - although I am sorry for the reasons that brought you here. I wasn't sure if you asked the cat's owner for more money. Have you? Have you given them receipts for a month's worth of expenses to reflect that $30 no longer covers the expenses? Have you also talked to the owner about the need for this cat to be seen by a vet? That is where I would start.

You can check out other recourses for financial support, (see link below), or even direct the cat's owner to them if they cannot offer more to you, but the first place to start is to see if the owner can provide more support so that you can keep this cat safe and cared for by you.
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life - TheCatSite

 

[kelby675]

Hi and welcome to TCS - although I am sorry for the reasons that brought you here. I wasn't sure if you asked the cat's owner for more money. Have you? Have you given them receipts for a month's worth of expenses to reflect that $30 no longer covers the expenses? Have you also talked to the owner about the need for this cat to be seen by a vet? That is where I would start.

You can check out other recourses for financial support, (see link below), or even direct the cat's owner to them if they cannot offer more to you, but the first place to start is to see if the owner can provide more support so that you can keep this cat safe and cared for by you.
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life - TheCatSite

He cant he only gets less than $200 a month from VA. And $30 does cover the minimum necessities for her but nothing else...

 

[FeebysOwner]

Given that he is covering her expenses, he really is considered her owner, so you don't have much in the way of options regarding rehoming a cat that doesn't belong to you despite the fact that she lives with you. You could call some rescues and/or the local SPCA just to ask them what they know could be alternatives, Maybe they would have some ideas. Perhaps, one of them would be willing to talk to him about his options too, or suggest a foster that could resume your role and he could pay them instead of you. They may also have some ideas about what can be done to get her a checkup since you seem to think she should have one.

If he knows of your situation, perhaps he would be agreeable to allowing you to find someone to replace you as her caretaker. Perhaps, you don't have to take immediate action on the chance your husband does find new work, but rather just look at potential options if they are needed.

Since he does cover the basics for her, it doesn't seem like you are going to starve your family due to taking care of her. But, I do understand that if you have to move you want to be prepared in terms of options, particularly if pets will be an issue.

 

[kelby675]

Thank you. Moving is my biggest concern because she is not mine and while i do like her she is an indoor only cat and living in an apartment would be hard enough with a great dane much less a cat who is constantly trying escape or destroy things (she screws up my desk if i step outside for any length of time so i have to close my bedroom door, which is a problem because that's the only room we can put her box because the other dog that lives with us is known to dig in cat boxes). While she seems healthy enough she has a very strong ammonia smell with her urine which i have worried about since i took her in plus ive always been a firm believer that animals need yearly check ups too (provided i can afford it) so ive always taken my dogs once a year for a routine check.

 

[FeebysOwner]

The strong ammonia smell could be a matter of her not drinking as much water as she might need. I suspect she is on a dry food diet, so sometimes those cats can use a little help in the hydration arena. Multiple water dishes - if possible, given your dog(s) - would be one way to see if that might encourage her to drink more, and perhaps reduce the smell.

If you have a good rapport with your vet, you could call them and ask if there are any OTC urine strips to check this cat's urine. Those strips would not cost a lot, but your vet may not think they are worth it. Collecting a sample of her urine is another way to go about it, as most vets will test a sample brought to them from home. However, that would be the cost of a urinalysis, but at least it would preclude the charges of a vet visit. Maybe these are things to consider if your husband finds another job that will lessen your financial burdens.