forgive my essay, but i can't just keep these concerns to myself.
so i'm currently dependent on my dad, and a bit on my older brother who lives with us. (i'm almost an adult.) i've had 2 cats since childhood, let's call one A and the other B. when my parents split, my cats moved with my dad, but now that i live with him & i'm old enough to recognize things like this, i've noticed some issues with the cats, particularly with A. i can drive, but i don't have my own car, and public transport is minimal where i live; and i currently have no source of personal income to cover the costs of professional care. both my dad and older brother have sources of income and can drive, though i don't know how much they have to spare for pet care costs; but considering we live a relatively lower-middle-class life, it doesn't seem too unattainable if we get a financial plan for them.
B is mostly healthy, but they haven't been brushing her, which is bad since she's longhaired. her fur has developed so many mats and tangles that now it's impossible to get a brush through her. we've tried shaving her with a normal electric razor, and cutting off some of the clumps, but she definitely needs professional care. my dad keeps saying he's going to book an appointment to get her shaved, but said appointment has never arrived, and i don't know what the deal is with that. i don't know if it's a financial issue or a lack of care, but either way, i'm worried about B. she doesn't like being picked up and she's rarely affectionate anymore because of the pain she's in.
A is where i have more of an issue. A has been overweight most her life, to the point where she can't jump and acts lethargic most of the time. i think she suffers from joint pains because of it, because she walks like she's carrying the weight of the world on her back. i want to take her to a vet to get her checked up on and discuss a weight loss plan for her, but when i bring the idea up to my family, my older brother brushes it off and says she's fine, and my dad, again, halfheartedly mentions he'll consider putting her on a diet, but no action has really been taken, and no progress made. more infuriatingly, though, A's recently been developing several lumps on her body, which could potentially be cancerous, but there's no way of knowing unless we seek professional vet care. again, my brother brushes it off, saying that 'animals just get lumpy eventually', and generally doesn't seem to care for her (or B's) wellbeing overall. and my dad either doesn't care or hasn't even noticed. i also don't know if this is related or not, but A vomited several times this morning (more than usual even for her) and is acting more lethargic than usual, and she's been sneezing often. i think she might be sick, but i don't know with what, how severe, or anything, because i can't take her to the damn vet. luckily my family did seem to take notice of these things too, but at this point i honestly doubt anything would be done about it unless she's half-dead.
i wish i knew what to do. i honestly want to just rehome them ASAP at this point, but how would i break that to my family? what kind of medical care would we have to seek first? this isn't something i know how to navigate, but someone has to take action somehow, and if no one else will, then that responsibility is mine. the question on the subject line is also not rhetorical, i want to know how far this would constitute a situation of neglect; both so i can justify my anger about it and so i know how urgent the situation is.
thank you to anyone who's read this, and especially to anyone who may be able to point me in the right direction here
so i'm currently dependent on my dad, and a bit on my older brother who lives with us. (i'm almost an adult.) i've had 2 cats since childhood, let's call one A and the other B. when my parents split, my cats moved with my dad, but now that i live with him & i'm old enough to recognize things like this, i've noticed some issues with the cats, particularly with A. i can drive, but i don't have my own car, and public transport is minimal where i live; and i currently have no source of personal income to cover the costs of professional care. both my dad and older brother have sources of income and can drive, though i don't know how much they have to spare for pet care costs; but considering we live a relatively lower-middle-class life, it doesn't seem too unattainable if we get a financial plan for them.
B is mostly healthy, but they haven't been brushing her, which is bad since she's longhaired. her fur has developed so many mats and tangles that now it's impossible to get a brush through her. we've tried shaving her with a normal electric razor, and cutting off some of the clumps, but she definitely needs professional care. my dad keeps saying he's going to book an appointment to get her shaved, but said appointment has never arrived, and i don't know what the deal is with that. i don't know if it's a financial issue or a lack of care, but either way, i'm worried about B. she doesn't like being picked up and she's rarely affectionate anymore because of the pain she's in.
A is where i have more of an issue. A has been overweight most her life, to the point where she can't jump and acts lethargic most of the time. i think she suffers from joint pains because of it, because she walks like she's carrying the weight of the world on her back. i want to take her to a vet to get her checked up on and discuss a weight loss plan for her, but when i bring the idea up to my family, my older brother brushes it off and says she's fine, and my dad, again, halfheartedly mentions he'll consider putting her on a diet, but no action has really been taken, and no progress made. more infuriatingly, though, A's recently been developing several lumps on her body, which could potentially be cancerous, but there's no way of knowing unless we seek professional vet care. again, my brother brushes it off, saying that 'animals just get lumpy eventually', and generally doesn't seem to care for her (or B's) wellbeing overall. and my dad either doesn't care or hasn't even noticed. i also don't know if this is related or not, but A vomited several times this morning (more than usual even for her) and is acting more lethargic than usual, and she's been sneezing often. i think she might be sick, but i don't know with what, how severe, or anything, because i can't take her to the damn vet. luckily my family did seem to take notice of these things too, but at this point i honestly doubt anything would be done about it unless she's half-dead.
i wish i knew what to do. i honestly want to just rehome them ASAP at this point, but how would i break that to my family? what kind of medical care would we have to seek first? this isn't something i know how to navigate, but someone has to take action somehow, and if no one else will, then that responsibility is mine. the question on the subject line is also not rhetorical, i want to know how far this would constitute a situation of neglect; both so i can justify my anger about it and so i know how urgent the situation is.
thank you to anyone who's read this, and especially to anyone who may be able to point me in the right direction here
. So, if the cat is covered with mats so much that his skin is constantly being pulled and you cannot get a comb in between his skin and the mats that might be called neglect. "full of mats" is definitely neglect, but a few is probably not. BUT, once they take hold, it's really not feasible to try to brush them out. You've got to stay on top of them and catch them when they are teeny tiny or they will continue to develop, so if you do manage to get him to the groomer, YOU should probably take over brushing or combing him every day to keep them from reoccuring.
