No sign of Gizmo today

[shell]

Well, I'm off to Amy's house with out my carmate Gizmo.

I've been looking for him for 2 days, but apparently his owners are keeping him inside. I can't get a hold of Amy since she's working at an Auction right now. I'm sure she's going to be disappointed. But...when I see him, I'm grabbing him. I'm telling Amy to keep her cellphone on at all times and when I make the move, we're heading to her house.

Damn...I really wanted this to happen today. Maybe he'll show up soon...

Thanks everyone for all your support. It really is appreciated! I'll keep you all updated on what happens.
Thanks again!

 

[sicycat]

Oh no!!

It just figures doesnt it?

I hope you can get him soon.

 

[purrfectcatlove]

I am so sorry Shell

 

[blondiecat]

I hope you find Gizmo soon. I know that your friend will be very disappointed. Keep your fingers crossed that nothing bad has happened to him....I'm sorry I should have not said that

 

[maui]

Originally posted by Shell
I've been looking for him for 2 days, but apparently his owners are keeping him inside.

Shell, I know you mean well by feeding Gizmo and finding him a new home, but when I read your posts I couldn't find anything on whether you actually talked to the owners two doors down and received their permission to rehome Gizmo — it is their pet after all. I do hope you have. As an owner of a formerly lost pet, losing an animal is heartbreaking. I know that you believe Amy can give Gizmo a better home, but I wouldn't want the poor kids hearts to break over losing their furbaby either.

Also, his appearance may not be an indication of the care they provide. We have a 15 year old calico who has a thyroid condition. I feed her constantly, provide tubs of water around the house, and yet she looks very thin (thinner than Gizmo) and has gunk in her eyes (more gunk than Gizmo) and is hungry ALL the time because of the thyroid condition. If someone were to see her they might well think we don't care properly for her. But in actuality, she has her special medication (made at a human pharmacy!) given 2 times a day, full blood panels several times a year to check her thyroid levels, prescription food, special beds everywhere, brushed often, eyes cleaned several times a week, etc etc. She's simply old. But we do love her and if someone rehomed her without our knowledge, we would be absolutely devastated.

I do hope all works out for everyone. It's not that I don't appreciate you helping other kitties, I just want to be sure you are relocating Gizmo with the owners permission.

 

[wellingtoncats]

Hello - I'm sorry to hear about that, Amy will be dissapointed, Good Luck, Hope ya can grab him soon!

 

[lorie d.]

Shell, I borrowed a pic of Gizmo from your other thread, I hope you don't mind.

I have to agree with Maui that it's possible that Gizmo's thinness(sp?) is caused by a medical condition that his owners are currently treating. Also some cats are naturally thinner than others, and some breeds like the Siamese are long and thin. Since you mentioned in your other thread that Gizmo has blue eyes and he's a vocal cat, I'm wondering if he has some Siamese in his background. Maybe you could try to find out a little more about the kind of home he lives in before you rehome him.

 

[whisker's mom]

Awww... Gizmo is a cutie! Hope there is a happy ending... (((hugs)))

 

[mom of 10 cats]

IMO, anyone who lets a declawed cat wander around outside is NOT a responsible, caring cat owner. Just my 2 cents...

 

[princess purr]

he might be loved by someone though. Lilly has been MIA for alittle while I think someone just scooped her up

I spent ALOT of money on her and I do care for her and feed her. Just because a cat is outside doesn't mean it doesnt have a home. If it was a female and having kittens all the time that would be one thing.

 

[momofmany]

I found a 10 year old unneutered male outside my apartment building about 11 years ago. He was skinny, long haired coat matted, full of ticks, fleas and earmites. I didn't bother to find his owner. I had him neutered and fostered him for 3 months until I moved into my house. He was obviously not a feral cat - he enjoyed baths and loved people too much for that.

Tough call on Gizmo. Letting out a declawed cat is not showing responsibility. I can't think of any plausible explanation for doing that. Have you ever talked to your neighbor and expressed your concern about him? He might be thin, but he doesn't look unhealthy either.

 

[dragonlady]

Shell I hope everything turns out good for the kitty. Please don't do anything that could result in those folks causing you or your family harm.

Good luck with getting the kitty.

 

[debby]

I hope you can find Gizmo!! Keep us posted and I will say a little prayer!!!

 

[jenng]

Shell, I know this goes against what some think, but I'm hoping that Gizmo comes around and you can catch him and bring him to Amy. I know he's someone's pet, and I know that I'd be devastated if someone took Spike on me, but I also wouldn't declaw him and then let him roam outside either. I just don't feel that it's safe for Gizmo out there. (This is not to say I think you should do anything that would make these people do anything to hurt you or your family.)

And I just wanted to point out - Some people do have unspayed female cats that they let outside to become pregnant over and over and give birth to litter after litter. That doesn't mean it's not someone's pet. (I'm not saying this is okay, I'm just saying it does happen.)

 

[Anne]

I think you should talk to the owners. Maybe they are just unaware of the danger to Gizmo and of how important it is not to declaw in the first place and then to take proper care of a declawed cat. Maybe you have a local SPCS you can contact and maybe report the situation to them? Perhaps they can call the owners or send someone to check on the cat?

Two reasons why I think you shouldn't take the cat without their permission -

1. You could get in trouble. If you know that it's their cat then you are in fact stealing their property (pets are still legally property

). If one of the neighbors sees you scooping up the cat and getting him into your cat and takes down your cat plate number you could get in serious trouble.

2. I think if they are kept ignorant, chances are they are going to get another cats, get the next one declawed and let him go outside as well

Just my 2 cents on the situation.

I will say that any male cat wondering into our yard gets caught and neutered. They are all cats that neighbors may consider to be their own, but I as I'm only neutering them and releasing them (and they go back home) I don't see how anyone can complain... Especially as I catch them when they're in our yard and don't go after them where they live.

 

[lorie d.]

Shell, if you think of Gizmo as property like Anne mentioned, Amy could also get into trouble for accepting stolen property. In my earlier post, I forgot about Gizmo being de-clawed. Do his owners have young children who are always going in and out?????? If they do, it's possible Gizmo keeps escaping when the door's open.

Gizmo's situation may or may not be exactly what it seems. I am mainly trying to say that I think you should try to investigate a little further before you take any action.

 

[george'smom]

Originally posted by Mom of 10 Cats
IMO, anyone who lets a declawed cat wander around outside is NOT a responsible, caring cat owner. Just my 2 cents...

This remark made me sad. My Molly (11 years old) was declawed at a very young age (big regrets on my part as I did not fully understand how cruel it is at the time) and she continues to go out. I know it sounds irresponsible, but she loves to go outside and would be miserable if forced to stay in. I always make sure she's in at night. . . . when the preditors are out. It does make me worry that she's not able to defend herself as well as other cats, but she is very fast. . . and very vocal (my 15 pound George who had claws and sharp teeth was afraid of her). I am an extremely caring cat owner. I love my cats so much!!!

Also - Molly is extremely thin - only weights 7 lbs. She eats very well. . . . has had her tyroid checked and has had blood work for the possibility of cancer. . . . she's just a skinny kitty. Her mom looked Siamese (probably the reason).

My other cat, George was obese (since I adopted him) He weighed 15 lbs - I fed them the same).

I understand Shell's reason for wanting to help poor Gizmo. . . . one of her replies indicated that the family neglected their children and that no one seemed to care for Gizmo.

Shell - if he comes back, I support your decision. Do what you feel right in your heart.

Perhaps you could leave a note (anonymously) at the neighbor's so that they won't be left wondering what happend to their cat? - in the event that they do care. Just a thought.

Laurie

 

[ttmom]

I'm sorry, but I think Shell is right in what she is doing. If the owners are irresponsible in anyway, if Shell talks to them, Gizmo is lost forever. My sister and I catnapped a Siamese kitten once because of the same situation. Sia had 3 more years of life because we did that.

 

[Anne]

Laurie - have you considered setting up an enclosure for your cat? That way she can go "outside" but still be safe.

 

[glentheman20]

Just my two cents. I think you should definately talk to the owners. At least then you will have a better understanding of the situation. If they seem to be very caring, then it's possible that they're just ignorant about how to best care for a cat, and you can advise them. Or, if they say something like "It's not really our cat, we just feed it," then at least you can rehome Gizmo without fear of repercussions.

The problem I have is how we use our own standards to judge another's situation. What I mean is, many of us (me included!) believe that declawing is unacceptable, and if it's already been done, NEVER let that cat out. But just because we believe this doesn't give us the right to enforce our views on others. What if your neighbor believed that cats should be let free to roam as they please? What if they believed that inside-only cats develop more psychological and behavioral problems than inside-outside cats (which is true, by the way)? If they were to see your cat at the window, looking at the great outdoors, they might feel sorry for it and pry open the screen so that the cat could walk around. And the thing is, they might truly believe that it was the right thing to do.