Not 100% Sure If Injured Cat Is Owned, Taking It To The Owner Right Or Wrong?

[MarieShrader]

Hi everyone I'm so sorry this is so long but please read on,

I'm really hoping you can offer me some advice on an upsetting situation. On Sunday evening I noticed a really small black cat that looked quite skinny, I approached it and it let me stroke it and was very affectionate. I noticed all it's nails were ripped and muddy and that it looked very hungry constantly meowing at my feet, I was going to give it some food but my partner arrived home from work and the cat scarpered.

Anyway I was away at work and when I returned Tuesday morning I noticed the little cat sat under my partners car, I gave it a little food and haven't seen a cat eat as fast. It came scratching on my door meowing so I let it go on the sofa and it went straight to sleep. I noticed a really foul odour coming from it and after half hour of it being a sleep it started vomiting, i worriedly took it to the vets and they observed it overnight. In the meantime i phoned all local vet and rescues, told them my details and the cat details. Posted on very active social media pages in the area and also knocked around the area.

I picked her up Wednesday morning, no chip and no older than a kitten she seemed fine and the vet said he thinks the vomiting was brought on by over feeding it with it being so slim. They advised me to put a paper cat collar and see if it finds its way back home. Wednesday evening when I returned from work she was outside the door meowing, I put her some food in the shed with a bed and went back in for the night. My partner returned late in the evening and said he saw the cat and thought it was limping but disappeared when he tried to approach. I went out with treats and couldn't see any sight of her.

I woke up Thursday morning at about 6am to meows, I thought it was mine and worriedly shot up to realise it was the little kitty outside with the paper still on. I fed her in the shed before work and she didn't seem to be limping. Thursday evening whilst making dinner I heard the cat Again still with the paper collar. When I went out I saw her limping and when I picked her up I had blood on my hands. I got her inside and after inspecting whilst she ate I noticed two large holes on her behind that was bleeding and leaking a lot of puss, I immediately took her to the emergency vets again and she explained it was bite marks from a dog and it was infected so wasn't recent. (They couldn't explain why the overnight observation didn't pick this up)

At this point it was 11 pm and whilst waiting in the vets a dog was rushed in, the receptionist explained that they needed to operate and couldn't keep the cat overnight. They gave the cat antibiotics and a pain relief injection and I was told to take it home, i put extra bedding in the shed and tried to make it as comfortable as possible. I'd love to fetch her in but whenever I do my cats and dogs get really stressed and one is quite old so don't want to distress him. I stayed with her in the shed and managed to get her settled in a cat bed.

I woke up this morning (Friday) to the same meows, my social media posts got a lot of shares and I kept checking with rescues to no avail, i tried endlessly to find someone to look after her for a while whilst she's injured and she needs more vet treatment. She was crying a lot and I succumbed and let her in, I tried to clean some of the puss but she was clearly in a lot of pain. The poor thing tries cleaning it but just yelps.

Fortunately i received a call back from a shelter in the next city, she said with it being injured one of the ladies who work there will take it to the vets and keep it at her house until she recovered. I was overwhelmed and ecstatic as I really couldn't stand the thought of putting her out there when she can barely walk.

However my question is, when I phoned the vets to inform them she said it's great and I'd advise you to take it to be cared for but I have to advise you also that by law you have to wait 7 days with a stray and it's only been 5 ish but basically said she'd do the same.

I'm now just really worried an owner is going to appear and be angry I took its cat all way to next city. But on one hand it's not going to be up for adoption or anything anytime soon. The main concern is to look after the cat and let its wounds heal first.

Sorry for such a long post it's really breaking my heart I can't do anymore to help. I also put a few posters around the area on Wednesday. Thanks so much if you've read this crazy rant sorry it's so long

 

[margd]

Bless you for taking such good care of this poor little cat. I would put the best interest of the cat first and take her to the next city as soon as you can. It's highly doubtful that an owner is going to show up within the next two days but if one did, I would think you'd still be on the right side of the law if you offered to bring her back. That's assuming that the owners are loving cat owners whose cat managed to get out one day and had been lost ever since. Those kind of owners would probably thank you, not get angry at you.

Then there are the owners who ignore and neglect their cats. If an owner showed up who fell into this category, I would try to figure out a way to avoid returning her to them. She deserves a happy life, not one filled with neglect, hunger, injury and uncertainty. This is hopefully beside the point, though and no one will call you claiming the cat. It would not surprise me if this sweet little girl was dumped by some and left to fend for herself.

Welcome to TCS, btw! I'm glad you found us and hope to hear one day that the cat is healthy, happy and in her own home.

 

[Sarthur2]

Thank you so much for helping this poor kitten. It's a shame the original overnight stay did not find the injury on her rear that is now infected. She will probably require additional antibiotics and pain meds for a few more days.

I think you can relax regarding an owner. Surely after all you have done to advertise the kitten on social media, an owner would come forward or put up signs by now.

The reality is people drop off unwanted kittens in other neighborhoods and rural areas as a way of ridding themselves of responsibility. It's sad, but this kitten likely has no home, so do not expend further energy or stress in that direction.

The fact this kitten is going to a shelter and will go home to recuperate with a worker is awesome! Make sure they will not euthanize.

Please keep us posted.

 

[verna davies]

I agree with all the above. That poor kitten deserves a better life than it appears to have had so far. If the owner truly cared about the kitten they would be extremely grateful for all you have done so I wouldn't worry about them if they appear. Please keep us posted

 

[Kieka]

I agree to do what is best for the kitten. You've made efforts to find the owner and notified everywhere you can. If you had found my cat injuried and did that much for them I would be eternally grateful. I would ask for updates on the kitten and if the original owner does find you forward the information. But that kitten definetly needs help and doesn't sound like it would survive outside.

 

[MarieShrader]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply, I appreciate each one and feel much better after reading them all. The place I found can't take her till the morning so she's currently fast asleep on the sofa and my partner has our pets upstairs.

I will make sure to keep updated, I'm going to continue ringing lost and found and posting online just incase I would like to think the owner would have tried to find it before now. I'd love nothing more to keep her as she is such an angel she just wants to snuggle on my lap and sleep but I just don't have the means to keep her myself.

Thank you all again

 

[kittychick]

I'm probably not going to say anything much different from anyone above - - but I figure another voice chiming in to tell you that I believe you did the right thing wouldn't hurt

I'm SO happy you made the decision to get her to the shelter that's willing to help her! I completely understand your worry that someone out there might be missing her - and I realize such laws as the one you're worried about are put in place so that people will make a good-faith effort to determine if the animal does have a home. But I know that if that little baby was mine - and she'd somehow slipped through a doorway, etc -- I'd be much happier to find out that she was being cared for like you've cared so deeply for her - - than to hear that someone had done nothing to help her because of a 7-day stray hold. I think you've made - and sounds like you're continuing to make - every effort you can to find a family, if she currently has one. Sadly, my guess would be that she's a dump. As Sarthur2 noted - - lots of people who dump unwanted kittens do so in neighborhoods, even towns, far away enough away that the animal won't come back to their home - or be seen and recognized as theirs.

I will say, iI'd be tempted to use a different ER vet (if you have one around) should you need one again. Because I'm kind of stunned that they didn't find the infected wound the first night? (hopefully I'm just misunderstanding something) That kind of smell makes it seem like she had a major infection from the beginning. Something might have opened the wound again - making it more noticeable - - but I'm just stunned a vet didn't notice it the first time? Especially considering what I'm sure you paid for the visit (the ER vets near me charge $100-$150 to walk in the door - - not including exams, etc.). I know accidents happen, and ER vet hospitals can get crazy, but I would still think twice about them in the future.

What matters is that she's going to get the help - and hopefully eventually, the loving home she so desperately needs and deserves. And YOU deserve a HUGE pat on the back for not taking the easy way out with this baby and turning a blind eye to her!!!!! I was going to say "keep her! keep her! it's kismet!" but it sounds like you've got a full house already. And an even more full heart

Please keep us posted about her! And know that if any of my animals ever gets out and hurt - - I hope that if they can't find their way back to my house - - I hope they find their way to yours!

 

[Sarthur2]

How is the kitty doing now?