Suffering pet , what to do?

Oh, that is very sad, but tsake heart that you gave him comfort in the last days, you totally did the right thing, and staying with him to the end is so kind. Those neighbours of yours , well I could not even print on here what I would like to do them them what they did is downright cruelty

for you and Pusscat

Aww, how very sad
At least his last little while was spent with a loving soul. You were very kind indeed.

So sad - it's good you stayed with him at the end. I hope your neighbours don't get any more pets!

Puss is at rest now. Respect for what you did.

How sad. One of our cats turned out to have a tumour in her mouth. She's shown no sign of anything wrong until her mouth started bleeding while she was eating. When I took her into the vet he said there was nothing to be done. At least it meant there was no agonising about whether or not to have her put to sleep. So glad you were able to take him and he didn't have to suffer any longer.

I'm sorry. You've done the best and loving thing for him.

Poor puss. What a sad ending. At least you were able to give him some love and affection in his last days. to you.

Bless him and you.

RIP puss. Good that you took him to the vet and will you tell your neighbours

Sad news . Poor puss had a massive tumour in his throat and one in his eye . The vet said he would have been in a lot of pain . This morning he had blood coming from his mouth and wouldn`t eat anything so I knew I had to take him . He was put to sleep and I stayed and stroked him while it was done . I am so glad he is out of pain , no pet deserves to go through what he has . Thanks for all the messages while this has been happening , they did help xxx

Sorry, if there was an edit button, I would add that it's good to hear the charity are responding so positively f77ms.

Yes, cat's purring isn't always a sign of happiness. It's the same with dogs, people assume a wagging tail indicates the dog is happy and friendly - nope, it can indicate all kinds of different emotional or psychological states in the dog. A tail held high is usually an indicator of a confident, some might say, dominant dog. My big dog holds her tail high and wags it as a warning to overly fussy, interfering, sniffing all the bits she doesn't want sniffed dogs that if they don't stop, they'll be sorry.

Many years ago, I came home, to find my two cats apparently looking after a young female cat which appeared to have been abandoned. I took her to the Cats' Protection and was told that she had recently given birth to kittens - I hate to think what happened to them. They kept her, said she would be spayed and re-homed.
My ginger cat purred when he was puzzled or doubtful about something.

I have heard that too Bluebelle , but I think he is so unused to affection he is in heaven if he gets a bit !

i didnt know this but a vet told me that cats can purr when ill or stressed it may be used as a warning signal
I m glad this chap is going to get help

Good that someone, apart from you, has taken ownership of this problem.

Thanks for the update
I'll be looking out for any news regarding the little guy. Its a very kind thing you've done. Thanks, on his behalf! X

Just to update ... I have spoken to a lovely lady from an animal charity who says to take him to their vet and they will pay !!! He is still here in the same place , is eating a little and has the loudest purr when I stroke him . I will take him on Monday and post again .

My late dad was "adopted" by 5 cats who all moved in with him at one point or another. Dad was quite aware that they probably had a home elsewhere but he was very much an animal lover and they seemed to enjoy each other's company. When any one of the cats was ill dad would take it along to the vet. I'm sure he was never asked if he was the actual owner and I doubt he said otherwise. When the end came, dad would sit with them on his knee whilst the vet did the necessary. I do appreciate this isn't always possible if you don't have the money. He did live in a small village and most people knew that he was the local cats home do if someone's cat was actually missing they would have known where to go

You've summed the situation up very well Misty'

The first consideration here is the cat's state of health. There is always a reason why a pet 'chooses' to desert his normal home and that is because his needs are not met adequately. This cat has chosen your home because he knows he will receive care and attention. I wouldn't think twice. I would take him to the vet's ASAP and make that my priority. He is clearly suffering and needs medical treatment. You have got in your house a pet in need of help, so give him the help he needs without worrying about whose pet it is. If your assessment of the situation was different and your neighbours actually looked after the cat well I would say that the decision you would then take might be different but it appears that they don't care about the cat. You have lost your pet recently and from your letter it is clear that you are an animal lover. This cat might become unofficially your new pet as the owners appear not to care. I would not discuss the issue with them as you are likely to get a mouthful of abuse and ultimately then this would put you in a difficult position if you decided to go ahead and go to the vet with the cat anyway. They may also try and keep the cat indoors from then on so as to prevent you from giving him medical treatment.
You could also ring the RSPCA and discuss this with them but I would do this after you have taken the pet to the vet's so as not to blur the issues about what is really important, and that is that the cat receives treatment NOW.
I am in a similar situation with a neighbour's cat from across the road who comes and asks for food. I have found out that the owners do not let him in at all all through the winter and generally the cat fends for itself. After careful consideration I have decided to leave food and liquids out for him. He is now looking much better. However I haven't let him in overnight as I don't have a cat flap but my next door neighbours let their cat flap open for him, so you have 2 families sort of 'looking after' him without the owners being aware. The end result is that the cat gets fed properly, still goes home and receive the level of care they give him, gets to sleep somewhere warm at night if he chooses to and we keep an eye on him. That's the best option without going into discussion with the owners and maybe having a falling out. Could this work for you? The vet treatment is needed and you will have to pay but to my mind it is worth it for the cat and to stop you worrying. What you say to the vet is up to you but I would not hand him over to the cat protection league as they might have him put to sleep? Maybe discuss it all with them as well but their hands might be tied if you tell them you know the owners! Good luck and please let us all know how you got on and how the cat is please.

If you could afford the cost of keeping him, f77ms I'd ask the neighbours if they'd let you have him permanently. If they agreed, you could do what needs to be done without worrying about it.

Good luck in dealing with this, it must be heartbreaking.

That last suggestion by Lupin is a good one.

Do your neighbours work? I just thought if they are out all day you could whip it off to the vet saying it suddenly took a turn for the worse and as they were out you panicked...,????

I've had a similar experience. Cat charities are the way to go. Take their advice.
Do you have a PDSA in your area? They provide free treatment if you are eligible.
You are a compassionate lady doing all the right things and I hope this gets resolved without too much expense for you.
Good luck with the neighbours. It's a difficult dilemma. I wonder how they'd respond if you let them know that the cat seems to have insisted on moving in with you and would they mind if you took him on. You are taking all the responsibility anyway. If they haven't asked around for him by now then nothing will change.

We were in a similar situation several years ago. A stray was taken in by our neighbours, lovely little cat, very trusting and loved sleeping in vehicles which is how we think she arrived. Our neighbours weren't particularly pet people and we noticed that she had a nasty looking wound on her leg. They were not bothered, said it would get better on its own. We were concerned and offered to take her to the vet where she had injections and antibiotics and fully recovered. After that she moved in with us and no more was said. I hope you manage to reach a solution with your neighbour.