poor kittie..

[Ginevive]

Mark is a property manager, and part of this entails cleaning vacated apartments. He went into one that was vacated a few days ago, and this poor kitty is in there meowing its head off, with no food nor water and a filthy litter box that she was still using... the people just up and left the cat there. Mark fed it some food and gave it water and cleaned the litter box, and saw that the low-lifes left a note that said they'd be back for their cat..
Not sure how to proceed. I told Mark to just bring the cat home right away and we could go from there, but he had no cat carrier and could not drive safely with a strange cat running around the truck cab.. I don't know if it technically would be considered stealing if we took the cat either; the people owed back rent and vacated the premises, but they did leave that note.. any advice? At least she has food and water; Mark will stop by tomorrow to feed and water her again, but this is insane.. I hate and despise people sometimes.
I am also hesitant because we have one healthy housecat at home, and I am scared to bring a new cat into the house with the risks of disease, fleas, worms, etc. We go out of our way to keep our cat Inky healthy and free of parasites.. this is another thing to factor in, but I hate to take this cat the the SPCA and not know what happens to her.. argh. She does appear healthy and rambunctious, but was also allowed to be an outdoor cat, so who knows what is living in/on her.. oh, she had a flea collar on (big whoop..)

[lillyorchid]

I'd tell him to take a cat carrier with him and bring her on back. Maybe set her up in another room all by herself and not anywhere near your one house cat. Who knows if they are actually going to come back for her.

[Alice]

I would give them a couple of days to show back up then take her if they don't (I'd lay $$ that they never show their faces again). Whether you bring her home or not is a tough question. Do you know how accepting of other cats your cat is? Worms and fleas are pretty easy to get rid of in a rather short period of time but it may cost a bit for the treatment.


Whatever you decide, good luck!

[Ginevive]

Mark said he will wait until Monday; if they don't come he will bring her home. Flea and worm treatments are not what bother me; I know she will need a vet visit, no problem there. But my cat is pretty hateful of other animals! We'll see what goes on..

[Alice]

Good luck!

[JLC]

Ya know....if/when Mark brings the kitty home....he can just leave a note in the same spot as the one he found...saying, "We took the cat, if you want it, please call xxx-xxxx."


If they've been evicted from the apt...how exactly did they expect to get back in to retrieve the poor kitty to begin with?

[mlededee]

you don't vacate an apartment and leave your animal behind, especially without food or water. both of my cats were strays that people just left behind when they moved out of my old apartment complex. that kind of behavior is just despicable, but at least my cats were left outside so they could rummage through the trash and hunt for food when they were abandoned!

i'd definitely do something with the cat that involves her previous owners never seeing her again. they do not have the sense necessary to care properly for an animal.

[Ginevive]

This bites. Mark said that he left, leaving a lot of food for the cat and... Basically, he did what we do when we got away overnight for our cat; extra food (he is fed free-choice.) He also left some large containers of water for her, and her box was clean when her left today. Personally if I was wth him, I would have taken the cat, but he is waiting until Monday because I guess they did not have to be out till the first and they also left in the note that they were returning for their washer and dryer, so she could still be considered their possesion, and he does not want to steal.. Mark takes criminal behavior quite literally, and since he has a pistol permit and all, he does not do anything that could even be constrewed as a crime.. argh. I still think some vigilante action would have been good, and I wish I had a car..

[qiksilver]

I think anyone who leaves a animal to fend for its own with nothing does not deserve to keep anything. This is the nicest I can be about it, because quite honestly I would consider that animal cruelty considering they hd no idea when they might be back.

[sweety314]

I'd consider it abandoned, (esp since they owe back rent) notify the authorities that they've neglected their pet, and since they didn't leave food or water for it, that's abuse. No matter what a NOTE says. Bring it home or take it to a shelter, but it deserves better.

I'm not in your shoes, Gin, but if it was my choice, I'd bring her home, lock her in a sep. room w/her own litter box, worm her, dip her and then if necessary due to Inky, rehome her.

That's ME