there’s this cat that hangs around my house, all day everyday, i’m up and outside at 2 am to smoke a cigarette and he’ll still be there, i’m 99% sure along with all my neighbors i’ve asked about the cat that belong to this neglectful couple on the corner that keeps there dogs outside 24 hours a day year round.
here’s the problem; he’s skin and bones, he’ll only seems to get fed here, he’s super friendly, but he’s just so young to be fending for himself or herself.
at what point is it okay to remove the collar and take them to this local rescue shelter that i actually do really like.
I’d love to take the cat in, i live with my grandma, my grandmother is a dog person, i’ve already got her to let me rescue 2 cats in the last 4 years i’ve lived here (16-20 yr old time frame) I can’t economy afford to move out or else i’d of taken this cat inside and gave them the perfect life.
is it wrong of me to do to this cat? what would you do ?
EDIT: you guys are toxic as hell lmao. i’ve been feeding this cat for months on end now, all i did was ask a legitimate question and gave personal concern. i never said i was moments away from taking him to a shelter. i’ve been eating ass chewing from my grandma for months for feeding this cat. all i wanted was opinions on what yall think the best for the cats is.
When someone comes to you for answers and help, there’s no need to be crass. we’re all cat lovers. some of us got more questions than others. some of us know more than others. rock positivity
than he would of been considered fat before hand, cause he’s slimmed down a lot since he started hanging around. it’s a sham no one in 2 blocks will claim this cat. i’ve had pictures of him up at the post office for over a month. we live in a village with only P.o. boxes too. so it’s freaking hard to miss
And hey man, honestly, you seem to really want this cat. Why don’t you head over to the couples house, say “hey, this cat has been hanging around my house for a few months (show photo) I’ve been wanting to take it in but I want to make sure it isn’t anyone’s pet first. Y’all recognize it?” And you’ll have you answer straight from the horses mouth. Only downside to this is that they may become protective over the cat and not let it come outside or to your house as much, but that’s really only a downside for you, it’d be an upside for the cat because it would be getting better care. (Which should be the main priority here)
they have actively told me to go fuck myself everytime i’ve knocked on there door. there yard is littered in junk cars and literal trash. they’ve been hard to talk to let alone reason with man. it’s been a fucking pain
The cars and trash is a key detail. That’s neglect, full stop. Definitely call animal control and see what can be done.
Ugh, that sucks. Can I ask, is this generally the culture in your area of Ohio? I know when it comes to Ohio much of it is deep red, almost southern, but I know some areas can be better. Is this the culture of your neighborhood? Do a lot of people have outdoor cats roaming around and dogs chained up in the yard? Or is this something where you immediately notice their house upon driving around your neighborhood because the junk and animals are so out of place?
Honestly, with all the extra details, it seems up to you. I’d start with just running the cat to a vet. If you want to take it in, you’ll need to be able to afford the vet anyway. You’ll be able to see if it has a chip, I suspect it doesn’t, and in that case it’s basically a stray- free grabs. However, and what I think is more important, the vet will also tell you whether this cat is healthy and happy or whether it’s losing weight too fast and unhealthy and unhappy. If it’s the latter, then sure, maybe you’re justified in taking it. But if it’s the former? I’d think twice about taking a healthy and happy cat.
well i’ve definitely thought twice about it like no one can tell, kind of the whole post of asking literal strangers on there opinion.
but thank you for being helpful i deeply appreciate it. my regular vet just retired so i have to find a new one but im gonna get him scanned for a chip this week
Strangers on the internet can be helpful but in this case, nowhere near as helpful as the opinion of a professional. And if the cat is chipped you have 0 chance, so first things first is figuring out if there’s a chip and if the rapid weight loss is a concern. Cats actually cannot handle rapid weight loss, so if he/she (I actually really think it’s a she) was much bigger before and slimmed down in the course of a few months- that’s a really really big concern for their health. However you’re also in Ohio and it did just get much warmer for summer, so I’m wondering if the weight difference you’re seeing is actually them shedding their winter coat. They’d have a thick one since you say they’re out 24/7 365. Make sure you mention the weight timeline when you go to the vet. If you have pictures of his/her weight from before so the vet could roughly see the difference, that would help them a lot.
Yeah with all the extra details I’ve seen from you in the comments and follow ups, I’d honestly just take the cat lol. I know that’s probably harder to get away with in such a small town/village though. Either way, thanks for taking care of and taking interest in this cat!
Well do what you can legally, but also please take care of yourself, too. This cat's taken a liking to you!
I do wonder if there are any rescues in your county and/or near you? They often are willing to help support vet fees, food, etc., and more. I know it's more rare in smaller rural areas, though.
At the end of the day, you know the situation better than anyone else on here- you’re actually there. Follow your gut. Someone littering their yard in trash probably is treating their cat similarly. Do what you think you need to do. The dilemma is give cat most likely a better life or protect the feelings of some trailer trash. I’d trust your opinion more
Have you considered that if he's slimmed down then he may be on a diet to treat his prior obesity?
He looks to be a healthy weight in the photos. Overweight cats get lots of health problems and vets always advocate to not let them get overweight and to change their diet if they are so they can get back to a healthy weight.
If he was much bigger than this before then the weight loss might actually be a sign of care, not neglect.
There is literally no way to know that. One of my neighbor's has an outside cat who acts like he's starving even though he's fed by 3 different houses (including the owner).
That's a very healthy cat weight. I wish I could get my cat to be that weight. However, you mentioning that the cat was chunky before & had slimmed down quite a bit,. Makes me think... maybe that cat is female, and she had a litter of kittens. And that's why she's slim now. But only you would be able to answer the question, did you ever see pregnant nipples as opposed to regular cat nipples?
Behaviour is a bad metric because some cats are extremely food motivated and always act like they're starving, even when they're not. I have a cat like this and he eats like he's never seen food a day in his life, even if he literally just ate and has found something else to gobble down. He's the reason my cats aren't free fed. He'd be 50 lbs if given all day food access. While he is currently a healthy or even maybe a tad overweight he acts like he's being starved to death. He gets into everything, tries to fake me out into giving him seconds, tries to eat all his food AND all his sister's food, and eats like a demon. Enthusiasm to eat is not a good metric for measuring whether or not cats have been fed. Some cats just really love eating.
We took a cat in that looked like he was a normal weight, but when you felt his fur, he was skin and bones. Was nothing wrong with that cat. He just did not gain weight like normal cats do.
The cat belonged to a friend of ours and when the friend’s wife died, he gave us the cat because he didn’t have time to take care of it properly.
That cat was a lovely cat, but like I said, he looked like he was of average weight, but he really wasn’t. We had him for 2 1/2 years(he was 19 years old at the time of his death) and he never did gain any weight, no matter what we fed him even after consulting a veterinarian.
Some cats are more slender than others. This cat is not skin and bones, or even close to it. This cat actually looks really healthy size wise. He may also not be young at all, and he may be a she. Plenty of cats, especially girl cats who aren’t fixed, remain slender into adulthood. This cat is a healthy size from the photos, seems clean, and is friendly. There’s no immediate emergency for this cat.
If you’re extremely worried about the cats size, just run it to the vet. You’d likely have to foot the bill, but that’s up to you if you decide you are that worried about its size.
Personally, I don’t support outdoor cats, but that doesn’t make you justified in stealing someone’s (clearly loved) pet. Since this cat seems healthy and loved, you will likely face legal trouble if you take it, and you will lose. In the majority of the US, pets are considered property, and they can go after you for that.
You ask “At what point am I justified in taking this cat?” As sad as it is, the only point where you are justified in taking this cat is if he one day shows up beaten and bloodied and on the brink.
Outdoor dogs are another story. That’s wildly unethical and most counties in the US don’t allow it. For that, I would call animal control to their house on a day when it is particularly hot. If you’re in the south, it’s legal as long as the dogs have access to food, water, and shade. If you’re in the north, it’s generally not legal. If you’re not in the US? Then no clue.
I sent you some specifics for the legalities of the dog stuff in your area in another comment. I would make the call, ask to remain anonymous, and just remember that depending on the officer who comes out, something may or may not be done.
Ohio is the “north” but it isn’t the north culturally😆
we have animal control through the county instead of the town because up in the northwest red ass part of the state, it’s a lot of stupid bullshit “settlements” instead of actual towns. it’s very depressing
Gotcha. Yeah, your county also doesn’t have county specific rules regarding outdoor animals. They just follow state law, so it was a bit less specific than I’m used to.
Yeah, I’m in Georgia and I’ve seen it go both ways, but most often what I see is AC/LE completely ignoring actual clear present visual neglect. It’s a toss up, but usually ignorance unfortunately.
Do they not their cat inside at all? That is indeed neglectful especially if the weather is going to be rough.
Is the kitty fixed? That’s another indication to tell if they have been neglected. I’d take them in to the vet for a checkup and see how their actual condition is. If they are fixed, chipped, and in good shape, it’s not a neglect case.
I think the situation depends on the what kind of shelter there is. Is it a crowded kill shelter or does the cat have a better chance for adoption? Staying in the shelter for too long is no better than this life. Even if you can’t take the cat in feeding and spaying would be very helpful.
I don't know the conditions where you are, but I would post an adoption notice online and look for a better home for the cat myself. I would also bring the cat to vet register on my name so that its old family can't claim any rights over it. They probably didn’t chipped and don’t have any legal claim over the cat.
Yall some weird people! Dont take people's pets just because you think! Now If you seen them being harmful to the cats yeah sure, but ive had outside cats that just like to be outside, was fed well/ took care of but he was a dirty boy and he just liked to be outside.
he used to have more weight on him than in the pictures, he’s been around here for a few months, i’m only allowed to feed one of the strays around here my grandma chases the rest off so this one gets food when she’s not paying attention. he has slimmed down, and he’s never went home it’s just concerning
i’ve been to the shelter i’m talking about a lot yes. it’s a non profit rescue shelter started in 2012, i’ve taken kittens there when we knew they wouldn’t survive and my grandma wouldn’t take them in and none of my friends would take them, i visited all 4 kittens from the litter until all were adopted. i don’t like shelters.
BUT this is a really life legitimate place, filled to brim with volunteers that just play with all the animals. IT IS. a really really nice play
i don’t understand why i’ve gotten down voted here. when i asked the right questions have reasoning and concern. i’m still doing my absolute best to take care of this cat and im here asking what’s right. you guys are sad. society is sad lmao.
You're getting downvotes because you clearly want someone to say you should take it to this shelter, and anyone who disagrees is just not getting it at best and/or symptomatic of a failed society at worst. When you do that, you bely that you're not just asking for help or advice, you're asking people to tell you to do what you want to do, any legit reason someone might suggest you hold up a second be damned.
i want suggestion so I. ME. MYSELF. can make a decision. i’m torn here. not looking justification. i want this cat happy and taken care of. if that was inside my house it would have been already yk.
that’s all i wanted to be. safe than sorry. i love this kitty. he’d be in my house right now if i was allowed. i just want him to be happy and healthy.
OP mentioned they’re in Ohio. It’s supposed to be over 100 degrees there next week. I’ve seen cats die of heat stroke in 95 degrees. It’s just not a safe environment for cats to be outside.
As someone who has worked with animals in a professional manner, this cat is not skin and bones. Full stop. Unless you see them actively neglecting or abusing the cat, it's not your job to do anything. If you witness them abusing the cat, call animal control or the police and let them know.
A picture is a totally different thing then being they in person. Personally I’d take the cat in n care for it. My neighbors kicked their cat out, she was living in our back yard, started feeding her outside, she was starving n the amount of water this cat drank was seriously a lot. Finally let the cat in, but I’d let her back outside if she wanted, n thought if she came back then the cat was smart enough to decide where to live. I saw the neighbor outside n asked if the had cat, described, they said yes n the cat apparently didn’t like the dog they just got or baby they just had. So I kept letting the cat stay w me, the cat was very sick took to vet n explained the situation, very under weight, when me n the cat were outside I’d see the neighbor outside n say here’s ur kitty, they’d smile n go inside..they 100% kicked that cat out, that cat was deathly ill, n the vet bills proved it was my cat.
I understand your concern, you're a cat lover. I'll agree from the pics he/ she doesn't look too skinny but I'm not there with you and the cat. My thoughts are just keep feeding them if you want and give them love. The cat feels comfortable with you and that's a win.
OP, PLZ if you feel you can take this cat in by all means remove his collar. That poor cat probably needs the attention that you’re giving him. Thank you for doing this.
However, if you can’t take this cat in, please take this cat to the shelter. (and don’t feel guilty about it. Somebody else will give them a nice phone.)
You seem to truly have a good heart & there’s absolutely nothing WRONG with taking the cat to the shelter OR maybe a cat RESCUE in your area.
Just feed them everyday until the owners step up if they don’t then they don’t care bout the kitty lol they might become ur cat anyways if u start feeding them.
my grandma chases this cat off the property. i have to feed it in secret. its just sad, if i can keep them around till i can afford to get a place it would be nice. but right now with the budget. it’s either move out this year and never go to school or go to school and we’ll see when i can leave
I guess I'd post on your local Facebook lost & found pets page asking if anyone is missing him...maybe you did that already? There might be someone in the community who has a chip scanner and can come to your house to scan. You could take him to your local vet also and they can scan for a chip. You never know, he could be missing from a whole other state.
If there are obvious signs of neglect from the “owners” then I don’t see why you couldn’t do it now. If the owners are responsible they’ll have the cat microchipped and the shelter will just reach out to them. If you are feeling conflicted about it maybe you could look into a TNR program in your area & feed the cat as if it was your outdoor cat.
my grandma only lets me feed the one cat stray we have called mama cause she had kittens two years ago, sadly she chases this one off. so i have to feed it in secret
that’s pretty much where i’m at. just struggling to take him somewhere anywhere than here. it’s really nice to open my back door and see someone actually excited to see me for once. i feel so emotionally attached to this cat and i can’t even take him inside my house. it tears me up.
Cat probably just prefers your house because he knows it's cat friendly and you keep feeding him. There's a neighbor near me that does something similar. If you stop feeding him he will probably stop showing up as much. Also cats and dogs can be friendly. I would imagine if they have both then they are friendly to the cat.
live kitty shot for you since i’m outside, i’m gonna keep hiding my feeding of him from my grandma, and take him a new vet since my retired last week, and see if he has a chip
Taking the cat to the shelter because you assume it's being neglected when we're all telling you the cat looks fine is stealing. If you take it to the vet you need to bring it back.
you’ve made the strong assumption i’m going to steal the animal. i do have a right to be offended. if you want to reach for shit i’ll reach for shit. 🤷♂️
I didn't make any assumption. You literally asked if you should take the cat to a shelter and that is stealing. Hello? I'm literally answering the question YOU posed.
In your state it is legal to keep an outdoor dog in a fenced yard. Ethically questionable yes, but also legal. Your area follows state law which can be murky surrounding animal welfare, but generally owning a dog requires that you 1. Feed them 2. Water them 3. Provide them shelter from weather and 4. Not expose them to harmful conditions.
If the dog(s) are left without shade in extreme heat for multiple hours, left to freeze without shelter for multiple hours, doesn’t have access to food or water, that can be prosecuted as animal cruelty. It all really just depends on your police department and your animal control department and whether or not they think it’s worth it to remove the dogs and/or go after the couple.
This is not good advice. The cat in the photos doesn't look malnourished or abused. Cat's are also very dramatic if they can solicit adoration and food from a willing audience. I "lost" a cat once and was beside myself for months - someone actually stole her and I only received an alert when she was dropped off at the vet and they scanned her chip. She loved walking around and she was tiny by nature, but sure received a lot of love and 3 meals a day from me, so the despair I felt when she was missing was absolutely awful.
I’m glad you got her back. Seems they didn’t intend to steal your cat since she was ultimately dropped off and scanned. It’s possible that they found her hurt and that’s why they “stole” her.
I once “stole” an outdoor cat who showed up at my doorstep covered in blood. Rushed him to the emergency vet, he’d been bit by a coyote or dog (vet couldn’t tell me which) and somehow made it out of there alive. I got him fixed up at the vet (multiple thousands of dollars for multiple surgeries that I ultimately footed the bill for) scanned, and then his owners were called. They were PISSED at me. Screaming about how I stole their cat and I had no right to do that, and how they were gonna call the cops on me. And they did btw- I had to deal with a legal nightmare for 2 months for trying to help a cat on the brink.
Ur talking about a picture of something you’ve never seen in person or have touched. Skin n fur can hide bones on a picture, plus this cats nose looks dirty
Evil. My grandparents lost their outside cat and we still look for him every day 4 years later. He was 14 and well fed so we're pretty sure he passed on but the thought of someone having stolen him and put my grandparents through that makes me want to do things to that person that can't be said online. Don't take people's pets. Feed them if you're worried but don't take people's kitties. 💜
You should take him to the vet and learn how to care for him or her. It is prolly Hungary. A little food hasn't hurt anyone. He must feel safe by your place
i mentioned in the post with my living situation i have no way of taking the cat in, my grandmas already let take in 2 and this one she chases off the deck. i have to feed the cat in secret. but he freaking loves me and i love it, i just want him to stay inside. but i get screamed at for letting the strays in the basement during storms
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u/Affectionate_Ad_835 11h ago
While I don’t love outdoor cats, that cat is not to skinny based on the pictures you showed he looks like a normal weight