What would you do?

[Desley (booktigger)]

I would try the paper collar. I gave one of the neighbourhood cats a bed for hte night the other year,as he was painfully thin, and I always saw him out in the cold, so one  bitterly cold winter night when I saw him sat outside a dark house at 11pm, I took him home, and went knocking on doors the day after - he actually lived next door to the house he sat in front of, and they were concerned he hadn't come home (he didn't like a tray, so got put out for his last toilet), but hadn't gone up as far as my street looking for him, as he had never wandered before. They put his thinness down to age, but I said it is more likely to be a health condition, and I did get stopped in teh street a few weeks later to say they had taken him to the vet and he had a thyroid problem. So you might find it is just a bit of a misguided owner, who accepts advice.

[Bazsmum]

Aw poor puss....I do hope you manage to see him/her again....personally I would of took her home and then advertised her as missing/check for chip etc....even if you had to keep kitty in a carrier in the bathroom overnight...but then Im such a soft touch when it comes to furry ones! 

Good Luck! 

[Kay]

You could put a collar on her with one of those bullet tags and inside write if anyone owns this cat please call me on "insert number" and if they ring up just say she keeps following you home or something but if no-one calls you know shes a stray.

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Yes, I guess it is something that I check with my own as she has had ginigivitus before so I tend to keep an eye on it.

The only thing was that the pointy teeth at the front (soz, i'm not a vet nurse!), were so encrusted that they were coming quite a bit way down her bottom lip (otherwise I wouldn't have checked) and it seemed to be staining the white fur there...

I'm probably being paranoid!

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

The smell is usually the first thing you notice. Even when they are your own cats. Not everyone thinks of teeth as being an issue until they are. It was certainly like that when my Tilly needed some work the first time. But now I ask the vet to have a look when they are going in for anything else.  

As for the puss in my little story, well, his breath could almost knock you off your perch and you could smell it in the middle of the street when he was standing at your feet.   That was the only reason why he ended up in my car.  

[Millys Mum]

Yep its an easy thing to miss, simon was 1 year so i didnt think such a young cat would get ill, bad mistake    i hadnt sorted his insurance quick enough either

[blackcat]

I have to admit the first time I found out that cats needed dental work was when Bob went to the vet for his vaccinations and the vet showed me his teeth. Odd really, because when I worked for the vet we often ended up doing cats' teeth, but they were usualy such manky cats I assumed it must be because they had bad owners who didn't feed them properly I guess ... 

[Millys Mum]

Not everybody can check a cats mouth, it could be a case of someone just not being aware.
Simons mouth wasnt noticed immediately, he was young so i didnt check it. Wasnt until the granulomas got big enough to be bitten that they got infected and i then noticed a smell!
They all get regular checks now 

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Hehe!

... I can't even begin to think what happened?!

I think that i'll just have a little look tomorrow and see  I'll keep an eye out for her and fingers crossed she's ok!

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

 

It's tough. Recently, a domesticated cat I had come to know during regular visits while out trapping ferals got worse and worse and worse, health wise. I asked around and it was common knowledge who owned him, but it was also common knowledge they hadn't so much as fed him for years, let alone let him inside his own house. He was around 16 and perhaps the friendliest cat I've ever met outside on the street. 

Somehow, he managed to get inside a carrier and stowed away in the back of my car. I found him when I got the carrier out at the vet. It made sense for the vet to examine him before I took him back home, didn't it?  He was found to have 'horrific' tooth decay, which had caused mouth ulcers but more worrying was that his liver was beginning to fail. On hearing all of this from out vet, I knew there was nothing else for it but to invoke the pussycat mafia for a case conference. Pretty much all after that is nothing but a blur in my head...   

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

She looked Ok I guess. Her eyes were a little bit gummy, but not runny. Her fur was ok, she obviously spends a lot of time outside, bit it was fairly thick.

I think it's just that I get used to my own cat who is pampered to the enth degree and I find it difficult to understand why people wouldn't want to do this. To be honest, a lot of the cats that are in that estate look a bit ropey. Not mistreated or anything like that, just not cared for in the way that I would like every cat to be cared for.

Before anyone has a go, I know that what i'm saying sounds snobbish, I really don't mean it to sound like that, it's just we've had many dealings of un-neutered cats etc from that estate so it's known as a not great area in Leeds.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Been there, done that, played that game many, many times! 

It doesn't sound like she's lost, does it? So... if she's not lost, she must be used to that place, and if she is, keep going back and you'll see her again. 

What age is she would you say? Apart from minging teeth, are you worried about any other aspect? Does her breath smell? Weight? Any strange lumps?

And on a reassuring note, one of our volunteers works in a small shopping town which is visited daily by a really friendly puss. He's very well known around the town. Has his own chair in the Solicitors office and has been made an official member of the library where he goes every day for his afternoon nap.  Perhaps you puss was on her way to the shops as well? 

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Gwen - yes you're right, it's very obvious that she's had a home at some point as she's so friendly. Unfortunately abandonment is a huge problem here in Leeds and however friendly a cat, it could be a dumped one.

Grrr - as we're a small branch we have no room at all at the moment as we have to priority the very sick/injured and pregnant cats and we're full to the brim at the moment with needy cases!

I think she is probably owned, but I just feel bad that all she needs is a vet trip and some care - it's a very obvious problem - why do people ignore it??!!!

[blackcat]

yes, it is possibly a bit soon to assume she is homeless - why not catch her and put a paper collar on with your contact information (info you can change if it turns nasty). That way if she has an owner they can get in touch and confirm this - your concern may provide an opportunity to have a conversation about dental hygiene ...

There are a number of lovely cats who run up to greet me in the street around here - they all have homes, I have seen them camped around the gardens of their homes in places no feral would choose (on top of plant pots in middle of front garden etc ...)

[Gwen]

Its a toughie because if you did take her and she belonged to somebody else its classed as theft,unfortunately just because her teeth are iffy doesn't mean shes not owned and I don't know much attall about ferrals etc but if she wasn't homed and used to humans wouldnt she of come up to you of her own accord if you know what I mean?  I would of thaught cats who weren't used to humans would stay clear of humans,but I could be totally wrong here

[Gail Bengal Slave]

It's hard -

being me as I am, I would want to -  and if I was a CPL worker - I most likely would.

Not much help am I.

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

I've just come back from getting a pint of milk (as you do) and I found a little cat which i'm unsure whether she's owned or not.

The shop is up in the council estate which isn't great. She ran up to me and was fussing and rubbing against me. I noticed that her black fur had that kind of patination of brown on it which they get from being outside a lot. her eyes looked OK and I checked for fleas, but of course it was difficult to see in her dark fur. The thing that worried me was I checked her teeth (a veritable health checker I am) and they were in a really terrible state. They seemed very encrusted in plaque.

She wanted to follow me, but I had to leave her to go to the shop where I bought her a pouch of food to see if she'd eat. When I came out though, I couldn't see her  I didn't want to go knocking on doors or anything as it's the kind of place where I don't think that they'd appriciate a CP person asking questions.

I definately can't take her in as I have a very dominant soiling female who it would greatly upset, but can't stop thinking about this little one. I know I can't help every cat, but she was such a lovely thing. Even if she's owned, it doesn't look like she's getting the vet care I think she needs.

What would you do? Should i go back and see if I can find her? Even if i find her, can I take her away to at least get her checked out?

Any advice would be great...

I wish I was the kind of person who can shrug these things off but I can't!!!