Need to stop my mums neighbour from doing this!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I would get someone to obtain the Cinnamon Trust info for her and then ask her if she would register her cats to go to them on her death and then put that in her will.

It must be done before someone dies but they guarantee to ensure they are cared for for the rest of there lives and if she loves her cats then this would be the best option.

[Ela]

I'm not sure that living next door need be a barrier to your mum taking them in tbh.

I agree.

If all else fails I would lie and say I will have the little ones then if I were not in a position to keep them find them a loving home. Sadly I hear that story constantly

[Beccles]

Definitely a Cinnamon Trust situation.

Basically she puts in her will that she'd like the Cinnamon Trust to look after them (it'd be polite to leave them a few ££ too if possible!) and then when she dies, off they go to be safe and well-cared-for for the rest of their lives.

[ccmacey]

There are lots of cat charities that would be willing to help, the CP for one.

When I pop my clogs I couldn't bear to leave my Kitty's behind although I could never get them PTS, I would see that as me being selfish.
Maybe this lady is thinking thats the only option as she has had no one to reassure her that her cats would be well looked after, but I'm sure if you and your mum had a talk with her you could change her mind.

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

Legallly, if you have no interest in the Will yourself, then you can't contest it. Anyone can contest a will if they can prove they have a right to the "property".

However, as to the other options, you could ask her to leave them to your parents. Your parents can then contact the local CP, and foster them maybe until a suitable home is found for both? This way they are where they know home is, and keeping them in and seeing where food is coming from will certainly help with the adjustment. I don't think the cats will mind this as much as finding a completely new home, the stress of new humans, and at such a tender elderly age they really need as little stress as possible.

Certainly PTS is awful to think about.

And Lynn is right, the owner could outlive the cats.

[saffron]

sorry to say if they are handed to the rspca they will be pts. Maybe rehoming them with someone this lady knows could be an option, seeing them settled else where may put her mind at ease. It can be very difficult when dealing with some elderly people so could you have a little chat with the old lady 

[Lyn-Su]

What about the cinnamon trust?  www.cinnamon.org.uk

I've never personally delt with them, but I'm sure that a few people on theold CC forum have.

Hope you can find a solution to the problem

[ccmacey]

You can only contest a will if you are named in it. And if this was the old lady's wishes to get the cats PTS, then yes the vet would, just out of respect of what she wanted.

The best option is for you or your family to get them and if they need rehoming then that could be done later. I would stay away from the RSPCA as they might think the cats are too old to rehome and PTS anyway.

If the cats are old, how does this lady know they will out live her? It might be the other way around, unless she knows something about her health of course.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

I would avoid the RSPCA rehoming centre as well as they are notorious for putting healthy animals to sleep, despite their caring image.

I was thinking the same - And Especially old cats !!

[Mark]

I wouldn't condiser PTS as an option at all. I would avoid the RSPCA rehoming centre as well as they are notorious for putting healthy animals to sleep, despite their caring image. The smaller rescues will fight tooth and nail to keep an animal until it can be rehomed. She may think her cats would be unhappy without her but they can adjust and it's a better option than being murdered! - which premediated death is. (If an animal is sick and has por quality of life, it's another matter).

Surely she can be talked round. If your mum agreed to foster until a rescue could take them in?

Please let us know what happens.

[CurlyCatz]

Im not too horrified as this is often the case.
legally i'd strongly suspect you had no entitlement to contest her will.

From her point of view baring in mind she is elderly and the older generation often have a different view/ relationship with animals, I can see her point of view..she obviously loves and has cared for her 2 cats or they wouldnt be in such good condition at 15 years of age.  She must be worried that if the worst happened to her then her two cats would possibly be neglected/unloved/stuck in kennel somewhere and ultimately unhappy so i can understand why she has said she might do this. 
Of course she may not be aware that many older cats are found good homes and go on for the rest of however long they have and be very happy.
Is your mothers neighbour in good health ?? if so then its perfectly possible she will outlive her cats and all this worry is unnecessary but it may be more useful tactfully broaching the subject and suggesting that you find a "plan b" for her should she die or need hospitalisation etc .. this might be more useful for the old lady than thinking along the lines of contesting your mums neighbours will.

ps it would be the vets decision whether or not he put elderly cats to sleep under these circumstances but legally he is perfectly entitled to do so.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

In answer to the 2 questions
ok firstly -Yes alot of vets would put them to sleep if asked to do so. (someone told on here how they were in a vets when an old man wanted a dog put down as it was his wife wishes when she died and the vet did it)

Secondly i doubt you could contess the will.

I actually dont see a problem with your Mum and Dad taking these two in , if kept in for a couple of weeks they will prob except your parents home as home or could your Mum and Dad say they would have them and then find them new homes further away ?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Oh gosh - that's awful.

re your specific points

1.  Some would and some wouldn't.  A lot of vets would refuse or would say they had put them to sleep then try to rehome them.  But depending on the age and health of the cats, a lot would.

2.  Not sure you'd have any right to contest the will as cats are considered property and they are therefore her property to do with as she wishes.

I think in general it's an awful idea but there may be occasions when it's the lesser or 2 evils.  If a cat is elderly and timid, for example, the stress of going to a new home or a rescue may be too much and being put painlessly to sleep may be the best option.  But I don't think that is a very common scenario. 

Can your mum have a word with your neighbour and say that she will be responsible for rehoming the cats should the worst happen?  I'm not sure that living next door need be a barrier to your mum taking them in tbh.

[scattycat]

This is quite a difficult topic for me to type about but it’s something that I need to get off my chest as my mum, husband and I are horrified at what my mums neighbour is thinking of doing.

My mums neighbour, who is getting on now, lives on her own as her husband died 3 years ago. She has two cats (who are brothers) and I have known them for many years (at least 15 years) so they’re getting on too (though appear to be very fit and healthy).

Anyway, she is getting her will changed and she has said to someone that she’s concerned what would happen to the cats if she died, she’s worried who they would go to and if they would be happy etc. She did ask my parents if they would take them on, but living next door (as it’s a semi-detatached bungalow), they (and we) felt that it wouldn’t be fair on the cats, as it would be v.difficult to get them to see my mum & dad’s home as home (even though they do come in quite often).

My mum’s neighbour is now thinking of putting in her will that when she dies, that she wants the two cats put to sleep! I was (as was my husband) horrified when we heard my mum say this (who was too).

What are peoples thoughts on this – after all wouldn’t that be in theory the same as her now dead husband having in his will that he wants her ‘put to sleep’ – she wouldn’t like that so don’t see why she should take the lives of perfectly healthy cats either!

I do not know, but have a few queries on this matter :

1. Would a vet put two lovely healthy cats to sleep in the first place?

2. If she does do this, could I contest the will?

My mum is not sure if she should say anything to her (as my mum was told by someone else), but personally I don’t think I could bite my tongue!

I’ve told mum to tell her to put in her will that she wants to leave the cats to the RSPCA centre (and if that’s not possible, leave them to my mum and dad who would then take them to the RSPCA), and request that they are re-homed together not separate. I know (as we have re-homed 3 lovely cats from our RSPCA Centre in Norwich) that they do re-home cats as pairs, and that she shouldn’t worry about them not going anywhere nasty as they do do home visits, and that the neighbour shouldn’t think about doing what she is.

The two boys are absolutely lovely, my husband even said that if that’s the case we would at least have them and re-home them (in theory we cannot as we rent and have 3 cats already), but it’s just such an awful thought of a perfectly healthy cat being put to sleep just because the owner has died and doesn’t want the cat to go anywhere else.