Hi everyone, this is my first post for a long, long time, hope all are happy and healthy.
I'm in a bit of a fix ... it's a bit of a long story so please bear with me....
My next door neighbour, let's call her Chavette, is the worst sort of neighbour you can imagine. But worst of all, she doesn't look after her pets properly. Let's ignore for a minute the large male cat (neutered, luckily) which she doesn't ever feed and never lets in (another neighbour feeds him), and the Rottweiler shut in the back garden with piles of her own poo, who is never taken for a walk. The RSPCA have been informed about them, but Chavette is a serial liar and they can't force entry to her back garden, and I suspect she denied she even owns poor old Tango (the cat).
Chavette has a third pet - a little black female with a long, bushy tail called Roxy. She's a sweetheart, but she and my Shanti don't see eye to eye and swear at each other at the catflap, usually when Roxy is trying to get in to eat my cats' food. I and my other neighbours strongly suspect that Chavette doesn't feed Roxy, or at least, doesn't feed her properly or often enough, but we can't prove a thing. Except that Roxy devours my cats' biscuits as if she were starving. I try not to let her in, though, as Shanti gets very upset.
Anyway, I've been trying and trying to get Chavette to get Roxy spayed, I've offered to take her to PDSA (I can't afford her vets bills on top of my own cats) but she hasn't made an appointment, and now, of course, guess what, surprise surprise, the inevitable has happened. I'm not sure how far along Roxy is, but she has a barrel for a belly.
Now, I didn't mention that I already had concerns about her because Chavette's two boys (kids) kick and punch poor old Roxy. So anyway, Chavette calls on me to ask me if I know anybody who would like a kitten for a tenner ....
Which is when I was certain that Roxy was pregnant. After a short bout of thought, I went next door and said I had concerns, particularly about the way her kids treat the poor cat. I told her that she should be keeping her in, providing potential snug, safe cosy spaces she can choose from to have her litter away from the kids, feeding her kitten food, etc etc. None of that happened of course. Eventually, Chavette came and asked me if I would take Roxy in until her kittens were born as she had decided that she couldn't trust her boys around her. What could I do? Muggins here agreed. I couldn't bear to think of poor Roxy having to cope with that kind of environment. But I said to Chavette that if she didn't provide the cost of food for Roxy, or if things didn't work out one way or another, then perhaps she should think of giving her up to Cats Protection. She sort of agreed, I think.
Well today I went to collect Roxy, and i've put her in my large spare room to prevent interaction with my cats, given her three snug spaces, litter, scratch post, etc. What worried me is that when I asked Chavette for Roxy's food, she said she'd 'run out' and that she had no money to buy any.
So exactly what was she going to feed her until Monday (when she gets her benefits)? I am so cross! And I am so lumbered. I don't exactly have a disposable income at the moment, I'm working contract but that could end at any time ... I could be in the same boat as Chavette if I don't get a permanent job soon. But now it seems most likely that I'm going to have to fork out for Roxy's upkeep. Roxy and Shanti have been swearing at each other through the door, but I'm hoping it will settle down soon, because there's no way I can let her go, especially as bonfire night is almost apon us. I phoned CP to ask for advice, but they couldn't do anything at all as they are full to the brim. So I phoned the RSPCA (Not my first choice) who were very sympathetic, it has to be said, and said that if I wanted to rehome Roxy I'd have to get signed permission from Chavette.... and that they had no space whatsoever at the moment. [edit] I should also mention that whilst Roxy is affectionate when she's relaxed, she will actively attack if she doesn't like something or feels threatened. She's already caused a nasty infection in my arm!
So that is my story, I don't know how things are going to work out, and I don't know what to do. I'm stuck with a pregnant cat who is going to need expensive kitten food (once I've built up her tolerance for richer food), potentially vets bills (although I really hope not) and the possibility of WW3 breaking out in the meantime, not to mention Roxy going into labour. And nowhere for me to take her if things don't work out, financially or otherwise.
So, do any of you lovely people have any advice please?
Sorry for the long post!
