After this thread in the Pit, I need to know what the appropriate steps are when one feels that animals are being neglected.
Long story short: My neighbors are whacked. There’s a divorce, two juvenile delinquent teenage girls, one younger boy who roams the neighborhood alone sometimes, and a mother who doesn’t seem to care what her children do. They have a cat - a very sweet cat who’ll come over to my yard and want to be pet(ted?). About two-three months ago, she had kittens because this mother wasn’t responsible enough to spay her. Now there are anywhere from 3-5 kittens running around - I’m not sure of the exact number. I saw them scavenging for food yesterday afternoon in the front yard and it about broke my heart. They are bony and thin and look nothing like what kittens that age should look like.
Am I within my rights to gather up these kittens and the momma cat and take them to my vet? I know he will take kittens and try to find homes for them. I can’t have a kitten right now as I’m living with my parents and we have five cats (all very well-loved). If I can see that these animals are being neglected, should I take them? I’d leave food out for them, but I don’t want them to rely on me and when I move out in three months, lose their source of food. I’ve thought about offering to pay to have Momma Cat spayed, but that still leaves the problem of these kittens. I just don’t want to set myself up to get in trouble for doing something about them.
That’s a tough one. I regularly care for cats and kittens because they just wander into my place (unless there’s a kitty message board where my addy has been posted), but in my case it’s mutual acceptance.
IANAL but I’m guessing that pets are considered property, and you’d be in a bad position if you took them, e.g. theft.
You could offer to take over care of the brood queen and babies, but if the offer is rejected, you’re stuck, and your hand is tipped.
I think I know what I’d do, and I believe you do, too.
Call the ASPCA in your area or other animal shelter. They will tell you what you can legally do (probably file a complaint of animal neglect which is criminal most places in the US). Hopefully someone will then come collect the cats and put them up for adoption to homes that need them.
If the police/shelter/ASPCA indicate that the cat/kittens will likely be euthanized then I probably wouldn’t do that.
We can’t tell people here to do illegal things. Maybe the cough owner would be willing to take the animals to a no-kill shelter where they will hopefully be adopted. Does the owner realize that cats left to themselves might run away never to be seen again?
Call your local humane society or animal control, explain the situation and let them handle it. Stress the ‘bony’ ‘searching for food’ aspect.
If you do anything to, or for, the cats without the owners permission you could be in serious doodoo if they are the vengeful type. You could be sued or worse for being helpful.
There are also pet resue organizations around to find homes for neglected kittens.
So you have neighbors who neglect thier children; Children that you have described as “delinquient”; Children likely to grow up and continue the cycle, and you’re worried ABOUT SOME @&#^&(*& KITTENS.
Try helping the family. I hear cats can be very soothing and help mend broken hearts.
Yeah, I’m worried about the kittens. I don’t know the family that well - they’ve lived there for years, but I hardly ever see the mother. The children are there about half the week- they split time between this house and their father’s house. If I thought these kids were being abused, I’d do something immediately. But as it is, you can’t exactly call social services because a teenage girl smarts off to adults on the street and a little boy (about six) is playing in his front yard while his sister ignores him from the front porch, but is still technically caring for him (although there have been times I’ve seen him riding his bike with other older kids from the neighborhood, his sisters nowhere in sight)- they’re fed and clothed. My parents have caught the oldest girl sneaking into our house once when a lock was broken(she didn’t break it) but can’t prove that she took anything, so they can’t exactly do anything about that. What exactly is it that you suggest I do? I have the ability to do something for the kittens; whereas I don’t have that ability with the children. Any social agency would more than likely tell me that they have bigger fish to fry than these kids. I do talk to them when I see them out, and I do spend a few minutes talking to the little boy when I see him (he likes our driveway as a hill for his skateboard), but in the eyes of the law, they’re being cared for - unlike these kittens.
To everyone else, thanks. I didn’t think of calling the SPCA mainly because I don’t want the kittens to be euthanized. As long as I know they won’t be out here immediately to get the kittens, I’ll call them. And I’ll make my offer to the mom to have the mama cat spayed - maybe she’ll accept that so at least this can’t happen again.
Oh geeze…not again. This really sucks, Ava. I hope you can find a good solution for the problem. It sounds like the famiily doesn’t give a shit for their animals.
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I’m glad that you got a little more time with Izzy and Hurricane. Every moment is precious, remember that. Remember…when they go, it’ll be their time and they’ll be waiting for you on the far side of Rainbow Bridge.:){{{HUGGS}}}
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Thanks, IDBB. Actually, that’s sort of coming to a head again, and I think it’s why I’m so concerned about these kittens right now - I’m partially trying to take my mind off of what I know is coming and while I know there’s nothing else I can do for my two, maybe I can keep those little ones safe. Hurricane is quickly becoming emaciated again, and poor Izzy just doesn’t want to move because it hurts her. When I feed them, I have to put the food right under Hurricane’s nose so he can see it, but he still only eats a bite or two and walks away. And Izzy won’t even move from the spot she’s in to get to her food - whereas before, if she saw food coming, she was there immediately. So I have to take her food to her, and she just gives me this pitiful little look. I know what’s happening and it’s just breaking my heart. I keep telling myself I’m ready to let them go, but then I see them and I can’t.
It really means a lot to me that you’ve remembered them. Thanks.
Given how little concern this neighbor shows for her kittens (much less her kids!), I doubt she would even notice if you quietly gather up the kittens one night and delivered them to your Vet to find new homes. It’d probably take several days, at least, before she notices.
You could also take the mother cat in to be spayed, and then return her 3 or 4 days later, when she is recovered from the surgery. Plan on getting enticing the mother cat into your house and giving her the prescribed antibiotics each day for the next week or so. From your description, that shouldn’t be to hard to do.
And if your neighbor ever does say something about the mother cat being gone for 3-4 days, and the kittens disappearing, just say “Oh, I suppose she took them to live with their father.” That might seem perfectly logical to this neighbor of yours!
