RIP the ginger tom

I opened it to see the poorly ginger toms owner stood there, I knew their cat was ok as he'd been sat on my doorstep again a few minutes earlier, but he wanted to know if I'd been feeding him as he was refusing food at home. I couldn't deny it but told him his cat only got common or garden Whiskas Supermeat, nothing exotic or expensive, and as luck had it, I had a tin open so I could show him.

It's strange that he's refusing food at home as they give him the cheaper stuff like Whiskas or Felix I can only get two flavours locally, chicken and rabbit, so maybe they're buying flavours he doesn't like. I told him I'd stop feeding his cat if he wanted, but he said no, as long as he was getting food it was ok, which is just as well, as I told his owner he was sat on my doorstep virtually every morning from at least 6am waiting for breakfast, and would sit there for hours till I fed him.

I made a point of saying his cat couldn't have long left, but he told me as long as it was happy and able to do the normal cat things, he'd let him carry on.

Ian

Ooooooh I would have felt guilty for all of 2 seconds. No one can refuse a sick cat a meal, but at least your conscience is clear, his owner knows and hasn't objected. At least he's still going home, that's something isn't it.
Not sure about the *long as it was happy and able to do the normal cat things, * he'd leave him, just what has to happen?, I suppose, he's eating and doing the rounds, so he is able, but it must be heartbreaking to watch him deteriorate so much.

Hi Kath,

I didn't tell him his cat really wanted to come in but I'd stopped him, just in case he said I could have him Mind you, the first thing I'd do is get him to the vets and in all probability have him pts.

His owner told me they had two black cats besides this ginger tom, but when they got a fourth the two black cats just disapeared (kinds reminded me of Bola and his mum tbh) and wouldn't it be ironic if Bola was really their cat ?

Ian

Aye, seconded, you have a clear conscience, feed him up! LOL! As for not feeding anything exotic, does that begium/swedish co op food not count
I guess at least he cared enough to make sure GT was getting fed and was eating. In some ways its a shame he didn't just sign GT over to you as we all know that you would do the right thing by him. Part of me thinks that if GT isn't at home much, it could be an out of sight out of mind thing, that he must be out prowling having fun, so its prob more a dose of stupidity his owner has rather than not wanting to pay for him to be pts. Still sad, but as he's came to your door, he's effectively giving you permission to go to his, so if you see any obvious signs of him really suffering you can let him know that perhaps the time has come.

LOL! I'm terrible, I had to suppress a snigger at the thought of Bola perhaps originally being theirs! hahahaha

Well, I've got to be honest, this bloke is either a bit slow or he was *on something* yesterday, he could barely get a sentence out while talking to me, and as their house has a reputation for drug dealing I think that was the most likely reason.

His cat only gets cheap food here Helen, plus the odd treat at weekend. He loves raw mince, but he only gets that when mine do so he can't have got used to eating it. I told his owner to try giving him raw meat, they're a big-ish family so there's bound to be some meat going spare, even if it's only the fatty bits they'd normally throw away. All they have to do is cut it off before cooking and put it to one side.

He's on my doorstep atm, tucking into some Whiskas Supermeat, I think he's one of those rare cats who isn't keen on meat in jelly. That said, he's not eating as much now, it could be that he's just losing his appetite as the cancer is progressing.

If he did sign him over to me I'd be straight to the vets and I'm pretty sure I know what I'd do.

Ian

LOL! I'm terrible, I had to suppress a snigger at the thought of Bola perhaps originally being theirs! hahahaha

Oh Ditto !!! LOL
A dense drughead, poor cat doesn't stand a chance. I just hope that one day soon he clears his head long enough to really see how his poor cat is, just doesn't seen right , cruel tbh.

He drives Kath, so he can't be that dim witted, and speaking of cars, they've got a brand new 7 seater so money can't be an issue for them regarding vet bills. It's likely they've got the car thro' his wife being disabled, but they've still got to run it and he uses it daily.

It's unlikely, but just possible, Bola was theirs, you never know

Ian

For the first time in ages this cat wasn't sat on my doorstep when I got up today, mind you, the weather was so bad overnight/today he'll have gone home if he's any sense at all. It's just stopped raining after persisting it down since the early hours, not that it stopped Fudge staying out all night or Bola going out on a frog hunting expedition.

Ian

WEll frogs will be plentiful with all that rain, as for Fudge staying out all night she is in for one .

There's no doubt the poor lad has a dodgy stomach atm. He had a poo in the garden just after lunch and he farted, I heard it even tho' I was at the opposite end of the garden, tbh, it sounded like someone ripping carpet, it's a wonder he didn't disembowel himself

Laughing aside, there's definitely something amiss with his digestive system, even without hearing the above it's hard not to notice. I just hope hie owners have as well.

Ian

The poor old sod is coughing and barking away on my doorstep atm. He wants to eat but can't, hopefully it's just another coughing fit, but I've got my doubts, his eyes make him look ill today

Ian

Oh what a picture that conjured up. Poor thing, his owners are really p'ing me off now, no way should he be left to suffer like this, and I don't for one minute believe he's not in pain, cancer is pain. God it's so sad.

I've just given him the fat from some sliced cooked pork, he almost snatched my hand off to get it, but he still can't eat it. It's like he's full of a cold and just can't help sniffling and coughing, tho' with him having cancer I expect his immune system is at best impaired somewhat. Very sad to see him like this.

Ian

I got back from shopping just now and found him hunched over on the lawn, completely still I thought he'd died, and part of me hoped he had tbh, but no, as soon as he became aware I was there he came round and trotted after me wanting to come in.

On the bright side he seems to have stopped coughing, at least for now, and his eyes are bright again, but surely his owners have got to do something about him soon? Jeez, I'd willingly chip in towards having him PTS if money really is a problem for them, even tho' it's not that expensive to have done. I would have thought the money they've saved on food by his eating here must help towards the cost.

Ian

they can afford it, if they're into drugs, money is no problem. I just think they're selfish ans dense.

He finally stopped coughing long enough to eat, so there's nothing major stopping him chewing and swallowing atm, in fact he tore into a bit of raw chicken like he'd not seen food for a month. I'm still not convinced there isn't *something* wrong with his mouth/throat tho', the old fella was ravenous but couldn't eat and I can't see that just being down to him coughing so much.

Ian

My heart is torn for this poor fella. I love the fact that he can still enjoy the simple things of life, like raw chicken etc, but so sad, that he is so weak and struggles to do so. It must be bloody hard for you to see Ian.

Such a shame, poor fella. It sounds like he's taking quite some comfort from you Ian, keep doing what you're doing Ian and bless you for it.

I've not seen him at all today, and the state he's in there's little point in hoping he's ok. The best I can hope for is that his owners have seen sense at last and at least taken him back to the vets/had him pts as I really don't like the thought of him just crawling off somewhere to die as cats sometimes do.

Ian

He wasn't here this morning either so who knows what's happened? He didn't visit for months at one point, but the cancer wasn't as advanced then and he's gone downhill since, so without wanting to sound cruel, I now hope he's been pts.

Ian

oh so do I, as you say the thought of him crawling off somewhere to die, is unthinkable and sad.

Teddy wrote:oh so do I, as you say the thought of him crawling off somewhere to die, is unthinkable and sad.

As he was coughing so much here, I hope he's not had a choking fit somewhere with nobody around to see or help. There's still no sign of him, so I'm really hoping his owners have done the kindest thing they could do.

Ian

do you ever see his owners wandering around so that you could casually stroll over all non chalant and ask them? am so curious now.

Very rarely Kath, other than the time he knocked on my door it's every blue moon I see them. I might get a glimpse as they head for their car, but they would have gone before I had time to get outside and speak.

I'll find out what, if anything, has happened to him soon enough.

Ian

Let us all know asap Ian. Poor fella, we just want him to be happy and at peace, no longer feeling weak and sick.