Cat Rescue

[GSDElsa]

OK. I'm sort of looking for opinions. A friend of mine jsut spent a few minutes hysterically crying and screaming at me because of the cat her and her husband just rescued (ok...really because I wasn't on her "side", but the topic is the cat).

I'll start off saying she is a good and responsible person and genuinely thinks she's "right".

On Friday night, they brought home a little kitten that is some mixed breed prone to all kinds of problems, which they are most than happy to accomodate. Well, the cat wasn't peeing or pooping and was having accidents while it was sleeping. By Sat night they took the cat to the E-vet and then Monday to the regular vet and found out it likely has incontinence and some kind of digestive problem where it can't poop properly because of missing vertebre....sounds like it is PROBABLY a neurological issue.

At this point, they don't really know for sure. The cat is on anti-biotics....I said how do you know ione of the problems is not a UTI since the vet has it on meds....she says that it probably isn't because of the missing vertebre (the vet said "this cat shouldn't be able to walk" yet it plays and is all other ways "normal"). It's not eating so I said maybe she's just super constipated and that's why she can't poop (she said the cat got an IV so if it was that she should be pooping).

If it is some kind of neurological issue, the cat will have to have diapers the rest of her life. My friend says keeping a cat alive and making it wear diapers it's whole life is inhumane. Which is a whole other issue....

But, she's already called the rescue and said the cat will probably have to be put down. And the rescue is saying no way in heck are you doing anything to that cat...you give it back to us. She's saying she doesn't want to give the cat back because it's not humane to keep it alive if that's the problem.

Welll...........she called me apparently for support with her decision. I told her I can't say whether the cat should or should not continue to be alive because I really don't know anything about it, but that I completely understand that the rescue doesn't want to let you do that (um, hello?! You've had the cat 4 days) because they can't trust your opinion on what's best and need to evaluate it themselves. I basically said the rescue doesn't know you from Joette and why should they trust that you know the best thing to do with the cat without re-evauating it and having their vet look at it?

That set off a hysterical tyrade filled with all kinds of curse words. I won't hold that against her...I know it's stressful dealing with this...I'm more curious about that issue as a whole. I don't think it's odd at all that the rescue is insisting that she return the cat. She is REALLY digging her feet in about it.

So what would the general consensus be in dog rescue and to what extent would the rescue go to get the animal back before it gets put down (if it comes to that...she's not saying for SURE that's what they are going to do)? I'm pretty sure she did sign a contract...but doesn't seem interested in upholding it at this point.

I know for a FACT this issue is not about cost or time that this cat would require. She's a very compassionate person. She just genuinely thinks that she can make a better choice than the rescue and doesn't want to put the ball back in their court.

[Daisy1986]

She has to return the cat to the rescue.

I do not think they are going to sue or anything if she puts it down. She is probably right in putting it down. (Some will disagree). They probably do not have the funds to sue, sadly.

I go all over the place about the humane factor. Even more now with all the shelters and rescues so full. Just found out today that a JRT mix I personally rescued, is sick AGAIN. Because it is being kept in boarding.

I thought it would have a foster home. The first time she got KC she got pneumonia. Now she has it again. Makes me so upset. It has been there for 5 months. Only in a home when she almost died and was spayed. What kind of life is that? Kills me. She is such a velcro doggie.

Just like GSD's do you think they do well in boarding? I do not...but they are kept there all the time for months. I ask myself all the time, is just alive good enough? It is a hard question. I think it is a case by case situation.

You are right 4 days is not long enough, she needs to let the rescue decide.

[Myamom]

She needs to RETURN the kitten. She signed a legal and binding contract. Yes...I have known rescues to take legal action against those not upholding the terms of their agreement...absolutely. I have also known rescues to go to the home to recover the animal...escorted by the authorities.

on a personal note...I'm sure it can't sit well with the rescue to hear that a cat they only adopted out 4 days ago...now needs to be euthanized...I certainly understand why they want him returned...so he can get a full work up, second opinion..etc.

[dd]

One thing I would say is that the cat needs a second opinion on his condition. You might want to point out to your friend that it's possible her vet is wrong, since he believes that the cat shouldn't be able to walk - but can. How bad would she feel if she had a cat euthanised whose condition is in fact treatable?

She needs to return the animal to the rescue ASAP.

[BowWowMeow]

Return the cat, no ifs, ands or buts. The rescue wants to do right by the cat, as they should.

My friend had a cat whose verterbrae were damaged and so he was fecal incontinent and wore a diaper. He had a great quality of life and she cherished him. He died suddenly and she was heartbroken.

[Chicagocanine]

If she signed a contract she must return the cat to the rescue.
I've heard of a number of cats with this problem who live long happy lives. It's actually fairly common (the combination of incontinence and difficulty defecating) in tailless cats as sometimes the vertebrae and pelvis do not develop properly.

[kshort]

Absolutely 100% agree with everyone. There are lots of incontinent animals out there (if indeed that's really the problem) who have loving homes willing to attend to their special needs. I suppose if someone saw my Lucy when she was a kitten, they would have thought it was cruel to keep her alive. She had the worst eye infections I've ever seen. In addition, she was born with cerebellar hypoplasia which causes very spastic, jerky movements – to the point that many CH kitties have limited motion in their legs. She's thriving today at the age of 4. Her eyes get goopy sometimes and we use drops for that. Her balance has improved amazingly over the years. She hops instead of running, sometimes she loses her balance when she's trying to do something, when she runs, her rear end goes faster than the front end and she ends up tumbling. But she’s right back up and hopping again. She's happy, healthy and I can't imagine that someone would have made that decision before giving her a chance. Luckily, in Lucy's case, they didn't.

She is absolutely obligated to give the kitten back to the rescue. If she doesn't give the kitten at least that chance, then she should be ashamed of herself. The kitten is not dying because of this condition, so she doesn't get to make that choice. She's not only morally obligated to the kitten, but legally obligated to the rescue to return the kitten.

I could go on and on, but won't. I hope she makes the right choice.

[DorianE]

I had a manx kitten that had a similar problem as it sounds this one might have. It was a natural born bobbed tail kitten and was missing the final vertibra that helped closed the muscles around the anus itself and so as a kitten it leaked. It did outgrow this condition though in a few months. Was one of the best cats ever! We fostered him for a few months and then he found a home. I was notified a few months later he was hit by a car. It was so devasting!

I understand what the rescue is saying as well. How many of us would question an animal being with someone 4 days and they contacting us saying it needs to be pts.

Bottom line, there is still a chance it wont have to be in diapers for a long period of time or that there may be something else that can be done. How many times have we seen these GSD come through with NO hope and yet they adapt and survive to thrive! I agree, being alive is not good enough! If this was a child, would it even be up for discussion??

[Alto]

Quote: On Friday night, they brought home a little kitten that is some mixed breed prone to all kinds of problems, which they are most than happy to accomodate. Well, the cat wasn't peeing or pooping and was having accidents while it was sleeping. By Sat night they took the cat to the E-vet

OK this did not JUST happen in your friend's home - I believe the rescue had a number of kittens kept communally & never noticed the issues this particular kitten was having.
Unless the rescue was able to prove that the kitten had been vetted recently before adoption, I'd refuse to relinquish the kitten back to the rescue; regardless, the kitten would go straight to a vet & documents signed that this kitten would indeed continue to remain under vet care until it was eating, drinking, peeing, poohing (incontinent or not).
Kittens are capable of amazing recovery so I would not euthanise this kitten regardless of current vet opinion - there is alot to try first.

OTOH if this kitten is a Manx cross, the vet may be correct in his assesment that this is as good as the kitten will ever feel, & quality of life will continue to degrade until euthanisia is the only humane option ... still not a decision I'd make without giving the kitten a chance at a miracle (weeks - months depending on kitten's age & progression of condition).

As for legal, depends on what is in the adoption contract? also, if the kitten was receiving no vet care while at the rescue, then I'd be calling for a cruelty investigation.

There have been a few local cat rescues "raided": absolutely beyond doubt that most of those poor cats & kittens would've been better humanely euthanised (before ever entering these rescues) than to have suffered as they did - doors/windows were locked so none could escape, conditions were unimaginable.

Consequently I have no difficulty conceeding that possibly your friend is indeed rescueing this kitten from the "Rescue".

[GSDElsa]

Originally Posted By: Alto

OK this did not JUST happen in your friend's home - I believe the rescue had a number of kittens kept communally & never noticed the issues this particular kitten was having.
Unless the rescue was able to prove that the kitten had been vetted recently before adoption, I'd refuse to relinquish the kitten back to the rescue

OTOH if this kitten is a Manx cross, the vet may be correct in his assesment that this is as good as the kitten will ever feel, & quality of life will continue to degrade until euthanisia is the only humane option ... still not a decision I'd make without giving the kitten a chance at a miracle (weeks - months depending on kitten's age & progression of condition).

Consequently I have no difficulty conceeding that possibly your friend is indeed rescueing this kitten from the "Rescue".

Yes, it was a litter of cats together...so I guess it was "communal" in that sense. The woman actually DID think there might be a problem because it didn't seem like her poops were "big" enough when she did see her go...but DID take her to the vet and for some reason the vet didn't think she needed x-rays (not sure of the details, but my friend said that the current vet got the records from the last vet visit, so I know it happened).

I believe the rescue is pretty reputable. The woman only keeps about 5 cats at a time (maybe that's a lot--I don't know--not a cat person). And my friend is the type to do a lot of research.

Now that a couple people said "manx"..yes! It's a siamese/manx cross. It sounds like it is common since people zeroed in on it right away. And it sounds like my friend is being a bit premature either way since she might grow out of the issue. I guess the "humanity" of this situation depends on whether you think that a cat in diapers is cruel and unusual or not. Her exact words were "it's inhumane to put a cat in diapers--they are clean animals--I won't let the rescue keep it alive."

What I'm HOPING is that she's being melodramatic. Love her, but she likes to get worked up about things. Not necessarily to get attention...just something she does (for instance, a mutal friend has cancer and it spread to the liver about 6 months ago....she went around to everyone we know declaring "how serious this is...she's going to die within a few months". Cancer ridden friend is not free and clear, but is doing quite well all things considering).