My mothers cat is very old, we think it might have hyperthyroidism, so I took it to the vet and got it tested. The results havnt come back yet. But my mom doesnt seem like shed be willing to pay for the cats medication. I could take the cat in as my own, but I dont want to. I have severe anxiety, and cant handle the responsibility of a pet. I would ask family members first, but I was really considering taking it to the humane society. Its use to being outdoors during the day, and it would most likely be in a cage most of the time, but at least it would at least be getting medical care right? Am I a bad person for considering this?
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Would it be wrong if i took my mothers neglected cat to a no kill shelter
- Thread starter Nick1302
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Why don't you find a rescue? That way the cat can at least go to foster care and get some human contact. They would be people who care about cats and there are people out there who adopt older cats. My sister has an older girl whose family couldn't care for her any more and in the process of looking for a hard-to-adopt cat to adopt we found that there are people out there for many not-young-and-healthy cats. You'd be surprised.
It's illegal- pets are viewed as property, so taking the cat without your mom's knowledge/consent is considered theft. She could file a police report against you and/or sue you.
Maybe you could work something out with her to where you could pay for the cat's medication if she does have hyperthyroidism?
Maybe you could work something out with her to where you could pay for the cat's medication if she does have hyperthyroidism?
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What of she agreed to let me take it to the shelter, and I did that? Would it be wrong that I'd rather do that than for the meds?
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If she agreed, I would get it in writing and have you both sign, just to cover your own tail.
Whether it would be "wrong", I can't say for certain. You obviously care about the cat and want to see it well. If your mom is apathetic towards the cat and won't administer (fairly inexpensive) treatment, then yes, I would personally rather see the cat go to a place where it would be adequately taken care of. This is a conversation you need to have with your mother because there are factors in play that I (and people on this site) do not know about.
Maybe see if you could pay for the meds. If she refuses that AND allows you to seek new ownership for the cat, then ask people you know/friends of friends first. I would NOT recommend putting an ad on Craigslist, etc. because there are some awful people out there.
Whether it would be "wrong", I can't say for certain. You obviously care about the cat and want to see it well. If your mom is apathetic towards the cat and won't administer (fairly inexpensive) treatment, then yes, I would personally rather see the cat go to a place where it would be adequately taken care of. This is a conversation you need to have with your mother because there are factors in play that I (and people on this site) do not know about.
Maybe see if you could pay for the meds. If she refuses that AND allows you to seek new ownership for the cat, then ask people you know/friends of friends first. I would NOT recommend putting an ad on Craigslist, etc. because there are some awful people out there.
In my opinion it’s not your place to decide. There is no way to be sure if the cat will get adopted. If she doesn’t then we cannot know if she feel will worse at the shelter. If she does get adopted then we won’t be sure if the new house will take care of her well.
It IS wrong to not give the medicine, don’t get me wrong, but the cat still has an emotional bound to your mother and the living environment. It might be worse for her to change that and put her through all the stress. Worse emotionally, and medically too as stress affects physical health as well.
You can offer to pay for the medicine.
It IS wrong to not give the medicine, don’t get me wrong, but the cat still has an emotional bound to your mother and the living environment. It might be worse for her to change that and put her through all the stress. Worse emotionally, and medically too as stress affects physical health as well.
You can offer to pay for the medicine.
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- #8
I dont want to be at all responsible for the cat, besides finding it a home. Sounds bad, but yeah...
You need to have a discussion with your mother about rehoming the cat.
Well why not get the meds for the cat if the kitty needs meds..?????And try to find the kitty a home instead of taking to shelter n the poor kitty be in a cage!!!!!!!!!!!If ure mom agrees....
Well if ure mom AGREE find the kitty a home....NOT A SHELTER WITH A CAGE
So... Let me get this straight...
You say that you're concerned about your mother's cat but not concerned enough to take care of the cat yourself. So, instead, you want to uproot the cat from the home where she's lived all her life and throw her in a cage and put the whole matter out of your mind.
That's pretty heartless.
If you were really as altruistic as you pretend to be you would show some courage and offer to take the cat in instead of hiding behind excuses. Did you know that humans who bond with a cat have LESS anxiety?
Why don't you find another family member who can take the cat in? Even a distant relative... cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.
What about calling the Humane Society and ask for help finding the cat a new home?
What about a non-profit or privately run cat rescue?
C'Mon, buddy! Why don't you grow some hair on your chest? Huh?
So, what's really going on, here? Have you got some kind of beef going on between you and your mother? It sounds like you're trying to hurt your mother by stealing her cat.
Is this the same cat you were planning to euthanize in another message thread? What were you planning to do? Have the cat put to sleep on the sly then tell your mother that her cat ran away?
Why don't you butt out of your mother's business and just do nothing?
Cats just get hypothyroidism as they grow old.
You say that you're concerned about your mother's cat but not concerned enough to take care of the cat yourself. So, instead, you want to uproot the cat from the home where she's lived all her life and throw her in a cage and put the whole matter out of your mind.
That's pretty heartless.
If you were really as altruistic as you pretend to be you would show some courage and offer to take the cat in instead of hiding behind excuses. Did you know that humans who bond with a cat have LESS anxiety?
Why don't you find another family member who can take the cat in? Even a distant relative... cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.
What about calling the Humane Society and ask for help finding the cat a new home?
What about a non-profit or privately run cat rescue?
C'Mon, buddy! Why don't you grow some hair on your chest? Huh?
So, what's really going on, here? Have you got some kind of beef going on between you and your mother? It sounds like you're trying to hurt your mother by stealing her cat.
Is this the same cat you were planning to euthanize in another message thread? What were you planning to do? Have the cat put to sleep on the sly then tell your mother that her cat ran away?
Why don't you butt out of your mother's business and just do nothing?
Cats just get hypothyroidism as they grow old.
You also need to consider that some No Kill shelters euthanize non adoptable pets. And if this cat is old and sick, he might be labeled as such 
Thyroid meds are some of the cheapest there are. A month prescription for a person can cost as little as $10.00. Long term cost is not an issue when it costs less than a bag of food. There are initial costs of the testing to find the right levels and the vet charges. Once that is done the maintenance cost is minimal. That is if it is hypo thyroid, which is not enough, and the meds supplement to bring it up to normal. The symptoms of that include being overweight, sluggish, and a host of other things. If it is hyper thyroid then that means there is to much hormone. That can be harder to treat but you can get permanent one time solutions for that, but that doesn't sound like it's the problem from your description.
I don't think you would feel to great about things if you were treated as disposable and throw away if you developed some mild medical problem. I can imagine hearing your mom tell the doctor " I don't want to be bothered with that stuff, just put him down and be done with it. I can use the money for better things for me."
I don't think you would feel to great about things if you were treated as disposable and throw away if you developed some mild medical problem. I can imagine hearing your mom tell the doctor " I don't want to be bothered with that stuff, just put him down and be done with it. I can use the money for better things for me."
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Please just offer to pay for the meds. I think you can fairly afford it. It is what the cat needs most, and not to be transferred to another strange place and be confused especially at her/his age now. That cat needs a home where she/he will relax and be loved at her/his remaining years on earth.
What is the cat's name?
What is the cat's name?
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Your mother may need Cat more than you realize. I too, hope that you just pay for the meds and maybe help your mother with whatever else she needs. I'd give anything to have my mom back, it is very special opportunity you have to help your mother and truly your mothers face is the most beautiful one you will ever be so lucky to see. If helping her with Cat is the only thing you can do for her then do it, but when mom is gone you may wish she asked you to do so much more. Caretakers of parents are very lucky to have this time to grow closer, learn more. After all, they give us our very Life. God bless you dear, I hope you can look at this as a great opportunity. Once mom is gone, you do not want to have any regrets. Hindsight is 20/20. Be very careful with what you may not know.
The fact that you care enough to come here and ask questions I think speaks volumes. Not to mention taking him/her to the Vet. That's pretty wonderful. 
Have the tests come back yet for kitty? What's their name?
If your mom really doesn't want to care for the kitty and you really don't then I would spend the time finding a rescue group to help. A shelter is no place for a cat if it can be avoiding. Not that shelters are bad but cats don't do well confined like that and that makes it's harder. Shelters are the last resort IMHO. Even no-kill.
Take your time thinking it over all the options.
XOXOXO
If you need help, let us know whereabouts you live and someone here can probably help you find a rescue group that is close to you that can help.
PS - BTW I had two dogs with Thyroid issues. I don't know where it's like where you live but I had the vet write a prescription to take down to the pharmacy as the meds were cheaper.
Have the tests come back yet for kitty? What's their name?
If your mom really doesn't want to care for the kitty and you really don't then I would spend the time finding a rescue group to help. A shelter is no place for a cat if it can be avoiding. Not that shelters are bad but cats don't do well confined like that and that makes it's harder. Shelters are the last resort IMHO. Even no-kill.
Take your time thinking it over all the options.
XOXOXO
If the above is accurate I think that's not an option. Euthanizing for thyroid - yeah - no. There is no need for that. Find a rescue group to take kitty.
If you need help, let us know whereabouts you live and someone here can probably help you find a rescue group that is close to you that can help.
PS - BTW I had two dogs with Thyroid issues. I don't know where it's like where you live but I had the vet write a prescription to take down to the pharmacy as the meds were cheaper.
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Yes. He does.
I was going to answer his other message thread until I saw this one.
No, thyroid issues are absolutely not a good reason to euthanize a cat.
It's not like kidney failure or cancer or something like that. Cats can live with thyroid problems, just fine, if they are taken care of. In some cases, thyroid problems are transitory, meaning that they seem to go away by themselves.
Read here: Thyroid Hormone Deficiency in Cats | petMD
In my opinion, hypothyroid is just one of those things that happens to cats when they get old. It's a natural part of the aging process. This is how Mother Nature tells us that your cat is getting ready to pass on to the next life.
Your job as a cat's main human is to help her transition to the next life by making her as comfortable as possible until the time comes.
If the cat is in pain or otherwise suffering it MIGHT be reasonable to euthanize but, in this case, the cat is likely NOT suffering. She's just growing old.
O.P. mentioned that the cat lives out of a garage or something like that. Right?
What about making a nice place in the garage for the cat to stay where she can be warm, comfortable and well fed until she comes to the end of her road? Make her a nice bed to sleep in. Give her a "kitty condo" to live in. A clean box with the front cut out like a miniature dog house would fit the bill, nicely. Put some of her favorite food and some clean water nearby.
You should want your cat to know that she was loved and cared for in her old age before she passes on.
You SHOULDN'T want to uproot your cat from her home, throw her in a cage at some animal shelter until she dies or put her to sleep in some sterile hospital room. That's heartless!
Don't forget your mother. She probably understands that the cat is old and is coming to the end of her road. She might even understand that thyroid problems are just a symptom of aging. Maybe she's already trying to make the cat comfortable until she transitions.
I don't see any evidence that O.P. has even considered that. It only seems like he's fixated on taking his mother's cat away and killing her. Put the cat's issues aside for a moment and ask yourself, "Do you really want to hurt your mother like that?"
It's her cat. She's probably known this cat for a decade or more. It's been your mother's friend and companion for all that time. Now, you're planning to throw it all away?
That's some pretty selfish behavior.
I'm guessing that your mother is elderly, as well. If I was you, I wouldn't want there to be such a dark cloud over the last years of my relationship with my mother.
Consider this... If your mother is elderly and her cat is elderly... Maybe they are ushering EACH OTHER to the next life.
Taking the cat away, putting her into a shelter or euthanizing her is only turning a beautiful thing into pain and heartbreak.
I really hope u still have the cat...n gonna get the meds the kitty needs...N GONNA keep the kitty...And u need to reply to us members..out of respect u came on the site for help..Well u need to answer our questions..n keep us updated..In order for members to give accurate advice...Just saying...How old is ure mom??And how old is the kitty???
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