RSPCA and cats

I'd have taken the poor thing in and fed and watered it, can't stand to see an animal in distress like that. Ive taken in chicks that have fallen from their nests before and fed them cat food on cotton buds (on RSPC advice) until they've collected them. Surely your wife should have had praise and thanks off them because she hadn't ignored an animal in need? Am probably coming across as a crazy animal/cat lady lol but I don't see that she did anything wrong???

Of course I'd do the same.

How did the RSPCA know? Did you call them? I don't understand why it's a problem to give water to a cat even if the owner was there and treating it perfectly well!

My wife is a mahhoosive cat lover. This cat had previously been a bit standoffish although when the chips were down, knew where the cat lovers were and came to us for help in a very hot period..... The wife did water and give the cat some food...although apparently according to the RSPCA, this was totally wrong...and she was given a rollicking for doing this....

Guess what...the RSPCA can do their own thing...we care for cats and will not see any of them suffer due to poor owners,,,,We have tendered a complaint to the RSPCA over their conduct. It makes you wonder how many felines have suffered due to these sort of crass guidelines they are spreading......

Wife did contact them due to the cats abandonment... being then told she was wrong to give it water by the inspector really upset her

I'm not a cat person but I'd have took it in and gave the owners a bollocking

Did they say why it was wrong? I am at a loss as to the reason?!

They said that because we had given him water, he wasn't suffering so they couldn't do anything, so stop helping and then when he went downhill, get back in contact as they could then take action (So where is the PREVENTION of cruelty???)

Surely the RSPCA should be bollocking the owners who abandoned their cat?! Glad you've complained about it

That is ridiculous.

Precisely!! Ohh my goshhh! What is wrong with people!?

Poor little mite, I always get upset when I hear of animal cruelty. I can't stand it. I am so appalled that the RSPCA did this

I hate this so much. Your wife gave a cat what it needed when its owners didn't. She got in trouble. Unreal!! They should have thanked her! So it would have been better to ignore it and let it get even worse in hot weather?! THAT is animal cruelty.

I don't understand people who are cruel to animals, i really don't.

We got our cat from a rescue place. After 7 years, his owner didn't want him any more. There had been loads of excuses about him being a fighter/hunter and violent etc. The rescue place told us all of this but we didn't care and took him home anyway.

I'm so glad we did, he is the most timid, cuddly cat ever. He is terrified of shoes, bags, taps, men, hoods. Which makes me think he has been kicked or hit for most of his life. He is really unsure and scared of everything. I don't know how after living with someone for 7 years they could just give him up.

I love animals but even if i didn't i would have still given a cat water/food. This is discouraging people from helping. Sorry for the rant this makes me angry!! Good on your wife by the way!!

If it were me...cat would have vanished overnight...straight into the comfort of my home. I will not see an animal suffer.

How awful. Your wife did what any decent person would and looked after thr lil dude. Our boy was rescued and was terrified of men and shoes, Im sure his old owners mistreated him.

I just can't understand leaving a cat for that long. Our friends do it and it makes me mad, especially as he's an indoor cat on his own.

Im sure people do it and it's fine but it would ruin my holiday if I knew my little ones were on their own for so long!

As for the RSPCA, what the dickens is that all about?! Your wife did what most normal people would do!

That is ridiculous.

I would do (and have done) the same thing as your wife. And I would also be giving the neighbours a piece of my mind when they return, not that that would do any good as I doubt anyone willing to leave an animal alone for a week will give a chuff what anyone has to say to them.

The RSPCA will also advise you to leave a stray where you find it, in the hope that it will return home on it's own accord. There was a heartbreaking case about a year ago when a lady found a starving and very skinny cat in the park. The RSPCA told her to return the cat to the park and it would go home by itself. The lady did as she was told and the starving cat was duly returned to the park. A fortnight later the lady had a flyer pushed through her door...much loved pet cat missing for 3 months... The lady rang the owners but the cat had vanished from the park by this time. I hope someone else took pity on that cat and took it home, without calling the RSPCA for advice!

That is so stupid. Of course you'd give the cat water.

Can you imagine if a children's charity or the police/fire/ambulance said the same thing. "No you shouldn't have saved that man from that burning building, he's not suffering anymore so we can't help..." ?

That is ridiculous, I cannot believe that's the standard advice that they give! That actually makes me mad. Poor kitty :-(

I may be wrong but weren't the RSPCA recently granted more powers to seize animals that were only 'at risk' of cruelty, even before the are subject to cruelty?

This just makes me wonder what on earth the world is coming too!

I always thought the P stood for prevention, maybe we haven't been made aware of the new EU definition of the word prevention...(or some other such nonsense!)

Only just caught up on this thread - how ridiculous! The RSPCA are actually useless, and the worst thing is I was reading an article yesterday that said people of Britain donate more money to the RSPCA than the NSPCC.

This thread has made me ?. My friend with a cat asks me to check in on him if she's away for a few days, let alone TWO WEEKS, and she has a flatmate to care for him too!

Why, why, why would you leave a cat completely alone for two weeks without anyone to check in?

That's a very interesting factoid. I'm sure there might be many reasons for preferentially donating to animal charities:

1. We are all animals - why does one animal (humans) deserve more protection than another (dogs)?

2. We live in a developed country with high levels of social care. Surely it is reasonable to demand that the protection of children be covered by central funding, not charitable giving?

3. People like dogs better than other people? ?

So true. Generally I do not like people.

I would donate to the Cats Protection League before the NSPCC any day.

I would always donate to local branches of the national charities, rather than the head office. There ARE branches of the RSPCA who do a wonderful job for the animals in their care and actually have very little to do with main RSPCA policies. Don't even get me started on some of the policies and outdated beliefs that the RSPCA (and Cats Protection League) head offices spout as gospel.

I refuse to support the nspcc.

I too would have fed and watered the cat, in fact I would probably have stolen it (have done this before). I'm in utter shock that the RSPCA would give such horrible advice.

I won't leave my cats overnight without my neighbour coming in to check them and give them a cuddle.

Of course you would feed and water the poor thing. I often feed next doors cat, let her in our shed if its raining, and give her a blanket when the silly cow of an owner goes on benders for 3 days and leaves her outside on her own. I would bring her in the house but her and Poppy hate each other!

I only let our neighbour over the road look after out cats as both her and her BF are as cat mad as us. They come into the house and spend a good hour or so with the mogs, make a fuss of them and talk to them etc. I couldn't leave them on their own- that poor pussycat must have been wondering what it did wrong to be left alone.

We're lucky to have a cat mad neighbour too. I feel so sorry for that poor wee cat

Thats digusting i carn't believe they just tell you to leave to poor thing! I would have taken him in and the oweners should have been done for abusing their pet! poor kitty x