Can They Really Do This?

[Lilith]

Having read Opalfruit's thread about the attitude of the RSPCA towards FIV+ cats, I remembered this draft, which I wrote two years ago but never posted.

I know this ought to be in the FIV section but I wrote it originally for the cat chatting section and don't know how to change it over. Anyway. This is the story:-

Mr A was the father of a friend of mine, elderly and widowed, who lived with Blossom, who came to him as a kitten and who, although spayed, often brought her friends home. Her best friend ended up moving in.

Billy was scruffy, thin and un-neutered but loved his new home; he put on weight and condition and spent most of his time on Mr A's bed. However, after a while, he began to lose weight again and Mr A, concerned, and also thinking that Billy really ought to be neutered, took him to his vet.

This is one of those franchised surgeries; it isn't in my home town and I've never visited it, so have no personal axe to grind. Their immediate response was encouraging; they said that they 'knew' Billy, and 'recognised' him as a local 'stray'. They even said that they'd neuter him free of charge. Mr A was quite prepared to pay for any treatment, but thought this was a kind offer, and left him there.

The next thing was a phone call. Billy had enlarged kidneys and was in poor health. Furthermore, they had done blood tests - again free of charge but before they'd consulted Mr A, who as Billy's new owner, SHOULD have been consulted beforehand - and Billy had been found to be FIV positive.

They said that in view of the kidney disease, Billy ought to be euthanased, in case he collapsed while roaming and died a painful death from kidney failure. Good point, but by now Billy, although he did go out sometimes, was virtually a house cat.

They also said that in view of the FIV, it WAS AGAINST THE LAW to release him back into the community as FIV is 'so contagious'. (I think they were getting FIV mixed up with FeLV.) Therefore they had had no choice but to put him to sleep.

In view of the kidney disease this may have been a wise decision, or there again, might it have been possible to treat Billy and neuter him and give him a few more years of happy life? And what gets me is the very high-handed 'against the law' bit.

I realise it's not ideal for an FIV+ cat to roam in a built-up community, but Billy wasn't doing much roaming and furthermore Mr A was prepared to get him neutered. There doesn't seem to have been any evidence of his fighting.

Mr A mourned Billy and felt as if he sent him to his death. He always said that he wished he'd never taken him to be neutered.

Mr A died earlier this year at the age of 90; hopefully he's been reunited with Billy and all the other cats and dogs in his life.

But - can vets really do this?

Be careful out there!

[bobbys girl]

speechless

[catslave16]

Sorry - so tired at the moment am crying at the drop of a hat.
I think people who do not treat animals right, out of stupidity, ignorance, cruelty, or indeed from sheer arrogance, are the lowest of the low. We should be judged by how we treat those less powerful than ourselves.

[Lilith]

I know, Bobbys girl, it IS unbelievable. But it happened. I should have added, Billy was very elderly too, and I wonder if that's another reason why they wrote him off, poor guy. I used to know someone who once looked at one of my feral toms when he was considering moving in and said, 'oh he's old, why bother about him?' She's 72 ... wonder if she'd agree if anyone said that about her, eh? And though I say it myself, that cat bounced back with food and shelter and proper care. Took years off him.

Aww sorry Catslave, didn't mean to make you cry ... I do have some good news though. Mr A died at the end of January and since then my friend has been going to her Dad's house twice a day to look after Blossom, but the house has just sold and she's been worried sick about Blossom's future; she lives in a small garden-less house with a dog who's not socialised with cats although she hopes to move to a larger house with a garden where there would be space to keep the dog and cat apart until they were settled. She was looking into getting Blossom fostered; she has contacts in cats' rescue, and has just been offered a home which sounds absolutely brilliant - in the same village too, so she can keep in touch, so I'm hoping this is it and wishing Blossom all the best

[bobbys girl]

Ooh I hope so too.

[Lilith]

Arrangements are going ahead - paws crossed

[catslave16]

Love, fusses and good wishes to Blossom - paws crossed indeed.

[Lilith]

Thanks, Blossom goes to her new home (all being well) this week; her new owner is a friend of a cat rescue worker and highly recommended, couldn't be better, and my friend (Mr A's daughter) will be able to keep in touch as they are in the same village, will update

[Lilith]

A Blossom update -

There were a couple of delays but she went to her new home yesterday, and has been totally laid back; she's not hiding; she's eating and using her tray and I've seen a video of her enjoying head-strokes, rolling about and nibbling her new owner's hand.

Early days yet and she has yet to integrate with the rest of the household of course, but a very good start

[bobbys girl]

So pleased for her.

[booktigger]

Fantastic news

[BabyBerlioz]

That's super!

[meriad]

excellent news - so pleased for Blossom, but esp your friend. It must be such a weight off her shoulders.

[Lilith]

Yes, it's great; when I see all the sad appeals on here for new homes, and read about cats who've been in shelters for months or even years, for Blossom to find a perfect home in the same village. She's still doing well, I hear, but my friend is very torn as she's been looking after her for over 3 months, and it feels like losing a last link with her father, who she loved dearly. His house is close by, so she'd visit twice a day and spend some time with Blossom, who also had free access to the outside (it's a quiet area with good neighbours) during the day (and often brought friends back; a couple of times a 'stowaway' was discovered in the morning, having spent the night. So although she must have missed Mr A, Blossom still had company, activity and love. And now she has company and love all the time, but it was a big wrench for my friend, who'd been hoping to move house and keep her.

However she can still go and see Blossom, and keep in touch

[Mayday21]

Hi Lilith just read the post. So pleased Blossom's being rehomed & MrA's daughter still will have the connection to her dad. Tell her fusses to Blossom from me way over here. Vivian

[Lilith]

Thanks Vivian - fusses passed on

She's still settling well - the door to her room is open and she comes out and even walks past the dogs (though she's never lived with a dog before.) Apparently the dogs don't give her a second glance - oh, another cat ... zzzzzz ...

[Janey]

Great news for Blossom and things have turned out well all round.