I keep seeing this white fluffy cat with scabby, pus filled eyes and a bloated figure limping around my neighbourhood. Our area has a lot of cats, mostly with homes, and some without.. I see this cat all the time and it breaks my heart because he is in bad shape. If someone owns him/her and they read this… PLEASE don’t let that poor kitty out! S/he’s pretty much blind and shouldn’t be out in the cold all the time!
I’ve called Animal Control to come get him/her and s/he disappeared for a while, so I thought they were able to take him/her in for treatment. Now the cat is back and I’m thinking maybe the owner just got a slap on the wrist? Or the cat has been in hiding. Now I’m carrying my camera around so I can get a photo of this poor feline, and I want to get it some help. PLEASE, if you see a bedraggled, dirty, white feline on Young street (just before Oxford), call the SPCA, Animal Control, catch it, feed it, pet it, show it some love..
I realize we can’t save every stray out there but this little guy has been here for ages..
—Crazy cat lady
This article appears in Mar 5-11, 2009.
call again! and again! SPCA officers will realize that this animal is not properly being cared for since you will have made multiple complaints and hopefully they’ll take it until someone responsible can adopt it 🙁
I’ve actually got them on speed dial, but usually when I see the poor thing its when I’m on my way to work and don’t have the time to sit and wait with him!
Jesus what a sad story for a poor kitty. Items like this break my heart. PEOPLE, if you decide that you want to be a pet owner, be a responsible fucking pet owner, a full time pet owner, not some half baked, half witted, “I can’t afford the cat food” pet owner. Shit like this burns my britches.
I saw a similar cat, longish hair, with bald spots on it over by the North Street bridge once. I called animal control as well and tried to keep an eye on it, following it around while waiting for animal control to show up. I turned around for all of one second and the cat was gone! I looked around for hours trying to relocate him. Was there anything else about the cat you saw? Any distinguishing marks or colouring?
Sounds like a feral cat to me by your description. BTW the SPCA does not go out and get strays.
lilac: The most notable thing about this cat was its eyes. He looks like he has none! And if he does, they’re so shrunken and infected that he might as well not have any. He’s white with medium length fur, the fur near the base of his tail is a discolored (either from dirt or genetics) brown-beige bit. He looks fat, but in the “I’m a starved child with a bloated belly” kind of way. He walks with a limp and is curious about humans… He always comes up to me whenever I see him, so I try to stay very still, but if I move even an inch he takes off.
The other day I saw him on Oxford street, coming out of someone’s backyard through a hole in the fence in front of the #1 Bus stop (next to the diner on Bayers lake and Oxford). There was a lot of traffic, and he started to make for the road to cross… None of the cars could see him so I chased him in the other direction towards Young to keep him off the road. He might not be so lucky next time.
Bro Tim — I know the SPCA doesn’t get strays, thats why I’ve been calling Animal Control. However, if someone catches this poor soul, you can call the SPCA and take him in or see what can be done.
I have actually seen this cat on numerous occasions on Young St. and even in my back yard … honeslty, I am surprised it is still alive at this point … it always looks to be in so much pain and is clearly suffering from multiple infections. I doubt it is stray as it has been in the area for quite some time -someone is atleast feeding it. I have never done anything before, but I will definitely call the SPCA the next time I see the poor thing.
I hardly imagine, as sad as it is, that Animal Control are going to get this cat, and give it medical attention. If this cat is being called in, by multiple people, and is in as rough a shape as you say, unless it has a tag, it’s going to be put down, to save it from pain if nothing else. So while this might be the best thing for this particular cat, it might not be the solution you’re after.
People Are Stupid – yes, they will probably put the cat down. At this point, it might be what the poor thing needs. Either that or a loving home to take it to a vet to get a medical assessment. If I could go out and catch it, I would, but he’s never around when I’m out and about leisurely!
hellakitty – I’m glad you’ve seen him too, at least someone else has noticed! Please do try to help the cat out. How long ago did you first see it? I first saw him about six months ago, and I reported him just before our first big snow storm back in late November.
I saw him as early as last August, and have seen him within the past couple of months. I will keep my ears open for his poor little decrepid cry as he has been known to hang out around my place … I will do my best!
oh my god, this story is breaking my heart….. why are people such fucks that they can’t take care of an animal even enough to find it a better home?
I’m happy to see people are watching for him, but how can we go about speeding up the process? If he’s out a lot I wouldn’t mind putting in the time to try and find him and maybe help the most I can…..
Thanks May, I love to hear that peoples hearts are going out for our lost kitty soul. He’s seen most frequently here on Young street, so if you live in the area, keep your eyes out for him.. If I could I’d be carrying a blanket and cat carrier around with me just in case I spot him. Unfortunately I travel by foot/bus so thats not really a practical option for me. There has to be something we can do! Its sad to think that at this point he’ll just have to be put down if we catch him and take him somewhere for care.. but even that I think, at this point, would be an improvement for the poor thing.
I’m so glad people don’t think I’m crazy for melting over a cat..!
I’m thinking that if I can get a picture (or maybe just a good description) of kitty I’ll put some signs up around the neighborhood, letting people know to contact me if they see him/catch him, and I will come and get him ASAP. Something proactive needs to be done, my heart breaks a little more each time I see him!
I’ll be carrying my camera in readiness!
sucks to be that cat. someone get it some meow mix for christs sake.
Please call the SPCA, or take that poor cat to a vet.
It is definitely a homeless cat that desperately needs your help.
A lot of homeless cat’s have eye infections (mine did), but I rescued her off the street, took her to the vet. I paid less than $60 ($40 for exam & $10 for eye medication).
Please, call someone to help you. Get your friends to help. If you heart bleeds for this poor cat, I’m sure your friends will help you out.
poor kitty…
what a sad way to start a monday morning.
🙁
The SPCA Metro Shelter in Scarfe Court, Burnside will lend a Have A Heart trap, it’s a trap that once the cat is inside, it presses on a pad that triggers the door to close. They are very humane. What is not humane is watching this cat and not really doing anything about it. I would say where you tend to see the cat the most, you said coming out of someone’s back yard, then talk to the owners and see if you can put the trap in their back yard. All you have to do is put something yummy in there to eat to entice the cat in. I know euthanazia is a heart renching decision, but letting this poor animal suffer is the inhumane thing to do. Unfortunately there are way too many f’n humans out there who will just move away and leave their pets behind like a bag of garbage, I could beat the fuck out of dead pieces of shit human beings like that (yes it makes me just a little angry), but the sad part is they leave, no one knows where they went, the cat then becomes a stray, ferral, reproduces and the whole crazy cycle just keeps going. They usually end up with upper feline leukemia, highly contagious in cats, abcesses result from cat scraps, being hit by a car, worms, heart worms, you name it. If someone’s an idiot, they’re gonna be idiot pet owners, period. My heart breaks for the little critters. I don’t live far from Young and Gottingen, I will keep an eye out.
Thanks for the suggestion Lola. I would like to set a trap, but the thing is, this neighbourhood has a lot of outdoor cats who I know have families, and I wouldn’t want to trap one and have the owners worried about there cat missing for a while, because I might not be able to get to the trap for a few hours (I’d probably have to set it before leaving for work and check it when I got home). But you raise a valid point, I should go and speak to some of the people around where I’ve seen the cat, so we can get their eyes out, too.