# Can I take somone elses cat to the vet?



## TobyK9 (Feb 5, 2010)

Hi,

Just a moral and I guess legal'ish dilema,

There was a cat in our garden yesterday who looked to me like he had a broken front paw/ankle whatever the correct term may be , he couldn't put any weight on it and his paw looks clearly snapped to the left from the joint. Anyway, I've never seen it before but I don't think it's a stray because it's in good shape/weight and looking very healthy, no collar, but then our 2 cats don't have collars so that doesn't really mean anything.

Assuming this cat does have owners, am I allowed to take it the vets myself to get it help? I only ask because it's back today and still without treatment and I'm uneasy about leaving it without getting proper help.

I know it might sound mad, but in this day and age laws ARE mad, but if I pick it up and take it to the vets, am I breaking any kind of law as the cat isn't mine? Also, if it is ok to take it to the vet, how should a go about it? should I phone first and explain the cat isn't mine but needs treatment? will they charge me? and most importantly what will happen to it when I hand it over, is the policy to pass them straight into rescues if there is no microchip to trace the owner? if this is the case, am I best looking after it inside my house whilst I try to trace the owner myself?

sorry for all the questions, I know I could just ring the vet and ask, but I'd rather know what it is I'm talking about before I approach them, if that makes sense.


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

It needs emergency treatment, I would just take it to the vets and tell them where you found it, it may not be able to get home and it will be in imense pain. What owner would resent you taking their injured pet to the vet.


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## TobyK9 (Feb 5, 2010)

this is just it, I don't know, I want to do the 'right' thing but I don't know what I'm actually allowed to do?
So, it is ok to take him?


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## Baby British (Jan 24, 2010)

If you call the RSPCA they will probably fund some of the costs of any treatment for you if you explain that you have found an injured animal. Do you have an RSPCA vet in your area?


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## Stephny691 (Nov 13, 2007)

Yes. Take him (immedately he doesn't sound very healthy) to the vets. Tell them the truth and then when you get home print off a little flyer say you found the cat (describe him) say which vets you took him to and that you're trying to find his owner and give them your number.
My neighbour did this a couple of years ago and theowners were just realy worried about their cat and really happy someone had taken him to the vets. 
x


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

vet won't take the cat unless you don't pay then they can do so if they want but tbh they normally wouldn't want the extra bother of getting it into a rescue 
you can only explain and pay and hope the owner is found -the only other way may be to contact local rescue and see if they can arrange treatent until owner is traced
either way the cat needs help -vets are obliged to give 1 free emergency treatment if needed so this may be the option to go for.


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

Can you knock on a few doors, if there's no luck the cat needs to see the vet anyway so at least you can say you tried to find the owner.

I dealt with a similar situation on monday. The 'finders' contacted their local RSPCA (not the main one) who said to take it on their bill and then it was admitted to their care. You should call beforehand. Alternatively call your vet see what they say.


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## Tobacat (Oct 24, 2009)

I would also phone the RSPCA/PDSA/similar. If the animal needs help and hasn't been treated, I'm sure they will know what to do. I think the RSPCA have an emergency number even if you don't have a local one. If not, then yes certainly speak to a local vet. They might know more about laws or have policies about treating animals in this instance. If you get nowhere, ask some of your neighbours (especially ones with cats, as they probably know where a lot of local cats live if they are like me!!) to se if they know who it belongs to.


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## TobyK9 (Feb 5, 2010)

Baby British said:


> If you call the RSPCA they will probably fund some of the costs of any treatment for you if you explain that you have found an injured animal. Do you have an RSPCA vet in your area?


It's great that they'll help with some of the cost but we're not in a position to pay for any costs for someone elses pet, we have 3 pets of our own as it is, this is why I was worried that the vet would try and charge me and was part of the dilema as to what to do.
I'm not sure if there's an RSPCA vet around here, I know that the nearest RSPCA centre is Cambs.,I think, I'll call them to ask what's likely to happen.



Stephny691 said:


> Yes. Take him (immedately he doesn't sound very healthy) to the vets. Tell them the truth and then when you get home print off a little flyer say you found the cat (describe him) say which vets you took him to and that you're trying to find his owner and give them your number.
> My neighbour did this a couple of years ago and theowners were just realy worried about their cat and really happy someone had taken him to the vets.
> x


He's vanished into the hedge at the moment and my wife is on cat spotting duty lol, I think maybe then the best thing to do at this point is at least bring him inside, I held off doing it as I didn't know if it was breaking some kind of law, but I guess not, which is good to know now, we'll get him inside whilst I sort out where we're going to take him. There's not many houses around here so I'll take a picture and go visit a few people to show them the pic. As I said, it looks too healthy to be stray so somebody must own him, hopefully I can track them down quickly


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## TobyK9 (Feb 5, 2010)

Thank you everybody for your advice, I'll ring the RSPCA as my next point of call


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## Baby British (Jan 24, 2010)

I rang the RSPCA when I found an ill cat in my street. If memory serves me correctly then they will fund up to £60 or therabouts for treatment otherwise if there is nobody to pay the remainder (should costs rise above this) then I think the animal gets PTS. I'm not 100% on this but I know that I offered to pay the costs for the cat we took in and I would have kept it as my own but sadly the vet diagnosed the feline aids virus (can't remember the correct term) and the problems caused by this (renal failure, severe eye infection, extreme weight loss) were to advanced to save the cat 

I hope a better outcome will befall this poor mite x


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## Tobacat (Oct 24, 2009)

Toby K9, can you let us know the outcome in case we are ever in the same position?


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## love_my_pets (Feb 2, 2010)

TBh i wouldnt have even thought about it! I have previously found a cat who was dragging his back legs behind him, i pulled my car over, grabbed a blanket out my boot, wrapped him up in it and took him straight to the nearest vets and called the RSPCA to let them know. They then liased with the local vet and the cat wasnt left in pain.
I would most definately be contacting the RSPCA and either wait for them to collect the cat or take it to the closest vets.


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## NEW2CATS (Aug 28, 2009)

i think the cat deffo needs to go to the vet but I am not sure how it will stand money wise

also the vet will be able to scan the cat incase he/she is chipped and the owners can be contatcted


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

It's true about the RSPCA's £60(ish) cover. Always best to talk to the vet about it before taking though.


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

RSPCA/Blue cross /pdsa vet whichever is the quickest , I'd lie if i had to as long as the cat gets treatment and is out of pain, then spend the day knocking on doors ..there's always the chance that the owners dont know, their cat's gone missing that kind of thing, and on the unfortunate flip side of the coin they might know and dont want to take it.....whichevr the case he/she needs to be treat and out of pain 
Hope he's ok and being sorted out
Clare xx


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## billyboysmammy (Sep 12, 2009)

It wouldnt even cross my mind. Injured cat = vets. You can sort out rspca, pdsa, etc late. The vet cannot turn you away, the cat is in pain and they have a duty of care not to neglect that. Leave the cat with them, tell them the truth, and then go home start sorting funding out.


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## TobyK9 (Feb 5, 2010)

true, the vet can't turn us away but they insist we register it as our cat on arrival? which clearly means we are then going to be liable for costs at the later date should funding not be found or if the real owners deny all responsibility. Getting stressed now, all I want to do is help the cat, if I had the money I'd pay everything outright myself but now it's becoming me who is responsible for it's suffering and it's not even my blooming cat! 
anyway, waiting for a call back from RSPCA to tie up our exact position, no wonder nobody wants to be a good samaritan anymore!!

I'll post up what they say and what we can do but reading the replies about the rspca only funding £60 and I'm guessing broken bones are a little more than £60 then I guess things are not looking good for the cat unless I can find the owner or it decides to go home to them as I just do not have the money to be paying for operations on other peoples pets! (not that I don't want to, but I've got my own pets and kids to pay for first as it is)

the cat is in and out of our garden at the moment, it dissapears for periods and then reapears, we will catch him but our coaxing is not working hmy:


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## Baby British (Jan 24, 2010)

TobyK9 said:


> true, the vet can't turn us away but they insist we register it as our cat on arrival? which clearly means we are then going to be liable for costs at the later date should funding not be found or if the real owners deny all responsibility. Getting stressed now, all I want to do is help the cat, if I had the money I'd pay everything outright myself but now it's becoming me who is responsible for it's suffering and it's not even my blooming cat!
> anyway, waiting for a call back from RSPCA to tie up our exact position, no wonder nobody wants to be a good samaritan anymore!!
> 
> I'll post up what they say and what we can do but reading the replies about the rspca only funding £60 and I'm guessing broken bones are a little more than £60 then I guess things are not looking good for the cat unless I can find the owner or it decides to go home to them as I just do not have the money to be paying for operations on other peoples pets! (not that I don't want to, but I've got my own pets and kids to pay for first as it is)
> ...


Failing that is there a cat rescue in your area that might cover the costs and take him in if the owners cannot be traced? If the money is sourced to treat this poor cat I'm assuming that he's going to require some degree of after care following treatment 

Let us know what the RSPCA say


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## TobyK9 (Feb 5, 2010)

Baby British said:


> Failing that is there a cat rescue in your area that might cover the costs and take him in if the owners cannot be traced? If the money is sourced to treat this poor cat I'm assuming that he's going to require some degree of after care following treatment
> 
> Let us know what the RSPCA say


I must admit I havent looked for one yet, but it'll be worth a try, I'll wait to see what the rspca have to say and then if they cant help then see if they have one listed as I wouldn't know where to start


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## billyboysmammy (Sep 12, 2009)

dont know where you are but i would be phoning every other local vet, rescue centre, cats protection league and if the vets try to make you liable... threaten to tell the press!


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## Cazzer (Feb 1, 2010)

several years ago there were 3 cats left behind by a neighbour. One of the cats had just had kittens and was full of milk. The bitch of a neighbour took the kittens and left the poor mum behind. Needless to say the new owner of the house weren't interested in rehoming them. They contacted the owner who said she would collect them [but of course never did]. I started to feed the cats as they were well known to me and quickly realised mum cat has mastitis [ correct sp?] and took her to my vets where she was treated. I contacted a local rescue [non RSPCA] who were initially sceptical about the story and thought I was the owner of the cats. My vets told them I was genuine and the rescue kindly agreed to pay for the treatment up to then. I then took the poor cats to the rescue. It broke my heart as they were the sweetest cats and I would of loved to have kept them.

Hope the poor kitty gets the treatment it needs


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

He may be ID chiped the vet should at least scan for that free surley


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## TobyK9 (Feb 5, 2010)

They didn't mention it  I guess if it were then they could contact the owner, they were more interested in the injury and what they might have to do, talking about the number of plates they made need for x-rays? 
He's gone now. Hope he makes it home safe.
Nobody in the area knew who he belongs too


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Poor cat & poor you it must be hard seeing him like that  the vets dont sound very helpful we have a few rescues here & RSPCA what a shame hope he gets home & owners do something or they may be away & someone poping in to feed him, or moved & left him


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