We have had a certain next-door neighbor for 19 years now, a divorced woman with three kids. We used to chat now and then when her kids were little. Her son wanted a dog, so they got a husky. Her daughters wanted a cat, so they got a kitten. However, she made it plain to me that she did not really want pets and did not have time for them; the kids were supposed to take care of them. She works long shifts, often at night, and is rarely home. Two of her kids are out of the house; the third still lives there I think, because we see her car in the driveway, but she is out more than in.
I rarely saw the cat because it was inside, but she used to complain to me about how it didn't always use the litter box and shed a lot, things like that. I did see the dog, because she was always in the backyard. For the first few years the son would take her for walks, but as he got older and busier, the dog was mostly just back there alone. We would often hear her howling at night but no one was home and there was nothing we could do. She would dig, and repeatedly broke down the fence between our two yards and got into our yard, or broke out and went down the street. Since we're home a lot, we would catch the dog and put her back in the yard; my husband would fix the fence. We would talk to the neighbor and she would sort of laugh and thank us for bringing the dog back and act like there was just nothing she would do about it.
The dog lived to a pretty old age, but one day she got out again, tottered down the street and was hit by a car.
This background info is just to give an idea of the kind of pet owner this neighbor is. If I thought about the cat at all, I would have figured she was probably long gone from old age. Well, on Friday night my daughter heard frantic meowing from the next yard and looked over, to see an ancient, decrepit, skin-and-bones cat at the doorstep. She went over and knocked on the door, but no one answered. So she picked up the cat and brought it to our house.
I should also add that I was not home and my daughter did not recognize the cat as belonging to the neighbor. It has also been extremely hot here (90s) and there is no water for miles around. So she was just trying to rescue what she thought was a stray. When I got home, the old cat was in the bathroom with food, water, and a litter box.
I calculate that she is 17 or 18 years old. Wow, is she in sad shape. Apart from being a walking skeleton and probably having hyperthyroid, she has long hair, and she has mats that I'd never imagined were possible. I cut one off her back near the tail that was 3 inches long and over an inch wide. Just stroking her once or twice took off so much loose hair that it was obvious no one had touched her for months. I think her teeth are bad, because she eagerly laps at food, but doesn't want to chew. I don't think she sees or hears well. She was clearly, if not abused, at least greatly neglected.
We cut off as many knots as we could, have been pureeing canned food for her, and she has been resting quietly in the bathroom where we check on her every hour or so. As loud as she was when she was in the backyard, we haven't heard a peep from her for the past two days. She's not restless or trying to get out. She just seems content to curl up on a towel or scratch pad, and purr whenever we scratch behind her ears.
Since Friday we have not seen the neighbor's car. Maybe she is on vacation. We've seen the daughter's car once, but I'm guessing she either doesn't realize the cat is gone or doesn't care. I've had indoor cats get out, and I was immediately out combing the neighborhood, putting up signs, and knocking on doors. Nothing of the kind from the neighbor.
This cat is so old, frail and probably ill that I really don't think she'll live long. At least here in our house, she is getting good food and lots of attention, which she seems to love. I would hate myself for handing her back to be neglected again. On the other hand, she is not my cat and I do know where her "home" is!
What would you do? Quietly keep the cat, give the cat back to the neighbor when she comes home, or talk to the neighbor and ask if we can keep the cat?
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