Should I keep someone else's kitten?

[ErikJ]

I'm taking care of an 18 month old cat for somebody until they move into a new place soon. I've had her for a month now and I dont think the owner took very good care of her. Instead of the litter box she often goes in a blanket which she then scrunches up after going-both urine and solids. Then she goes into the shower and looks like she is searching for water and drinks out of the toilet sometimes. She seems pretty small and kitten-sized for 18 months old which makes me believe she hasnt gotten enough to eat her 1st 17 months.

Her name is Sativa and is kinda wild. She will knock the cat and dog food containers off the shelf onto the floor, hoping they break open I suppose. Sativa's owner is a 19 year-old exotic dancer that really seems to love Sativa. She is getting a place where she can keep Sativa by Nov 15th. I've bonded with Sativa a bit and am now worried about her.

Sativa has gotten out a few times but usually back by evening. I could tell her Sativa ran away and adopt her out to a new owner somehow.

[ginnyinWI]

1. hm.

What if you simply told her the truth--that you have fallen in love with the little kitty, and you are wondering if she could part with her. I guess you'd have to be the judge of her reaction since you know her and I don't.

If she really wants to keep the cat, then suggest some things that Sativa has "gotten used to" while with you--like fresh water--and see if she takes the hint and improves life for the kitty. I don't think the cat is truly wild, but has had to learn to fend for herself. She's never sure of food, water or a clean litter box so does the things you describe.

[Granny M]

2. I hope you can come to an agreement with the owner.

You and Sativa sound like a great match to me.

I must tell you, though, that our cat Belle who is now 2, and has been with us since she was barely 6 weeks old, has had fresh water every day of her life, and still insists on drinking from the shower, and the toilets if we leave the lid up. We have even tried a fancy electric water fountain, with no luck. Don't know what's going on in that feline brain.

So, just be aware that sometimes these habits are hard to break.

[Walk away]

3. I wouldn't take someone else's pet.

If I suspected that an animal was being abused I would talk to the owner and offer my help. If I saw clear signs of abuse I would contact animal control.

You have no such evidence. Could some of the problems this cat has be the result of extreme old age? Is it possible she was once feral and that is why she is small and wild?

There are millions of cats who desperately need homes and are living in shelters or on borrowed time. If you have room in your heart and home, an elderly shelter cat needs you.

[ErikJ]

4. Thanks for suggestions g and G! That helped. WA- No she is only 18 months old.

But she looks like an 8 mo. old kitten. And the girl bought her for $100 as a young kitten. I think I'll take her to the vet and see what they think. If neglect ( not enough food, dirty litter and dirty or dried up water bowl) is considered abuse then it may be abuse. I cant keep her but at least I could adopt her out to someone who wouldnt neglect her. I will probably talk to the owner about it but being young and irresponsible it might not help. The cat and owner do seem to love one another though as far as I can tell. The owner bought some Non-clumping litter when she left her cat with me, which may explain part of the problem.

[Walk away]

5. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you had actually seen the dry and dirty water bowl,

not enough food and dirty litter. When you said that the cat was drinking from the toilet bowl I thought it was when she was staying with you. You should definitely tell the owner that it is negligent and dangerous to leave toilet seats up around kittens. They can certainly drown in a toilet, or be exposed to toxic cleaning products or fecal bacteria.
You cannot adopt her out to anyone. She does not belong to you. If you bring her to a Vet and they confirm that the kitten has been abused by it's owner then you have to call the police or animal control. You may not think my advise is helpful to you but it is legal and takes the health and happiness of the cat into account.

[TorchTheWitch]

7. ^^^THIS^^^

Pets are legally considered property. One can get into a whole lot of trouble by taking someone else's pet. Legally, it's theft.

I agree that the best and really only thing to do is if abuse is suspected to call police or animal control. I understand that some places have terrible animal control offices that are apparently useless, so if that doesn't work and the police can't do anything either (I think unless it's extreme neglect that needs immediate attention they can't, and I don't know how they decide what is "extreme&quot then IIRC the SPCA can also intervene. I'd start with the police though and see how that goes since they'd be the most likely ones to do something immediately. Personally, a cat that has no water I would definitely consider an extreme situation.

I swear I just don't get some people. Just how does one do this to a poor defenseless animal?

[Curmudgeoness]

6. I don't think that you can lie to the owner,

because this cat really is her "property". You say that she paid $100 for the kitten. It would be wrong to steal it from her by lying to her. Do you know for a fact that the cat was not taken care of properly? Are you sure it didn't ever have food or clean water or a litter box? Is it possible that this behavior is only happening in your home? Maybe the cat is just showing some strange behaviors because it is goofy and is just confused at being in a new place with a new person.

Anyone coming to my house would think that my cat never had food, since he eats every morsel the minute he is feed, and has no food in his dish until the next feeding, and that disappears immediately. He does have a couple of water bowls though, and has a litter box with clumping litter that is cleaned daily. I have also seen some very dainty cats. My cousin had a cat who lived to be almost 20 years old and never weighed over 5 pounds. It was just generics, I suppose. And I have had cats who were fascinated with the toilet. I also had a cat who would pee on any bathroom rug that I put down. I have no idea why since I had 3 litter boxes for 2 cats. I had to just throw them away and never use a rug, and that solved the problem.

What I am saying is that this person may not be a good parent, or it could just be the cat. You have to know which it is. You do say that the cat seems to be attached to this person. I would talk to her about your concerns, offer to help with the cat whenever she needs help, and keep an eye open. Don't confront her, but tell you what you noticed while the cat was with you and ask her if she has had any of these problems or if she has an idea why the cat behaves this way.

Whatever you do, keep the relationship with this girl open so you can watch out for the cat.