True Underdog
Member
Original Post:
Summary (tl;dr) at the bottom of the post
I'll just start from the top and hopefully you guys can help me out.
After work today, I went to the bank to get some money from the drive-thru ATM. While in line, the lady in the car in front of me got out and told me that a cat ran under my car. I couldn't hear it mewing but I did have my music up pretty loud. Sure enough, I had a cat up in the wheel well of my car. I tried to get her but then she crawled into the undercarriage of the car. After about twenty minutes of trying to get this cat out from under my car (and getting several burns from the concrete because it was 102F outside), I managed to get it out. By this time, a teller from the bank came out with a bottle of cool water and I was trying to get this cat to drink; it eventually did. I wanted to see if the cat was capable of walking so I set it down in the grass. Well, the cat IS capable of walking but only on its front legs. Unfortunately, it was very adept at running with only its front legs because it ran under another car. After about ten minutes, I managed to get the cat back out.
I used to volunteer at the local ASPCA in Dallas and I'm aware of their adoption policies. The animal must be in the owner's care for 72+ hours and they only take animals if they have vacancies; they do not euthanize an animal unless it is untreatable or its behavior is so bad that they cannot adopt it out to anyone.This cat does not look like it has been in my care for 72+ hours and as I understand it, they're full anyway, so that's out.
My second option was to take it to the Dallas Animal Shelter (The Pound), where it would likely be euthanized. As much as I hate it (and please don't flame me Cat-GAF) I figured this would be a better fate for the animal than leaving it outside in 102 degree weather. Personally, I don't know if I would have the money after all was said and done to treat the cat, so I set up an appointment to have Dallas Animal Services pick the cat up from my apartment tomorrow morning. The original plan was to make sure it stays hydrated and comfortable tonight.
I called my boss (she's a sweet lady) to see if I could use vacation time to be present when animal services came over. She said she was ok with it but was understandably upset about the cat. A few minutes later, she called me back and put me in touch with her realtor's wife, who volunteers for an organization that helps pet owners pay for their vet bills.
There's the catch, though: I have to claim the cat as my own for it to receive treatment.
I've obviously decided to go this route and I've already made arrangements to take her to a clinic that isn't far from my apartment in the morning. I have to call Dallas Animal Services so they don't sent an officer out here to come pick the cat up tomorrow. Aside from that, I don't know what to do. I was planning on getting a pet (undecided between cat or dog but was leaning towards a dog) but not until sometime in the fall or winter so I would have money set aside and I would feel like I was in a more comfortable position as a pet-owner.
Right now, the cat is resting in a box with some food, water, and a shirt. It's shaking a little bit (guessing that's shock) but the cat did eat as soon as I put some food in the box with it, so I'm hoping that's a good sign.
So Cat-GAF, please advise. Should I at the very least foster this cat? I would not be able to take it to the no-kill shelter until they have an opening because they are full. Should I just adopt it and care for it as my own? Sure, I could definitely keep up with food, cat litter, and toys and I could start setting money aside for emergencies. I need to talk with my property manager tomorrow to see if I can hold off on giving them a deposit until I decide what to do.
tl;dr - I recovered an injured cat. Taking it to a vet clinic tomorrow. Not sure if I should foster it or adopt it. No, I'm not feeding it pizza.
Thanks everyone.
Oh, and here's a picture. It's just a kitten.
