I feel really bad now.

[HeyWayne]

On Saturday LadyWayne had gone out to get her hair doned and I decided to take Bean out for a walk as the weather was reasonable.

I walked past one of our neighbours' house and noticed a black cat walking down the driveway. It was all matted looking and it's right-front paw was bent under, but it didn't seem in any pain or distress. Bean chuckled at it (as he seems to do with almost any animal he sees).

Anyways, we carried on our walk and didn't think anything of it.

This morning LadyWayne tells me that our neighbour (the lady of the house in particular who LW meets up with regularly) is distraught as she cannot find their cat - Tinker.

Realisation hits - "Does Tinker have a bent paw, and is black with matted fur?" I ask. "Kind of" replies LW.

Our neighbours had gone out on Saturday and didn't get back until Sunday afternoon. On returning, they realised that they'd locked the cat flap so that Tinker could get out, but not back in.

I just received a call to say that Tinker had been found dead not long after I'd seen him (where and by whom I don't know).

Even though I'd never seen Tinker before I had heard about him - he was really old (something like 20 years old), and was very tolerant of their 8 month old baby.

I still feel guilty for not noticing, and maybe stopping to see that he was alright.

[piskieinboots]

Oh Wayne, how awful - I would feel exactly the same, but it isn't your fault, you know that.

Poor Tinker, poor Wayne

(((hugs)))

[sweetiepea]

I feel your pain Wayne (sorry that wasn't meant to rhyme).

As much as I love cats (and I really, really do) I've just about had enough this week. We've been over run with 'strays' for the last few months. Many of them arrived sick and malnourished and we've spent hundreds trying to sort them out. The sad part about all of this however is not my empty pockets after vet and food bills, but that the sickness the poor things brought has now killed two of my own beloved old cats -despite our love, care and attention.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that even if you had taken poor Tinker in; the likelihood is that he would have died anyway. Sometimes even the best intentions can't cure the inevitable.

[binley100]

Big Hugsxxxxxx

[Jeanied]

I'm so sorry to hear you had such a bad experience Wayne and poor cat. If it is any consolation, the cat probably did not suffer for very long - they tend to be big concealers of illness and only seem to go downhill rapidly towards the end. Big hugs from me and Maisie!

[Seahorse]

HW, all you saw was a cat that looked a bit elderly and dishevelled, like many of them do! Hindsight is always 20/20 but none of us are blessed with it. We all know you'd have stepped in to help if you'd realised anything was wrong. Don't beat yourself up.

[Florence Fennel]

Ahhhh poor cat. Poor Wayne.

[HeyWayne]

Thank Grapes - I'm ok. I know I couldn't have done anything, but you still can't help thinking it can you.

Besides, I'm better than the owner - she's devastated (as you'd expect), and beating herself up because she locked the cat flap.

They found Tinker's collar in their garden, and that was when they started to worry. They asked their next door neighbour if they'd seen a black and white cat (he had a white "bib"), and the neighbour said they had - but that it wasn't good news, and that they found the cat dead. As the cat didn't have a collar they didn't know who's he was (he didn't go out very often due to age and ability) so they had the body disposed of (I don't know how exactly). I think that's upset her more.

LadyWayne took a box of choccies round last night.

[piskieinboots]

I really can only imagine how awful the poor lady is feeling I would be devastated

[Headfry]

I know there are bigger problems in this world but sometimes small things need space too.
Such a sad story, my heart goes out to you all. I too would be devastated.
Big hugs and much love from me xx xx

[SueA]

Poor Tinker, his owners & you too Wayne. As you know there probably wasn't anything you could do to help but it won't stop you thinking about it & luckily it sounds as though Tinker didn't suffer much as he was only missing for a short time. It seems odd though about his collar being in the garden, wonder if the full story's not being told by someone? Nice of Ladywayne to take chocs. round, poor owners are probably feeling really guilty about locking the cat flap.

[piskieinboots]

... locking the cat flap.

Forgive me for interjecting a tiny bit of humour here Big Fella

I have an electronic (as in, works on their chips) cat flap, it is very funny to see my two lasses come running in being chased by a local Tom, only to see said Tom go 'splat' again the cat-flap and shake his head, try again, shake his head and slink off muttering.

Doesn't stop him keep trying tho

[HeyWayne]

Forgive me for interjecting a tiny bit of humour here Big Fella

I have an electronic (as in, works on their chips) cat flap, it is very funny to see my two lasses come running in being chased by a local Tom, only to see said Tom go 'splat' again the cat-flap and shake his head, try again, shake his head and slink off muttering.

Doesn't stop him keep trying tho

He he he, you know me and humour - any excuse.

We had two cats some years ago and one morning we came downstairs to a cat party, with our two boys looking like guilty teenagers in the corner.

We fitted magnetic catflaps/collars after that and had similar fun to you. However, sometimes the magnets didn't work quick enough, and even our own cats would come a cropper.