Animal abuse-grey area/sticky situation

This is indeed a sticky situation!

21 is indeed old for a cat, but I have heard of them living much older and even treated a few who were over 22! So his age shouldn't be a limiting factor for him getting the care he needs.

As for the cluttered house ... I also live in a cluttered home. It's not "dirty" (i.e. trash everywhere) but it is very cluttered. I don't have children but I do have 4 cats, 1 dog and 4 birds. All are in excellent health and receive their shots and vet checks yearly. I also do feral cat rescue. So the cleanliness of ones house doesn't reflect their ability to care for animals or children, unless of course there is some serious unsanitary conditions going on.

As for this cat, there are vets who will do home visits. If they are uneasy about having the vet come to their own home, perhaps you and your father would be willing to allow the vet to come to your house and the cat be seen there? Or if they have a regular vet they have seen for many years, perhaps calling the vet and explaining the concerns over the cats health? They may be willing to prescribe some medication without seeing the cat.

I wish you a lot of luck with this, you and your father seem to be caring people. Befriend these people as best you can, perhaps offer to help them clean up a bit?

Sounds like the cat has an upper respiratory infection. If they aren't getting it medical treatment, that's neglect, and you should report it to the SPCA. Just because the house is dirty and cluttered doesn't mean they'll lose the kids, but it can mean the cat may be taken from them. It will be up to the SPCA people who investigate whether they think they should notify CPS or whoever about the kids. You are so concerned with stress to the family that you are overlooking stress to the poor cat. Animals rely on us to take care of them when we take them in, but they can't tell us when they're sick, so it's our responsibility as humans to put their welfare first. MAKE THE CALL.

Woah. Your dad is jumping rapidly to conclusions. Since the children are healthy and dont suffer abuse or anything, there is no reason for them to be sent away.

Also, the cat is 21 years old, its very much on the old side, the nasal congestion may just be a sign of his age.

However, describe the cat's conditions to the SPCA and see what they say, they are the professionals.

Crappy owner? Absolutely. Neglectful? Probably. Do the dogs deserve better? Without a doubt. Abusive?.....you'll have a harder time proving that, in terms of the law. Generally speaking, animal welfare laws are pretty basic. If a dog is provided with food, water, dry shelter & basic veterinary care, the owner is basically in compliance with the law. Without seeing what goes on inside his house....you only know what goes on *outside* is questionable, could be a SIGN of abusive treatment....but it's not a black & white legal case of abuse. If you were able to get a video recording of the man kicking his dogs, or otherwise physically mistreating them, you'd have a better start. If you're thinking about making a report against this guy, you need to be able to PROVE your accusations with solid evidence. But be CAREFUL....don't do ANYTHING to bring attention to yourself or let these people know what you're up to. Sounds like they're a little crazy....your safety is of utmost importance. Skinny dogs aren't a sure sign of neglect/abuse.....legit health issues can cause a dog to be underweight, and some dogs are just naturally difficult to keep weight on in the first place. Get some concrete evidence- like video- and if animal investigators think you have a compelling case, they could open an investigation & look further into the situation. Good luck :)

Talk to your neighbors more. Explain that if they put the cat in a carrier with a blanket over it, it'll help calm the cat. Also, remind them of it's age and the fact that it is a senior cat, something like that could bring about his death. I'd assume. Otherwise, you can call a vet yourself and see if one of them can advice. I doubt CPS will get involved. I even doubt SPCA will do much besides tell them to get it to a vet.

Well it certainly doesn't "stress" a cat to simply call the vet...

This may be something that the vet can diagnose over the phone and prescrible something for...If the vet understands that the cat can't handle the stress of a vet visit...

Please have your dad ask the neighbor to at least make a few phone calls...This is a good start and at least the neighbor may be convinced by a caring vet to take the cat in.. :-)

Do the right thing. The cat will thank you when it can breathe again. You are doing nothing wrong, but helping.

It like if you report a criminal to the police. They can't get mad at you because they are doing something wrong. you are helping the kids and the poor kitty. There could be more things wrong with the house to. You never know.

Could be one of those weird things were you thought of doing it, but you don't and then the next day, something terrible happens. Do the right thing.

By the sounds of the stuffy dirty house the cat ''might'' have respiratory problems. The SPCA will help the cat, so i would call. As for the kids i doubt they will be taken away.

If anything you can always just take the cat to the vet yourself but ask your neighbors first, and the SPCA doesn't usually get involved with anything but animals.

If they can treat the cat this way, they can treat their children this way. Call about the cat, I doubt that the SPCA would do or say anything anyway.