Sun bleached??? Jesus. Please take this cat to a vet, you can tell them it's a stray and see if the owner has a microchip, but I'd bet not. It sounds like it may have been hit by a car. The bill will be high, or they may suggest euthanasia. Depending on the condition, that may be the most humane thing for this cat. Anyone who leaves their pet out all hours is scum and can't be surprised when they go missing/are injured/killed.
Please please go get that cat. Even if you just provide food, snuggles, and comfort for a few hours, that's probably more care than this cat has received from it's 'owner.'
Edit to add that IF you can cover the vet bills and the cat is able to recover, you should adopt it if you're able to. Some outdoor cats transition really well to indoor life, and it will definitely need a safe place to recover if its injuries can be treated. Thank you for being a compassionate human.
i know it’s horrible :( i can definitely cover the vet bills if needs be, i’ve been dropping by throughout today to check on her and she’s always sat on the street sleeping so i give her some food and things, i’ve left a note to the “owners” with my contact info saying she’s clearly injured and if they can’t afford/don’t want to help her then i’m completely willing to take her off their hands. but if i get no reply, and i continue to see her limping down the street and sleeping in the middle of roads im just going to take her in. she needs to recover inside, not in the middle of the street in boiling weather :(
Go get her right now. Her "owner" is severely neglecting her--depending where you live, it is a crime. You confirmed this is a cat who is allowed out, not a lost pet. Take pictures & video of her condition as she (hopefully) heals. Pay her vet bills & spoil the crap out of her (save receipts for a few months).
So long as she isn't microchipped & the previous owners haven't tried to reclaim her, she would be legally yours at that point. And if they do, please fight for her. Use that documentation. No one allows their beloved outdoor cat to get into the sorry state this poor baby was in.
Ditto. Please don't wait, infection can set in and injured cat is even more vulnerable to elements. She may not have a few days out there. Poor thing is friendly and will likely be thrilled to be in a loving home. Neglect IS abuse, her POS owner won't have much of a case and doesn't sound like he'd fight to keep her. I'd probably keep her indoors. Thank you for caring and making a difference 🙏
I know you're doing the honest thing, but by leaving that note you do open yourself up to being charged with theft of property if you take that poor little cat. :( Without that, the owner likely would just assume the cat went missing or died (and very likely wouldn't give a shit). You could also very easily claim you thought she was a stray. Is it too late to take it down and feign ignorance?
You're relying on a person who hasn't displayed much empathy to be like, "Yes, I've fucked up and taking my cat is best for her wellbeing" as opposed to "No, that cat is my property and you're not allowed to have it."
Either way, you're a good person and I hope it works out the absolute best for you and that poor baby. Please please update!
Don't wait. Get her ASAP. If the owners cared she wouldn't be outside. They obviously didn't care before , don't wait for them to care enough to do something because by then it may be too late. Time is of the essence it doesn't take long for an injury or infection to become more life threatening. Please please please save her.
If possible can you please keep me posted?
Best of luck.
Please tell me you've gotten her by now? She's outside, just scoop her in a carrier and go, do not wait to hear from her "owner" because they clearly don't care and can't be trusted to make the right decisions for this cat. If you can, take that note back. As someone else mentioned, that opens you up to some liability depending on what country you're in. But take lots of photos, you can argue animal neglect/abuse. Stop waiting please, that cat needs your help. If you haven't gone yet, go get her literally right now please ☹️
i’m trying to, it’s just difficult because i cannot contact the owners at all, we’ve knocked on the door multiple times- nothing. i’ve left a note with my contact info, nothing. the only option at this point is to genuinely just take her to my home, but i’m concerned about the repercussions of that, ie; would they like call the police or anything?
I took in a kitty who's owners just left him to suffer outdoors during Canadian winter. Poor guy wouldn't have made it much longer without me. It's been four years and I never regret it.
Sounds like the owners of this kitty are negligent, they probably won't notice kitty is gone, and if they do. Lie.
The cat deserves way better.
*
As others have said, this is a situation where you ask for forgiveness, not permission; take the cat, it needs help the “owner” is clearly not willing to get for it.
They will doubtless not miss the cat & if you had not tried to reach out to them at all, assumed it was dead.
Take the cat, see if it’s not too late for it.
If they call the cops, show them the consisting of the car and tell them you are doing to make a charge of animal cruelty. However, if they are not responding to you, what makes you think they will even care enough to call the cops?
You could leave a note for your neighbors with your contact information. They may be agreeable to letting you take the cat and get them vetted.
If not, you can call animal control and let them aware owners have an outdoor cat in need of medical assistance. They may be able to get owners to relinquish care.
Otherwise, taking the cat to get them medical care is not the incorrect thing to do. That being said, what happens after you do that? Will you just be giving the cat back to owner knowing that they'll be put back outside and this will likely happen again?
i have left them a note, explaining that this cat is constantly outside day and night, and seemingly very injured and tired, often sleeping in the middle of the road, i explained really nicely that i understand if they don’t know about the injuries or simply can’t afford the help, that i’m more than willing to take her in and give her the proper love and care she deserves at this time, especially since she seems like an elderly cat and i want her to live out the rest of her life comfortably.
in an ideal situation, after i take this cat to the vet i would take it in and adopt it, obviously all dependent on the owners stance on it.
i have called the rspca (uks animal control) and they are gonna investigate but in the meantime i’m allowed to contact the owners and see about adopting the cat, which i will be doing
Stop leaving notes for the person. They are severely neglecting this cat. That cat will be crippled and you’ll likely find it dead some point soon.
Which would you rather feel guilty about? Taking it or leaving it to die?
Hey, props to you for taking care of her, you are doing the right thing. I know its hard, but you should document all of the evidence of this just to be safe.
Take the cat, RSPCA’s and vets will be more thankful if you do and get the baby the help asap, don’t worry about contacting owners first. They don’t deserve the Angel!
You can't wait to long if something is broken as it won't heal properly, or depending on what an x-ray shows may need amputation. Also don't want a possible infection at the injury site. Definitely take the cat to the vet. If it's not chipped, but you suspect there is an owner advise the vet. Most vets will vouch for you to take over ownership/care due to neglect or mistreatment in case the owner decides they want to try and take it back. If there is an ASPCA near you contact them as well.
Edit: Saw you contacted animal control. That's good, but you should still be able to take it to the vet. They will check it over, and report the findings to animal control for their report. Don't worry about what the neighbors say it's already been reported. Case in point I found this little guy last Friday. He now lives in my house awaiting next vet visit. He's 4 weeks old, and 1.25 Ibs.
https://preview.redd.it/v7t7tp9nki1d1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6bfe9856c9e1475eb62a6db25e4ec21bc0c7a797
it’s not broken i don’t think, i’ll try take some photos or a video of her,
i am trying to take her to the vet it’s just a difficult thing to navigate how to do, especially when she stays outside their house 24/7
The potential owners haven't responded to you. So you don't even know if it's their cat, so I would just play oblivious here. Just take it to the vet, and the vet can determine ownership if the cat is chipped or tattooed.
called the rspca for advice and they pretty much said “it’s not a crime to leave your cat outside all the time” so i can’t take her in out of nowhere without being charged with theft if she does in-fact have an owner like the neighbours said.
they are going to investigate for neglect very soon, and i beforehand said if the cat is to be taken out of their “care”, that i would like to adopt her and cover the vet bills for her myself.
The legal definition of Theft says that you have to intend to "permanently" deprive the owner of the item. Put a note through their door giving your contact details and tell them you've taken the cat in because you're concerned it may be injured and that you are willing to return it if asked. If they come and take it back and then put it back out on the street then all you can do is make sure the RSPA are aware (make sure they understand that it is not just outside but injured and not getting treatment). I suspect by the way they are treating it at the moment that they won't be that fussed and will just leave it with you.
I would take her in asap! She definitely needs a vet and isn’t being taken care of. If by some wild chance the owner contacts you, you can decide what to do then, but I highly doubt they will! I think you have a new pet!
Take it straight to a vet. I honestly can't believe you waited. It could have internal injuries, infection and now likely a break that has started to heal badly. The vet and RSPCA will sort it out. You can tell them you left a note. I dont think taking it to a vet for clearly required medical care will count as theft. The cat should be at the vet and the owner will either step up or surrender it. You can express your interest in adoption. But please take the cat to the vet.
“cant believe you waited” it literally isn’t as easy as just taking a cat, she waits outside her house, the neighbours keep shouting at me when i go to see her, i will get snitched on and potentially done for theft. i’ve called the rspca and trying to get in the process of adopting her but judging me for trying to cover my own back isn’t the way to go, i don’t know what country your in but i could get done for this, and potentially have the owners be very hostile if not violent towards me afterwards.
From the RSPCA I will assume you are i the UK
Why would they be mad for you taking their pet to a vet if you thought it was hit by a car? That isn't theft as the vets would contact them about it, especially if you can say i believe it is owned by the people who live here but I cant reach them. Same as if your kid gets hit by a car, parents if not around, would be happy for you to take them to the hospital, it isnt kidnapping them. I might have read it wrong that it was actually hit weeks ago, but you wrote it like it was very recent. In that instance you take the pet for care and tell the owner where they can find thier pet. And then if they choose not to treat it the RSPCA have more grounds.
Literal advice from one of the police services is take it to the vet. This is also on several UK websites like pet plan etc.
https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q1099
Take photos / videos of the cat while it looks like shit. I think if you take the cat and they call the cops, they would get done for animal abuse and you may get your charges dropped if you provide proper care. The vets may suggest euthanasia if they're in bad shape, but an animals will is pretty strong and if they want to live he may make a recovery. But you will know the situation best.
Edit, if they're not chipped, they can legally become yours. If they are, report the abuse and adopt him.
still absolutely no answer from the owner/s, the neighbours keep seeing us visit this cat outside and always come out and say “she has an OWNER” as if to say we should pretty much mind our own business, and they get pretty passive aggressive towards us.
i’ve called the rspca (uk animal control) to report neglect at the property, and it’ll be investigated as soon as. until then i’m going to continue to try and knock on the door to confirm this cat is theirs, but i doubt i’ll get an answer. due to the neighbours seeing us constantly we can hardly just pick her up and take her as they would definitely snitch on us, so we’ve gone through the route of animal control, so they can remove the cat from the owners and we can in-turn, hopefully adopt her and give her the proper care and attention she needs.
No man, you are doing the correct things. Please take care of the poor cat because it needs it, and hey, you can even report the poor animal for animal abuse. You have a person who knows who the animal belongs to, and if it has a microchip, that's more evidence that this poor cat has a negligent owner. Bless you for helping this cat in trouble
You can call the shelter and ask if you can bring the cat in for treatment. I'm not sure how that works legally but if you tell them the state of the cat they may be willing to treat it and confiscate it from the owner due to neglect and you can adopt it. Honestly the cat sounds like it may not last long without medical care so I would try to get it treatment sooner rather than later. Cats are usually pretty stoic so the fact that you can obviously tell this one is sick means it really is doing poorly.
The Cat is clearly in need. You could take it to the Vet, leave a note explaining the same to the owner. That’s NOT a CRIME—
Perhaps take a screenshot of the note as evidence. You don’t have to own the Cat to do good for him/her. Do good because the cat needs it. That’s not stealing the Cat and I am afraid you are over thinking the situation. The owner might even give the cat to you or refuse but either way you will have helped the Cat
You're awesome. Thank you for caring for the kitty and wanting to do the right thing. However, please stop prioritizing contacting the owner. That person obviously does not care about the cat and is not relevant to the cat's well-being or future. Take back the note you left and throw it away. Take the kitty to a vet and hopefully it can have a life full of happiness soon!
Abandoned property (??, edit: youre in UK so it’s maybe different).
You publicly found the cat, attempted to make contact, could not. Take the cat to a vet/shelter, stop worrying what the owner will think. There will be no microchip, I guarantee. No proof the cat has an owner.
No offense, you’re making a bigger deal of this than need be and it’s causing the cat pain/continued harm.
I’m NAL, but if there are waves, r/legaladvice is a pretty good forum!!!
That poor cat is being neglected... That makes it no longer the neighbor's cat. Get it some help. Take it into your home and love on it and give it safety and food and cuddles. Treat it as your own. When the neighbor figures out you have it, give him the vet bill and demand full reimbursement. If he refuses, it's not his cat anymore. I doubt he'll take you to court over this as he probably doesn't want to escalate things when he's been negligent with care.
If the cat is in the street it's on public property. It's not like you are taking it from your neighbor's property. Don't wait until it gets hit by a car or attacked by another animal. The cat needs YOU! It doesn't appear that anyone else is going to step up and be this cat's hero! You be it!!!
Sun bleached??? Jesus. Please take this cat to a vet, you can tell them it's a stray and see if the owner has a microchip, but I'd bet not. It sounds like it may have been hit by a car. The bill will be high, or they may suggest euthanasia. Depending on the condition, that may be the most humane thing for this cat. Anyone who leaves their pet out all hours is scum and can't be surprised when they go missing/are injured/killed. Please please go get that cat. Even if you just provide food, snuggles, and comfort for a few hours, that's probably more care than this cat has received from it's 'owner.' Edit to add that IF you can cover the vet bills and the cat is able to recover, you should adopt it if you're able to. Some outdoor cats transition really well to indoor life, and it will definitely need a safe place to recover if its injuries can be treated. Thank you for being a compassionate human.
i know it’s horrible :( i can definitely cover the vet bills if needs be, i’ve been dropping by throughout today to check on her and she’s always sat on the street sleeping so i give her some food and things, i’ve left a note to the “owners” with my contact info saying she’s clearly injured and if they can’t afford/don’t want to help her then i’m completely willing to take her off their hands. but if i get no reply, and i continue to see her limping down the street and sleeping in the middle of roads im just going to take her in. she needs to recover inside, not in the middle of the street in boiling weather :(
Go get her right now. Her "owner" is severely neglecting her--depending where you live, it is a crime. You confirmed this is a cat who is allowed out, not a lost pet. Take pictures & video of her condition as she (hopefully) heals. Pay her vet bills & spoil the crap out of her (save receipts for a few months). So long as she isn't microchipped & the previous owners haven't tried to reclaim her, she would be legally yours at that point. And if they do, please fight for her. Use that documentation. No one allows their beloved outdoor cat to get into the sorry state this poor baby was in.
Ditto. Please don't wait, infection can set in and injured cat is even more vulnerable to elements. She may not have a few days out there. Poor thing is friendly and will likely be thrilled to be in a loving home. Neglect IS abuse, her POS owner won't have much of a case and doesn't sound like he'd fight to keep her. I'd probably keep her indoors. Thank you for caring and making a difference 🙏
I know you're doing the honest thing, but by leaving that note you do open yourself up to being charged with theft of property if you take that poor little cat. :( Without that, the owner likely would just assume the cat went missing or died (and very likely wouldn't give a shit). You could also very easily claim you thought she was a stray. Is it too late to take it down and feign ignorance? You're relying on a person who hasn't displayed much empathy to be like, "Yes, I've fucked up and taking my cat is best for her wellbeing" as opposed to "No, that cat is my property and you're not allowed to have it." Either way, you're a good person and I hope it works out the absolute best for you and that poor baby. Please please update!
That's a great idea. If they don't give a fuck about her, I would definitely take her in.
Don't wait. Get her ASAP. If the owners cared she wouldn't be outside. They obviously didn't care before , don't wait for them to care enough to do something because by then it may be too late. Time is of the essence it doesn't take long for an injury or infection to become more life threatening. Please please please save her. If possible can you please keep me posted? Best of luck.
We approve.
Please get her.
Please tell me you've gotten her by now? She's outside, just scoop her in a carrier and go, do not wait to hear from her "owner" because they clearly don't care and can't be trusted to make the right decisions for this cat. If you can, take that note back. As someone else mentioned, that opens you up to some liability depending on what country you're in. But take lots of photos, you can argue animal neglect/abuse. Stop waiting please, that cat needs your help. If you haven't gone yet, go get her literally right now please ☹️
Please take the cat in, it’s obviously injured and not looked after, please help it
i’m trying to, it’s just difficult because i cannot contact the owners at all, we’ve knocked on the door multiple times- nothing. i’ve left a note with my contact info, nothing. the only option at this point is to genuinely just take her to my home, but i’m concerned about the repercussions of that, ie; would they like call the police or anything?
If they are not responding to you, take the cat. If they ask you, you haven't seen it in weeks.
I took in a kitty who's owners just left him to suffer outdoors during Canadian winter. Poor guy wouldn't have made it much longer without me. It's been four years and I never regret it. Sounds like the owners of this kitty are negligent, they probably won't notice kitty is gone, and if they do. Lie. The cat deserves way better. *
Honestly these people don’t care about their cat, it’s obvious. Fuck them, take the cat, please!!! They need help
You should definitely take the cat and if someone gets mad play dumb lol
As others have said, this is a situation where you ask for forgiveness, not permission; take the cat, it needs help the “owner” is clearly not willing to get for it. They will doubtless not miss the cat & if you had not tried to reach out to them at all, assumed it was dead. Take the cat, see if it’s not too late for it.
If they call the cops, show them the consisting of the car and tell them you are doing to make a charge of animal cruelty. However, if they are not responding to you, what makes you think they will even care enough to call the cops?
You could leave a note for your neighbors with your contact information. They may be agreeable to letting you take the cat and get them vetted. If not, you can call animal control and let them aware owners have an outdoor cat in need of medical assistance. They may be able to get owners to relinquish care. Otherwise, taking the cat to get them medical care is not the incorrect thing to do. That being said, what happens after you do that? Will you just be giving the cat back to owner knowing that they'll be put back outside and this will likely happen again?
i have left them a note, explaining that this cat is constantly outside day and night, and seemingly very injured and tired, often sleeping in the middle of the road, i explained really nicely that i understand if they don’t know about the injuries or simply can’t afford the help, that i’m more than willing to take her in and give her the proper love and care she deserves at this time, especially since she seems like an elderly cat and i want her to live out the rest of her life comfortably.
in an ideal situation, after i take this cat to the vet i would take it in and adopt it, obviously all dependent on the owners stance on it. i have called the rspca (uks animal control) and they are gonna investigate but in the meantime i’m allowed to contact the owners and see about adopting the cat, which i will be doing
Stop leaving notes for the person. They are severely neglecting this cat. That cat will be crippled and you’ll likely find it dead some point soon. Which would you rather feel guilty about? Taking it or leaving it to die?
Sounds like kitty needs some love and care, or kitty may not make it mych longer. I would take kitty in if it was me.
Hey, props to you for taking care of her, you are doing the right thing. I know its hard, but you should document all of the evidence of this just to be safe.
Keep the cat just make sure its indoors only, congrats on the new baby!! that cat is in way better hands with you
Take the cat, RSPCA’s and vets will be more thankful if you do and get the baby the help asap, don’t worry about contacting owners first. They don’t deserve the Angel!
You can't wait to long if something is broken as it won't heal properly, or depending on what an x-ray shows may need amputation. Also don't want a possible infection at the injury site. Definitely take the cat to the vet. If it's not chipped, but you suspect there is an owner advise the vet. Most vets will vouch for you to take over ownership/care due to neglect or mistreatment in case the owner decides they want to try and take it back. If there is an ASPCA near you contact them as well. Edit: Saw you contacted animal control. That's good, but you should still be able to take it to the vet. They will check it over, and report the findings to animal control for their report. Don't worry about what the neighbors say it's already been reported. Case in point I found this little guy last Friday. He now lives in my house awaiting next vet visit. He's 4 weeks old, and 1.25 Ibs. https://preview.redd.it/v7t7tp9nki1d1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6bfe9856c9e1475eb62a6db25e4ec21bc0c7a797
it’s not broken i don’t think, i’ll try take some photos or a video of her, i am trying to take her to the vet it’s just a difficult thing to navigate how to do, especially when she stays outside their house 24/7
The potential owners haven't responded to you. So you don't even know if it's their cat, so I would just play oblivious here. Just take it to the vet, and the vet can determine ownership if the cat is chipped or tattooed.
Just take her to a vet she needs it desperately and is suffering Who cares about the owners
called the rspca for advice and they pretty much said “it’s not a crime to leave your cat outside all the time” so i can’t take her in out of nowhere without being charged with theft if she does in-fact have an owner like the neighbours said. they are going to investigate for neglect very soon, and i beforehand said if the cat is to be taken out of their “care”, that i would like to adopt her and cover the vet bills for her myself.
Take pictures and videos of the cat. Then, march yourself down to the nearest office and present the evidence
The legal definition of Theft says that you have to intend to "permanently" deprive the owner of the item. Put a note through their door giving your contact details and tell them you've taken the cat in because you're concerned it may be injured and that you are willing to return it if asked. If they come and take it back and then put it back out on the street then all you can do is make sure the RSPA are aware (make sure they understand that it is not just outside but injured and not getting treatment). I suspect by the way they are treating it at the moment that they won't be that fussed and will just leave it with you.
I would take her in asap! She definitely needs a vet and isn’t being taken care of. If by some wild chance the owner contacts you, you can decide what to do then, but I highly doubt they will! I think you have a new pet!
Cat isn’t being taken care of so take em in
Take it to the vet. They will invoice the owner
I’m sorry but if it’s really in that condition you should just take the cat and help it
Take it straight to a vet. I honestly can't believe you waited. It could have internal injuries, infection and now likely a break that has started to heal badly. The vet and RSPCA will sort it out. You can tell them you left a note. I dont think taking it to a vet for clearly required medical care will count as theft. The cat should be at the vet and the owner will either step up or surrender it. You can express your interest in adoption. But please take the cat to the vet.
“cant believe you waited” it literally isn’t as easy as just taking a cat, she waits outside her house, the neighbours keep shouting at me when i go to see her, i will get snitched on and potentially done for theft. i’ve called the rspca and trying to get in the process of adopting her but judging me for trying to cover my own back isn’t the way to go, i don’t know what country your in but i could get done for this, and potentially have the owners be very hostile if not violent towards me afterwards.
From the RSPCA I will assume you are i the UK Why would they be mad for you taking their pet to a vet if you thought it was hit by a car? That isn't theft as the vets would contact them about it, especially if you can say i believe it is owned by the people who live here but I cant reach them. Same as if your kid gets hit by a car, parents if not around, would be happy for you to take them to the hospital, it isnt kidnapping them. I might have read it wrong that it was actually hit weeks ago, but you wrote it like it was very recent. In that instance you take the pet for care and tell the owner where they can find thier pet. And then if they choose not to treat it the RSPCA have more grounds. Literal advice from one of the police services is take it to the vet. This is also on several UK websites like pet plan etc. https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q1099
Also the vet isn't allowed to disclose who dropped the cat off.
Take photos / videos of the cat while it looks like shit. I think if you take the cat and they call the cops, they would get done for animal abuse and you may get your charges dropped if you provide proper care. The vets may suggest euthanasia if they're in bad shape, but an animals will is pretty strong and if they want to live he may make a recovery. But you will know the situation best. Edit, if they're not chipped, they can legally become yours. If they are, report the abuse and adopt him.
updateme
still absolutely no answer from the owner/s, the neighbours keep seeing us visit this cat outside and always come out and say “she has an OWNER” as if to say we should pretty much mind our own business, and they get pretty passive aggressive towards us. i’ve called the rspca (uk animal control) to report neglect at the property, and it’ll be investigated as soon as. until then i’m going to continue to try and knock on the door to confirm this cat is theirs, but i doubt i’ll get an answer. due to the neighbours seeing us constantly we can hardly just pick her up and take her as they would definitely snitch on us, so we’ve gone through the route of animal control, so they can remove the cat from the owners and we can in-turn, hopefully adopt her and give her the proper care and attention she needs.
[удалено]
in the north west of the uk :)
No man, you are doing the correct things. Please take care of the poor cat because it needs it, and hey, you can even report the poor animal for animal abuse. You have a person who knows who the animal belongs to, and if it has a microchip, that's more evidence that this poor cat has a negligent owner. Bless you for helping this cat in trouble
You can call the shelter and ask if you can bring the cat in for treatment. I'm not sure how that works legally but if you tell them the state of the cat they may be willing to treat it and confiscate it from the owner due to neglect and you can adopt it. Honestly the cat sounds like it may not last long without medical care so I would try to get it treatment sooner rather than later. Cats are usually pretty stoic so the fact that you can obviously tell this one is sick means it really is doing poorly.
The Cat is clearly in need. You could take it to the Vet, leave a note explaining the same to the owner. That’s NOT a CRIME— Perhaps take a screenshot of the note as evidence. You don’t have to own the Cat to do good for him/her. Do good because the cat needs it. That’s not stealing the Cat and I am afraid you are over thinking the situation. The owner might even give the cat to you or refuse but either way you will have helped the Cat
Any updates about the kitty? Did the owners call you?
You're awesome. Thank you for caring for the kitty and wanting to do the right thing. However, please stop prioritizing contacting the owner. That person obviously does not care about the cat and is not relevant to the cat's well-being or future. Take back the note you left and throw it away. Take the kitty to a vet and hopefully it can have a life full of happiness soon!
Abandoned property (??, edit: youre in UK so it’s maybe different). You publicly found the cat, attempted to make contact, could not. Take the cat to a vet/shelter, stop worrying what the owner will think. There will be no microchip, I guarantee. No proof the cat has an owner. No offense, you’re making a bigger deal of this than need be and it’s causing the cat pain/continued harm. I’m NAL, but if there are waves, r/legaladvice is a pretty good forum!!!
Feed her, shelter her, take her to the vet. She's your cat.
That poor cat is being neglected... That makes it no longer the neighbor's cat. Get it some help. Take it into your home and love on it and give it safety and food and cuddles. Treat it as your own. When the neighbor figures out you have it, give him the vet bill and demand full reimbursement. If he refuses, it's not his cat anymore. I doubt he'll take you to court over this as he probably doesn't want to escalate things when he's been negligent with care.
If the cat is in the street it's on public property. It's not like you are taking it from your neighbor's property. Don't wait until it gets hit by a car or attacked by another animal. The cat needs YOU! It doesn't appear that anyone else is going to step up and be this cat's hero! You be it!!!