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Is this cat lost/abandoned or just a chancer?

11 replies

lubeybooby · 19/01/2013 10:27

Hi all

There's a cat been hanging around my garden the last few days, that doesn't appear to have gone anywhere else in that time that I've noticed.

She keeps coming through my catflap and eating my cats food, til one of them catches her and sends her packing!

I've been around at all kinds of funny times of day and night, eg the other night was up til 3am, went out to see if it was snowing and the cat was still there then. It's been around day and night for a few days.

She seems quite plump and well looked after though, groomed, with collar that has a little bell on.

I don't know what to do?

If she is lost or abandoned I will take her up to our local charity I suppose but how can I tell for sure?

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cozietoesie · 19/01/2013 10:31

Can you get close enough to see if she has a tag on her collar?

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lubeybooby · 19/01/2013 10:35

ah that's a good idea. I'll try when she next pops in to try and steal food!

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MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 19/01/2013 10:37

Take her to the vets so they can see if she has a chip?

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NotSpartacus · 19/01/2013 10:38

If you can get close to her stick a note on her collar aking her owner to get in touch.
But, tbh, I would bet she's just greedy.

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cozietoesie · 19/01/2013 10:39

Plump, well groomed and with a collar sounds to me like she's got herself lost or something is untoward about her situation. (Rather than a pure stray.) In this weather, I wouldn't have thought that owners would purposefully leave her out all night.

Maybe ask around the neighbours just in case they know her?

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weegiemum · 19/01/2013 10:39

Ime all cats are chancres!

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cozietoesie · 19/01/2013 10:40

And it's true - she could be a greedy guts. Just that I wouldn't have thought she'd be foraging at 3 in the morning. Do you have snow around yet?

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lubeybooby · 19/01/2013 10:51

Yeah we have quite a lot of snow.

She's currently sat outside under my hedge. Won't let me near, she just runs off... but then is back 10 mins later same spot.

If she comes in on the steal though I think I could lure her closer.

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lubeybooby · 19/01/2013 10:55

Just as I typed that she came in, heard the bell on the collar! Little bugger. I managed to look on her collar... no tag. Crap.

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cozietoesie · 19/01/2013 11:01

I'd ask around neighbours and maybe give the local vet/cat rescue a phone to see if they've any reports of a lost cat. Then if she's still around tomorrow or Tuesday, see if you can catch and box her and take her to the vets (road conditions permitting) to see if she has a chip.

In the meantime - does she have somewhere out of the weather that she could sleep if neede? (Say a garage or an outhouse where you could put down an old box of blankets or towels etc. You could get her to go there with nosh.)