What do I do about this stray?

[Emochild]

He keeps wandering into my house whenever the door is open -he's absolutely filthy and won't be touched

Last seen about a week ago, skin condition wasn't visible then but is now

He's also gone for one of my cats I say he, he's no obvious bits but he looks like a boy

I rang the RSPCA last week as someone must be missing him -would a feral cat go in a house?
They weren't interested

Now he's obviously ill, is it worth contacting them again ?

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

Personally I think the RSPCA are useless (long story) but it might be worth contacting Cats Protection. Would you be prepared to trap him if they lent you a trap?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Oh that looks sore, I don't think the rspca will be bothered.

He looks cobby in the face like a tomcat. In an ideal world you would gain his confidence with food and get him down the vet to be scanned for a chip and neutered, and get his skin sorted.

It might be something really simple to treat like flea allergy or just starvation making his skin quality poor.

[Emochild]

The problem with trapping is we are in a very cat heavy area and I have 3 of my own

He will eat food in my house but if you are closer than a foot away he starts hissing and spitting and I think he would do some damage

[Fluffycloudland77]

If he's dirty he's too poorly to care. If you can lure him into a small room with food then he can be backed into a corner and scooped into a carrier and the door shut behind him.

He's not coping too well being a stray by the looks of it. Probably dumped because no one wants the b&w ones, grey is more fashionable or ginger toms.

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

I agree with trying the cats protection or vets. Poor thing looks like it's having a rough time.

[Emochild]

I'll try the cat box route -mine won't go in it!

[thecatneuterer]

Poor boy. He's obviously an unneutered tom. No one will be missing him. He will have either been abandoned or gone missing (chasing lady cats and not being able to find his way home) a long time ago. He has been stray for so long that he is now wary of people, but he will come round soon enough I'm sure.

He has obviously been fighting (because he's not neutered) and could well have a flea allergy. One way or another he needs to go to a vet and be neutered/flea treated/wormed at the very least.

There is no point trying to take him to a rescue - they are all so overrun with cats and a not very friendly, battered looking black and white tom will never get a home.

So if you care about him at all you either need to borrow a trap and trap him in your garden, or get Cats Protection to do (hopefully they'll have manual rather than automatic traps so the fact that there are a lot of cats around will make no difference), or simply feed him and gain his trust and you will eventually just be able to put him in a cat carrier.

The RSPCA will do nothing though. Or, if by some miracle they do, they will have him put down.

You're not in London are you?

[ThisIsClemFandango]

It looks like the beginning of mange, poor thing
Do try Cats Protection, IME they are very good.

[thecatneuterer]

Fluffy has a good idea about luring him into a room (but make sure all windows - even those you think are too high up/small to get through - are closed)

[Emochild]

I'm not in London, i'm ooop north

Is it worth me trying to flea/ worm him with my cats treatment if I can get close enough?

I did think it might be flea allergy -he has a bit round his neck but none on the rest of his body -other than his face obviously

I do care what happens to him -he's a cat, of course I care -but I don't think he's ever going to get on with my cats, one of them is petrified of him

[Tiptops]

I think he really needs to see a vet before any treatment is put on him. If it is a skin condition it might be agitated by flea treatment which is awfully chemically on sore skin.

I would call CPL now or any other reputable rescue centres near you. There may be a waiting list before they can take him in so best to call asap.

Hope he gets sorted, poor boy.

[thecatneuterer]

Personally I would do the flea treatment if you can. As long as the bit at the back of his neck isn't sore.

Neutering is a priority though. After that he's less likely to get fight injuries and would be more likely to get on with your cats. If he carries on living outside and you just feed him it would be better than nothing.

[Ruhrpott]

I borrowed a manual trap from a cat charity to trap a stray. Caught mine twice, was no problem you just let them out again and reset it. We finally managed to catch the stray after about 10 days and get it neutered and then rereleased it.

[Ruhrpott]

Now I am going to start fostering for the cat charity

[Fluffycloudland77]

That's a lovely thing to do Ruhr.