Neighbors away, cats visiting

[Wallywobbles]

Any thoughts on the following.

Neighbors (are dairy farmers) and the tenants in their cottage have been away for a good 10 days. It's minus 4 at least at night at the moment. Lovely cat has been left outside to fend for itself.

She chases our springer, scares our cats and is a formidable hunter. Now normally she avoids us as we are not her humans, but over the last 4 days she has got very very friendly.

Our cats are out doors cats. We live very rurally, between farms so their are barns to sleep in etc. Lots of dry food is always available in our barn so she's not going hungry. And we feed quite a few ransoms as well as a few regulars.

Any thoughts on what if anything I should do. She came in briefly this morning until the dogs arrived home from the 2 days at the beach. DH would be massively unimpressed by an indoor cat. And she is the most ferocious cat ive come across in a long time. The kind that would drag home a small deer!

[Fluffycloudland77]

I'd bring her in. You can't leave domestic animals out in -4c.

Are you sure they've gone away and not done a moonlight flit?.

[Wallywobbles]

All there shit + cars seem to be there so I don't think they're gone permanently.

[LivingInMidnight]

Oh dear she's beautiful too. I'd probably want to help her, at least until they're home.

[cozietoesie]

Is she neutered? (I'm wondering whether she's sizing you up as a good rearing place for a litter.)

[Wallywobbles]

How do I tell if she's neutered? My girls are but I can't see how I'd tell. I think she may have had a litter according to my kids but I never saw proof myself.

[Badcat666]

I think she may have decided you are now her forever home .

We had one like this when I was living at home. Was one who lived a couple of streets away (home was a dump) and she just walked in one day and never left (mind you we also had an old stray that came one day and lived out the rest of his days in the back porch very happily!)

She is a beauty!

[Hellmouth]

Poor kitty!

I'd let her stay in, but I am a crazy cat lady :D

To be honest, if it were me, I'd also consider calling RSPCA or Cat Protection, they shouldn't leave her out like that :(

[cozietoesie]

Myself, I'd let her stay in - but try to find out the thoughts of her 'owners'. (But I'm just a softie. The Lodger decided that he was moving in to our house and I couldn't say No. The best I could do was insist on neutering, chipping, curfew etc etc.)

By the way, having a semi or ex semi-feral around the place means you'll likely never have problems with mice again.

[Wallywobbles]

She's really not feral and the owners normally seem quite involved. Which is why I'm bemused by them not making some provision for her. They've lived there for a couple of years but I've never spoken to them. We always have mice though.

[cozietoesie]

The only display of semi-bad temper I've ever seen from The Lodger - a ferocious and skilled hunter - was when I wasn't minded, recently, to remove the skirting board in the basement to let him have at whatever was behind it. (I wasn't even aware we had an issue with mice but I defer to his expertise on this.)

She's a hunter also I think?

[LivingInMidnight]

Some neighbours (although on the street running behind mine) left their boy outside while they went to stay somewhere. As far as I know they never really took him back. He's a lovely thing and is 19. Some owners are odd. My new cats have not been very welcoming to him either so I don't see him too much anymore but I know another neighbour is letting him stay there.

[cozietoesie]

Poor old chap. I'm glad he's found somewhere though.

[RubbishMantra]

Some people do have odd ideas re. cats - leaving them to fend for themselves in -4 weather. They're little desert creatures, so they love heat.

Seems as if you've acquired a new feline family member OP!

[hollinhurst84]

She sounds very much like stable cat (she was eyeing up a deer as a light snack the other month)
You have a new cat for a while

[Wallywobbles]

Well she's still with us and the neighbors appear to be back!!

[cozietoesie]

Have you been to speak to them?

[Fluffycloudland77]

What do the other cats make of it?

[LanaorAna1]

Congratulations on your glorious new kitty!!!!

She is beautiful and looks v at home. Stuff those cruel brutes who abandoned her, I would be v polite-but-brief if they try anything like getting her back. She won't go anyway.

[BlueberryGateaux]

Looks like she's chosen you to be her slaves

[Wallywobbles]

It's been milder of late so she just comes to remind us to fill the dishes when they are empty. The other cats are suitably cautious with her. But enough farm buildings and rodents for everyone so very little fighting that I'm aware of.

[cozietoesie]

It sounds as though she's mentally switched humans.

[cozietoesie]

She has green eyes?

[Fluffycloudland77]

You should congratulate yourself on superior cat ownership skills. Obviously your food is better plus you don't sod off & leave her to it in -4c.

[LivingInMidnight]

She's a clever girl and knows she's landed on her feet

Can't get over how pretty she is!