What to do about abandoned cat?

[TanaFrench]

Hi, 8 months ago my neighbours started letting their young male cat outside. He was not (and still isn’t) neutered, vaccinated or microchipped. I spoke to the neighbours about this and they said they couldn’t afford it. They started just leaving him outside and not letting him in at all, despite his cries all day long at their door. Every time I looked outside he was always there no matter what time and no matter what the weather conditions were like. He was sleeping in the bushes. I started feeding him and wanted to let him in for shelter but he is aggressive to my cat and there’s been a couple of fights that have scared me so I can’t let him in anymore.

At the time, I spoke to my neighbour and asked if she could let him in but she just said he wants to be outside. Anyway last week they moved house and the cat is still here! I messaged her and she said they couldn’t find him to take him as he was out and they couldn’t wait around for him (this isn’t true, he is ALWAYS hanging around trying to get in). I almost offered to get him and bring him to her but I’m reluctant because what if she just leaves him outside again and none of the new neighbours feed him like I’ve been doing?

My husband build a cat house and has put it in the back for him. But my cat is scared of him and now he’s always hanging around. So far I have contacted 7 rescues/cat shelters to ask if they can take him and every single one has said they are full. Please could I have some advice on what to do? Do I just continue feeding him and letting him live on our back and keep trying the shelters every week? I just feel so bad for him because he WANTS to be indoors. I hear him crying and yowling all the time. Plus he is unneutered and has never had any vaccinations so he is at risk!

I would probably try to rehome him. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Don’t worry I would never advertise an animal free to a good home. I’m going to wait until I can get him into a rescue. Unless a member of my family or friends can take him. I’d never just hand over to a random person from the internet.

Good shout about cats protection I’m going to call them now

Cats protection should be able to supply you with a voucher to have him neuteured for £10.

Hi OP what about contacting the PDSA? www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do

I would take him to be neutered in the meantime while you're sorting it. Bless him man.

Honestly if you can get him done it will make the world of difference. They will live side by side it can be done (don’t as me how many have moved in to mine) Thank you the poor little thing

We had a young cat do similar it was just constantly in our garden trying to get in. I called shelters and all were full and said to feed it and provide shelter but no amount of explanation that we didn’t want the cat in our garden would work - and I couldn’t afford to feed it every day plus my dd was terrified and wouldn’t play in the garden and of the door was open it was trying to get in all the time . Even the rspca wouldn’t help !!! We had a local fb group where a lady would come and check if cats were chipped but it wasn’t 😔 I was surprised at the rspca not helping

The RSPCA are shite nowadays and don’t even come out when an animal is being abused/neglected.

@TanaFrench We adopted a neighbourhood cat in very similar desperate situation. Once he was neutered he got alone fine with our other cat and became a loveable little lap cat. Cats Protection (at that time) would give a voucher for the vet to have the cat neutered, and still the ex-owners couldn't be arsed. Their loss. We got a little sweetheart out of the deal and he got a family that loves him. Good on you for taking care of this little guy. PS. I'm assuming you also have a bowl of water out there with the food

Okay I’ve called some of the bigger places about neutering. So the RSPCA don’t help with strays. They say unless the cat is in imminent danger they can’t help. The PDSA only help with neutering if you meet the criteria.

I have tried to call cats protection but no answer so far. I’ll keep trying

Unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to keep him. But being neutered is definitely going to help him so I am trying.

Yes I always give him a glass of water and he actually drinks it, unlike my cats who never seem to drink water so I have to add it to their food lol

Called cats protection. They said as he is known to have an owner, even though they’ve abandoned him and he isn’t microchipped I would still need to get it in writing from her that she is happy to give up the cat. I wasn’t going to mention that there was an owner but she was saying “are you SURE it’s stray? Usually it’s very difficult to tell if it’s actually stray” so I thought I’m not getting anywhere here so I told her the owners abandoned it and she said I need it in writing from them then.

Then she checked my postcode and said none of the cats protection centres in my area are rehoming currently. So I asked about neutering and she said they have put a pause on neutering atm so wouldn’t be able to help.

honestly I find the bigger charities the most unhelpful. The smaller ones are much better, but once again they are also all full

Oh, just make something up. We took a lovely friendly stray in to be neutered for £10 and just said he’d been hanging around for weeks. It was a local vet not a chain and we rang a number and got a code they gave us a list of vets who were accepting the vouchers. I cant remember who I rung though. I honestly think he will be fine once hes been done.

Try rspca or local cat charity. Say neighbour abandoned him at the property. You don’t know who they are or where they’ve gone.

She's already tried that

I’ve had a similar situation recently. The poor thing was covered in fleas and left out in all weather throughout winter. The difference is our is quite bold so when he was big enough he started coming through our cat flap and making himself at home. Our cat was not happy.
But since then the stray has been neutered and flead by us and, our cat has slowly got used to him and I found them both curled up asleep together on our bed today. There have been months of hissing and postering but they have now seem to have reached some sort of peace deal.

Try Glossop cat rescue. They have fosterers too.

I have tried glossop cat rescue, they are the ones who told me they are full but to leave it with them and they’ll see what they can do. So fingers crossed

There will be vouchers available for neutering, usually Cats Protection I thunk or maybe try PDSA

https://www.cats.org.uk/media/12920/neu_368-subsidised-neutering-crib-sheet-v5.pdf

I already called them today, they said they have paused the neutering so they can’t help

@TanaFrench whatever happened with poor little kitty?