to ask what to do about a stray cat?

[QueenStromba]

I've seen a stray cat a few times outside my house. The poor thing is in a terrible state - it's really thin with long matted fur. I see him out of the window but can never find him if I go out looking for him. Should I call the RSPCA? Would they bother coming out for a stray if I don't know where it is? If they found him would they just put him down? I'd like to put out food for him but there are loads of other cats and foxes in the area so I doubt he'd be the one to eat it unless he was there when I put it out. Does anyone have any experience of this?

RSPCA are shit and probably wouldn't come out anyway.

You're better off Googling Cat Protection charities in your area.

please google haworth cat rescue look on thier advice pages theres lots of good advice on what you can do if you find a cat

There was a cat who would come through our catflap every day, he was in a terrible state with awful looking wounds. I phoned RSPCA who wouldn't come out as no guarantee he would be around (fair enough) but they did give me a reference number to give to my vets. We caught him, took him in and they treated him, no charge to us. He was then rehomed (and promptly ran away, but at least he was in good health!)

The RSPCA won't come unless the animal is in need of immediate vet care. I called them recently and made a massive fuss to get them to come. I think ty ame eventually just to stop me ringing

Cats Protection League are fantastic. Please call asap. Three years our cat disappeared and trust me, it is a horrible feeling not knowing what happened to him.

He may be chipped, a local vet could see whether or not he is.
One of mine has disappeared and someone getting him checked for a chip would be the most wonderful thing they could do for me.

Also this is really useful for lost and found pets:

www.nationalpetregister.org/

Take him into your local vets, they can check whether he is microchipped. Ours then either keep the really old ones or ones needing long term meds or rehome them themselves. (unusual I know)
But they probably do have contacts for rehoming.

Celia Hammond is good as well.

I second not bothering with the RSPCA. My mum called them for a family of mum dad and two kittens, they refused to come out because she was feeding them even though my mum pointed out there were four Toms sitting round the mum. She offered to keep them but needed help to catch them and they refused that as well. It took months but she did catch and keep them all. Both kittens were female, can you imagine how many would be there now. The mind boggles.

Glitterknickaz - sorry about your cat. My friends cat went missing for two months recently. He was found in the next town and returned via microchip.
Fingers crossed for you ((hugs))

Try your local vet. I took a stray to ours, they scanned it for a microchip (wasn't one) and promised to look after it until one of the rescue places would take it.

Do not call the RSPCA. It will probably get put down (as they did with a stray dog we found, called the RSPCA thinking it was the right thing to do but asked that if they could not find its owner to let us know and we would take it in, we rang back a week later for an update and it had been put down )

Try Cats Protection League or your local vet

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've talked to some animal rescue people and it seems they can't really do anything until I've fed him enough that he'll come to me. I've got some tuna in a box in the fridge all ready so I can run outside with it if I see him again. Might go for a walk and see if I can find him.

We aquired a stray the winter before last. SHe hung around the garden for months. She looked healthy and well-fed so we didn't encourage her, but when we found that she was sleeping in the playhouse in that icy cold weather we realised she really was homeless and let her in. Are you in the market for a cat if you could befriend him and get him treated?

Definitely take it to the vet if you can catch it, hopefully it'll turn out to be chipped and will be reunited with a happy owner, or if not at least the vet can check it over & give re - homing advice?

I really do want a cat but I doubt the landlord would agree to it :( I will ask him though if I can catch the poor thing and the vet says he's only malnourished and doesn't need to be put down (he really does look like he's about to drop dead any moment).

Good luck queen. Glad poor mog has you to look out for her/him.

when you see the catrattle a box of cat biscuits - they all seem to know what these are and he may come to you - if he doesn't leave a trail where you have seen him - chances are he may get some

Your vet or the rescue people shoudl have a trap you could bait with the tuna, to catch him in.

The rspca are now a money making organisation since blowing 3.3 million on a new HQ and virtually bankrupting themselves in the process.

Just to add, I was chatting with one of the school mums about a stray cat the other day. She was telling me how he was rake thin and had bald patches, so had obviously never been fed properly or seen a vets.

He happened to turn up while we were chatting, and I don't know who was more when I explained that actually, my cat is 17 and suffers from FAD, and has already cost me a couple of hundred at the vets this year

OP, it's lovely to hear that you are concerned about the stray and wanting to help it. Too many people these days can't be bothered.

Try your best to entice it in with food and check the internet for local cat rescue centres or cat's protection.

Good luck, please let us all know how you get on. :)

I second a chat with Cats Protection and independent, no kill rescue. Ask if they have a trap to loan you. If all else fails please pm me and I will put a call out to rescue contacts to see if someone local can supply one.

Equally your Dog Warden, whose real job is Animal Warden, may have a trap, IF your council has one and has not cut costs by just having a stray dog seizer as demanded by law.

As someone who works with independent rescues I couldn't agree more that the RSPCA are a profiteering nonsense who are unlikely to help, sadly.

Re a trap, bait with smelly food - pilchards work well, the canned ones in tomato sauce, NOT in brine, and which you should rinse clear of sauce first.

You CAN construct a trap yourself using a cat basket or dog crate and attaching a string to it, ready to pull down as soon as the cat is inside (done this!) but of course it means you have to be there indoors, hand on the string, when the cat walks into the cage.

Glad you are looking out for him/her

If he/ she will let you get close, you could put a paper collar with a note and your phone no on it, so that if by chance he IS someone's elderly/ unwell cat, they can phone and let you know before he gets whisked away by cat rescue people.

If note stays on collar and noone phones after couple of days, phone cat protection or similar in your area- most of the cat rescue organisations have traps they will lend, so that the cat can be taken to the vet to check for a chip, and possibly for any treatment. Its also good for local vets and cat charities to have details of the cat just in case someone IS looking.

Fingers crossed for the wee guy- let us know how it turns out!

Good advice Jooly. (But you KNEW that! :) )

PS if the cat is caught and you need help with finding a rescue or funds for treatment, although any caring vet will surely treat a stray FOC, please pm me and I will do my best to help.

Where can I buy one of these traps, I am sick to death of cats fouling in my garden!