to let the cat in?

[tharsheblows]

I'm fine with being unreasonable on this, but please tell me the cat will be ok overnight if it's a stray.

There's a cat outside meowing to get in. I had let it in earlier - thought it was another cat that visits all the houses around here. That one comes, hangs out and leaves, we don't feed it, the owner is fine with it. Anyway, this cat is not that one. It's thin and now, after checking with my neighbour that it's not hers, I put it back out. The cat is very affectionate, so it must belong to someone?

Would I be unreasonable letting it in? It'll be fine if I don't, right? It's just that it's sitting outside the window, meowing so pitifully....

[AboutThyme]

Not saying that you are not being kind hearted OP because I really think you are.

[Hegsy]

I think you did the right thing and would hope someone would do the same for my boy(but he's a house cat and I'd never let him out)

[AboutThyme]

I am honestly surprised at how many people would let a yowing cat into their home just because it was yowing/meowing. That's what they do. It doesn't mean they are trying to say they are homeless and starving.

[BoatysTinselSails]

I'm awake at this unearthly hour because our darling cat decided to go out through the cat flap then meow and scratch to come back in, waking us up! He has been known to go over the road and scrounge until I asked the neighbour not to feed him as he is on prescription food. Although I think one neighbour still gives him stuff he pukes up over our carpet

[tharsheblows]

Oh no, I hope no one was looking for her last night, I'll feel awful. I'll put her out today and see what happens. My husband took some photos of her, so we can leaflet around here and I can put up notices, too. Someone did that to find out who Eric (the cat mentioned earlier) belongs to. (He just prefers to be inside sometimes to sleep, it turns out. He always goes home though.) And I can check for a chip.

Thanks for all your help / advice. There were no outdoor cats around anywhere else I've lived so it's all completely unfamiliar to me. Jux, I hope you found your cat!

[Midwife99]

You did the right thing - it was minus 6 here - she would have frozen.

[Midwife99]

Sod the tuna - my cat is obsessed by mushy peas!! If anyone opened a tin of them he'd be off!!

[tharsheblows]

It's milder here, I'm in London. It wasn't mild last night but there's no chance of her freezing this morning, so I put her out. She went straight around to what we call our 'kitchen thingy' which has a roof and a door to the kitchenand a door to the outside but is enclosed at the top by a trellis - she came in through that last night.

Had a lightbulb moment and think the cat may have been responsible for the occasional odd noises in there at night. I think she's been sleeping there (the dryer vent is there and a pile of old pillows waiting to die).

She's seems to be a teenage cat and went through our bins last night. Also has no issues with jumping up on the counters! Super cute and lovey though.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I'd probably let it in,though in all honesty as I have a cat flap it would probably let itself in.

One of my cats is ridiculously thin considering his greedy he is. Has successfully eaten himself out of being runt sized! I suspect my other cat is being fed somewhere else though,he often comes back smelling of old fashioned perfume. I don't mind as long as he comes back and they don't make off with him. Cats do what they like really.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

*how

[Jux]

Yep, do the leaflets and a quick knock around on doors round the block, if you can - are you at work? If you are there's not much you can do until this evening (and I won't nag! ).

It sounds like she might have been sleeping in your kitchen-thingy. Soft and warm in there. So she may be a stray.

I hope you either find her owners, or do get to keep her. You sound like you'd be lovely owners for a cat.

(Yes, I did find my cat in the end. She'd been hit by a car and was at a vet. When I'd first rung them, the receptionist said they had no unknown cats, but she'd been brought in in the night and she hadn't known - doesn't explain why I was told they had no cats when I rang the next day though. Anyway, they wired up her jaw, and she made a full recovery. I will always be grateful to the girl who picked her up out of the road and took her in, though I never knew who she was. Thank you, if she's reading. ).

Actually, that's made me think of another thing you could do. Ring round local vets and small animal clinics and ask if anyone's looking for a lost cat.

[tharsheblows]

I've now talked to people and put leaflets through doors with a bad but clear enough photo, an explanation and my phone number. We (the neighbours and I) think we have it narrowed down to a few houses - one of which is in the process of some sort of build with no one living there. Rumour has it that Eric's owner (Eric visits everyone, wish I could ask him) might know and I did leave a leaflet there with the nanny.

Also spoke with the receptionist at the local vet who said just bring him by and they'll scan him or whatever they do to check for the chip and read it if it's there, so I'll do that tomorrow morning. I completely forgot to ask her if she had any reports of missing cats though, argh.

It's not so cold but is windy and rainy here and if the cat belongs to someone, I've talked to enough people and put enough leaflets through doors that they should be able to find her, so we're going to keep the cat in tonight. My husband said that I should do what I would want someone else to do if it were my cat and this is it.

Apols for the overthinking and drama! We have some slightly stressful doctor's appointments and tests and things coming up next week and worrying about them won't change the results. So I'm channeling that worry into doing right by this cat. It's working. :)

[Sparklingbrook]

No cats ever turn up at my house. Sparkling cat keeps them away. Sounds like you are doing the right thing thar, if it was Sparkling Cat all lost I hope she would find someone like you and not the water pistol brigade.

[tharsheblows]

Jux, I forgot to say that I'm glad you eventually found your cat and someone helped her!

Sparklingbrook I'm probably not quite as laid back as I might have come across. But you gave me an idea - next time I have to take the tube with my son at rush hour, I'm going to take a water pistol. Bad commuter! Bad!

[Sparklingbrook]

thar. If the cat is homeless what will you do?

[tharsheblows]

We'll keep her. I was going to ask the vet what we should do next if she doesn't have a chip. I suppose it's wait and see if anyone rings then go from there.

I'm not hugely sentimental about pets, so would be happy to be able to return her. And now I know that we actually like having a cat, if she does go home, we'll probably get one from a rescue.

[Sparklingbrook]

Awww. That's lovely. It would be a nice story if she is reunited with her owner, but either way she gets a home.

[Midwife99]

Ahhhhhhh - reminds me of the children's book The Christmas Kitten which always makes me cry!!

[Jux]

You've done absolutely the right thing. Done what you can to find an owner - if there is one - and ensured that the owner will know how to contact you. Having done that, you can look after her with a clear conscience.

I'm kind of hoping you get to keep her, especially as you're having a stressful time and cats have been shown to lower stress levels.

Love the idea of waterpistols on the tube. Good luck with those appointments.

[Jux]

(Cats have been shown to lower stress levels - especially if you let them sleep on your bed with you )

[BendyBobsBrusselsSprouts]

My cats lower my stress levels.

(Unless they're biffing each other about under the Christmas tree and then they raise it considerably)

[anotheryearolder]

My Dsis let in a thin,starving cat and fed it,cuddled it etc over a bank holiday weekend .
On the Tuesday she took it to the vet who scanned it and found out it was a young cat who had been missing for 6 months.
The owner burst into tears when the vet rang her and my Dsis was invited round to tea with the owner and her DCs.
Feed the cat and take it to the vet for scanning tomorrow .

[Sparklingbrook]

Sparkling Cat leapt into the Christmas tree, and my stress levels soared. I love her so much though. (Pic on profile-there must be a handful of Mnetters who haven't seen her)