Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this cat a stray?

43 replies

user1471604011 · 12/12/2019 21:03

Not really an Aibu but more of a wwyd. I’ve noticed over the past week my cat has been playing with another cat in our street (unusual for him, normally hates other cats).

However in the past few days I’m becoming concerned that this cat is a stray. My cat gets let out early in the morning (approx 6am) and everyday this cat has been sat outside our door waiting for him to come out. We let our cat in and out throughout the day and most of the time he is with this cat, until he gets let back in at 10 at night where he leaves the other cat sitting outside our door. There’ll be times during the day where my cat is inside and I’ll see this cat sat waiting for him aswell. There was also a night where I heard the cat meowing outside around midnight.

Is there any way for me to tell if this cat is a stray? There’s no collar but my cat doesn’t wear a collar either as he kept losing all his breakaway collars. The cat doesn’t seem skinny but it always looks quite dirty, though it is white. If the cat was a stray I would definitely consider taking it in, but equally don’t want to take it in if they have a home. Just getting worried as the weathers been so bad recently and I hate the thought of it being left outside overnight.

OP posts:
Fallofrain · 13/12/2019 08:29

In my experience within cat rescue as part of a wider rescue, cats are far far more likely to have an owner than not. We often get calls about ownership disputes as cats will go to food often

Many atime people would tell us a stray cat turned up on their door step, and "chose" them. They would accept the cat and often the cat would have multiple homes on the same street (sometimes going by different names at each house!) All blissfully unaware of each other.

Sadly microchipping isnt that common for cats (especially older ones) so no one is sure.

Literally a couple of days ago we had a cat that was rehomed after moving in with a family 7 years ago, and they took it with them when they moved house etc but now child was allergic. Turns out by some luck original owners number on chip still worked and they had lived a close away originally and put up posters when the cat went "missing" when the other family took him in, and he stopped comming home. New family had been dutifully concerned about a stray cat and over time had progressed from feeding to taking in at night so over time he moved. Originally family cried when they got their cat back.

Obviously there are a small portion of strays but its generally not the case if it looks okay eg isnt really unkept/really underweight

Agree with posting in local fb, also put up posters (try and think as a cat moves though, home may not be your street, it might be up alleys, over fences etc, my garden is 2 gardens away from a house thats about 6 roads away if that makes sense). Paper collars are good, lots of cat rescues have templates online. Take to vet for micro chip if you are concerned

Oilyoilyoilgob · 13/12/2019 08:48

Get a collar with a little barrel in with a note. I did this for our ‘stray’ and turns out he lived the other side of the drive.....I got a call from his owner the same day I put the collar on him! He just really enjoys our garden and my cats Felix as good as it looks 😂

I still give him the odd one but I’m now wise to the big wide ‘puss in boots’ eyes!

user1471604011 · 13/12/2019 09:09

Not been any sign of the cat so far today so hoping that means they’re at home and have an owner, going to try paper collar today if I can get close enough, though cat does definitely look well fed so pp have put my mind at rest a bit

OP posts:
Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 13/12/2019 09:16

If he is a white cat there is a good chance he is deaf so will be more vulnerable if outside a lot. He might also be difficult to catch to put a paper collar on. If you can’t find out if he has a home just keep an eye on him. Ensure there is somewhere he can shelter and doesn’t start to get thin.

Delbelleber · 13/12/2019 09:45

Total long shot here but my mum's black and white long fur cat went missing from Fife when she moved there last last year....we would all love for him to turn up! We think he is trying to get back to Edinburgh. Couldnt be same cat could it🐈 sorry if that is just unreasonably random to ask!

k1233 · 13/12/2019 10:04

My cat used to go to the neighbours either to eat the stale cat food they tossed out for the birds or to waltz into their kitchen and eat straight out of his bowl. The kicker being it was a brand of kibble she refused to eat at home! Luckily the neighbour was lovely and believed me when I told her cat was fed at home Grin

user1471604011 · 13/12/2019 12:09

@Delbelleber so sorry to hear about your mums cat Sad I’m a wee bit away from fife and this cat is brown and white, I’ll attach a photo just in case though

Is this cat a stray?
OP posts:
Branster · 13/12/2019 12:24

Thank you for the update OP. I’m unhealthily invested in this story.
She looks like she gets fed somewhere.
Reading all the other posts, it seems to me like these cats are such chancers!

Mumdiva99 · 13/12/2019 12:29

Cat besties!!! Aaah how lovely. I didn't know cats made friends.

fuckingwhat · 13/12/2019 12:32

I love that they're mates Grin

Lovely looking cat

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 13/12/2019 12:36

Are you absolutely sure your cat's been neutered properly? Because serious devotion in cat terms is often hormonally driven. Happened to us long ago. The operation had been botched. The new vet redid her for us.

Thestinkycheeseman · 13/12/2019 12:41

Aww my cat has a cat that knocks on for him 😀
The random cat sits on the outside windowsill and meows till my my cat goes out and then they walk off together 😀

Delbelleber · 13/12/2019 12:46

Aaw lovely looking cat thanks for posting a picture. Not our jess though x

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 13/12/2019 12:59

It's almost certainly NOT a stray. My cat went missing for 3 months. She had bolted scared & couldn't find her way home (we hadn't had her long). She was found a few roads away, eating food which an elderly couple left outside for their own cats. They knew she was eating it and had managed to ignore our many posters etc.

Hope you get an answer OP

user1471604011 · 13/12/2019 17:07

Just went to let my cat in and he brought white cat with him, white cat runs away everytime I try to open the door so can’t get close enough for a paper collar but going to keep an eye, cat seems a lot cleaner than it was so I’m thinking it must be getting let in somewhere!

Is this cat a stray?
OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 13/12/2019 17:14

That's not a stray,look at the size of him Grin

My cat has a playmate too,they rule the neighborhood together. Leave them to it.

Seeingadistance · 13/12/2019 17:58

Is there are local Facebook group you could post a pic of the cat on? I did that in the summer when one of mine went awol for a couple of days and my neighbours posted a reply to say she’d been in their garden all day playing with one of their cats!

Branster · 13/12/2019 18:33

They look sooo cute!
‘Thestinkycheeman* that’s such a nice story.
I wonder what these pairs get up to - maybe they go to the other cat’s home and spend the day together when the other owners are out?!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page