Stray Cat

[scorpiogirly]

Hello all.

Just looking for some advice in this situation. A few weeks ago I noticed there was a cat sleeping in the side entrance on a large stuffed toy on my neighbours side.

I thought it was just one of the local cats at first but turns out he isn't. I fed him and posted on various lost pet groups.

A woman messaged me to say that he looked like her mother's cat and I was told that her brother would bring his mother to my house as the cat wouldn't go to anyone else.

Anyway, in the end the son just turned up on his own with a cat box. The cat ran away from him across the front gardens and disappeared for a few days. He left the cat box with me. I heard nothing else from them until last week when the original woman messaged me asking if her mother had messaged me about the cat, which she had not. They do not seem bothered about him at all and I'm not wondering if he purposely ran away.

The cat seems terrified of people. No collar. He's been in the side again and I have been feeding him. Part of me is reluctant to contact them again, to be honest I'm not even sure they are anything to do with the cat. At first he was hissing at me if I went anywhere near but is now beginning to trust me and becoming affectionate. Even if they are the owners, I don't want him to go back of he was being abused or neglected, just for him to run away again and potentially get hurt.

It kills when when I wake in the morning and he has been sleeping outside in the cold.

I tried to get him into the house last night. He seemed happy in the hallway as long as the door was open but as soon as I closed it he panicked and wanted to go back out.

He is currently upstairs in my house, just to give him a few hours rest out of the cold.

I've contacted local cat places but they have no spaces to take him right now.

I would be fine with him staying a while but I have a dog who isn't used to cats and would chase him and I also have a severe cat allergy.

What do I do? I can't understand the 'owners'. If I had lost my cat I'd be contacting me every day and looking in the area. They just don't seem to give a crap.

If those people contact you again you can just ignore them.
You could have the cat checked for a microchip at the vets or cat rescue if you can get him into a cat carrier.

Congratulations on your new dcat. The woman would have come round herself if she wanted him back.. Dd found a dcat sleeping in her garden for a few nights. . Posted lots of pics... Woman and her dd came round and he ran straight to them. He was an indoor boy and had gotten out. Clearly he was well loved... Your dcat has chosen you op. You should be chuffed!

Did you not read the OP's post??

I would be fine with him staying a while but I have a dog who isn't used to cats and would chase him and I also have a severe cat allergy.

Awww. I wish I could keep him. Not sure I can. Maybe I can try to make it work.

I think this cat would be or was a house cat. He hasn't really been disappearing in the day and coming back at night, he pretty much lays there all day. He's gotten used to the sound of my car and the front door now. When I get home from the school run he comes to the front meowing for food. I assume it's a he anyway.

I can't have him sleep outside though in this weather, and it's only going to get worse. I was thinking of making him an insulated box but not sure he would use is.

I should also mention that I was on holiday for a week last week and he was still here when I got back. Not sure if he is also getting fed elsewhere.

Here he is. He's lovely too

OP keep him inside and if they contact you again say you've not seen him. They clearly don't care for him and he doesn't want to go home. You now are the owner of this cat.

I have a roamer and he chooses to be outside all weather's. If a door opens he's out like a shot. In the winter months he comes back for a few days at a time then disappears for a while. He's fed by others which annoys me as that's the reason he doesn't always come home.

He was back yesterday but didn't come in last night. I've messaged everyone I know who feeds him to tell them to stop and put a do not feed me collar on him. But that was gone yesterday.

Normally a local scanner will scan him. If he's their cat then you have no right keeping him or rehoming him. In fact after the law change, you shouldn't do this anyway if he's chipped.

As an earlier poster has said, it’d be worth getting the cat checked for a microchip. It’s quite possible that the people who are purporting to be its owners are not its owners. They’re not behaving as most cat owners would.

No, I'd not keep him or rehome him if he has owners. Just concerns me that if they are the owners, that he's not being looked after. I can't understand the mother who is supposedly the owner. I'd be messaging every day if I were her to see if he's been back. Had nothing. They also aren't from my area.

Tbh my cats would run if they saw me approaching them with a cat carrier on the garden, so I don't think that on it's own is a sign he's been abused.

What is strange is that they haven't followed up the failed attempt to catch him, unless the son saw enough to be sure it wasn't their cat?

Either way, it sounds like he's starting to trust you. Cat's are easily won over when there is food and a warm place to sleep. In time you will probably be able to catch him in a carrier and take him to be scanned.

Is your dog chasing in a curious/ playful way or in a 'want to tear you apart' kind of way? That could be the deal breaker. You might develop some tolerance from an allergy point of view, if you want to try, dose up on antihistamines initially and wash your hands/ change clothes are touching him and keep him out of your bedroom. I'm a little allergic but can tolerate my own cats much better than strange cats.

I mean, him running away doesn't mean they're not the owners. I have a nervy outdoor cat and she'd run if she saw a box. Odd they've not been back though. I think if it's someone else's cat you shouldn't take it in or take it to be rehomed.

OP just checking that you are putting a bowl of water for him as well? Really important as a lot of strays get dehydrated (as people think to put food out but not water). Poor little creature-- thank you for being so kind to him.

Yeah I have been putting water for him. Haven't seen him drink any but hopefully he has. Thanks for the kind words 😀

He’s lovely.
He’s obviously chosen you 😁

How bad is your allergy ?
You say severe but obviously you can manage with him in your house ?
Could your dog get used to him through gradual introduction ?

They might not want to keep bothering you. When mine first started stopping out for days at a time I'd knock on doors of those we knew fed him or messaged. But I didn't want to be a pest. Like this cat, some can very much take care of themselves. They could be wandering round the neighbourhood and you've just not seen them.

See if someone can come to scan him. If he's not chipped then someone will have to prove he is theirs

Cats can survive outside- especially if provided with some shelter. Please don’t let the people that contacted you take the cat without proof of ownership. Even without a chip every cat owner will have 100s of photos of their cat on their phone. It should be easy to provide proof. There are terrible people who want spare cats..

The allergy is pretty bad. When bad is causes bumps which scab over. I've had it since a child. The doctor said it's a similar thing to the herpes virus triggered by the allergy. Not sure how it works and I've never come across anyone else having the same. If it gets into my eye it could apparently blind me so it's pretty bad.

Cat isn’t skinny or scabby from photo, mine equates a carrier with the vet and car journey which makers her howl on corners, so also runs off.
keep feeding if you want to and perhaps provide shelter from the wind/ rain.
Cats are good at finding comfort

You're allergic, he likes sleeping outside, sounds like a match made in heaven.

Are they okay outside even in the winter months with frost and what not? I might make him that box with straw and what not to see if he uses it.

The funny thing is, the dog is a springer Spaniel. They're meant to be amazing sniffers and mine is oblivious there's a cat upstairs having a rest lol

I'd get him an outside house. I have one cat that lives outside and has a snug kennel. DH puts extra insulation in and I pop a heated mat in overnight during winter months.
I feed him extra so he chubs up a bit and he has a magnificent winter coat.

Cat will be fine outside- a cheap fleece blanket in a box out of the rain would be perfect- something that would be easy for someone else in your family to deal with - definitely not you if you’re allergic

I'm not a fan of cats living outside, but an insulated Mr Snuggs cabin with a heat pad might be an option. You may find he isn't as happy to stay out when winter comes. My ex ferals now hate outdoors.
The dog can be trained and a stairgate is useful to provide a safe getaway. As for your allergy Purina do a food specifically for cats whose owners are allergic that may help. Thankyou for helping him.

I never intended to have an outdoor cat. This chap turned up, starting going for walks with us and the dog and sleeping in a sheltered part of the garden.
Turns out he's owned by a neighbour but obviously prefers us. My other cats are considerably less onboard with the new friend and will not let him indoors. So, this is our compromise. He's neutered, vaccinated and very street wise and sociable. He's very popular with the children going to school and greets them all as they pass the house. His garden empire now has three shelters and blankets on the garden bench in the summer.