Do I take on a stray cat?

10 replies

rickman · 25/04/2006 11:41

It has been hanging around my house since Christmas and is constantly trying to get in.

He is wearing a collar so obviously did belong to someone. He doesn't appear to be starving but if he has a home near by, why does he spend all him time here?

I rang the RSPCA this morning and they seem quite keen for me to take him on and have given me a voucher to get him neutered.

I'm a bit worried that if I do take him on, I'm then going to find out that he does belong to someone else and they won't be very happy. I'm also not sure how he will get on with my cat, although they do seem to play together in my garden now, haven't noticed any fights.

Alternatively, I could get him neutered using the voucher and then hope that someone on here wants to adopt a cat.

OP posts:

SparklyGothKat · 25/04/2006 11:45

Have you phone the CPL, they have a lost and found book. My cat was missing for 4 weeks and he came home yesterday. I phoned all the vets, and the CPL, I also put notices on websites. Maybe someone is missing him.

PinkTulips · 25/04/2006 11:54

can you check the collar for owners name? most people put a little id barrel on them or at least write a phone number on the inside. if hes had a collar on since xmas it's unlikely hes really stray, cats tend to dislodge collars fairly regularly, never heard of one keeping a single collar on for that long, especially if he's living rough. some cats just spend alot of time outside, mine certainly does, heads off for days at a time sometimes, i'm sure people living around here think he's stray too! this is even more likely if he's un-neutered

if it does turn out to be stray though i'd wouldn't see any reason not to take him in, just take it very slowly and make sure they always have a way out for the first few months as they tend to panic if they feel enclosed, also i wouldn't let him upstairs as strays tend to see no problem with peeing on beds etc, even if they're house trained.

i've taken in 2 strays and 1 of them is still with us, hes the biggest pet imaginable, when he's at home! he's also fantatic with dd

BadHair · 25/04/2006 12:01

Does he look well-fed and generally well cared for? He might well live locally but be trying it on.
Our cat is a big, fat, greedy guts who goes round the neighbours houses and tries to get in to eat their cats' food and sleep on their sofas. We'd had him for 4 weeks before they realised he was ours, they all thought he was a stray - and a walloping big one at that. And they'd been feeding and petting him too.
Needless to say, he gets short shrift from them now.
If you can get hold of him it's worth taking him to a vet to see if he's micro-chipped. His owners may have moved and he could have made his own way back, or he could have got into a delivery truck somewhere and got chucked out with the next delivery. If he has a collar then he's been well looked after and someone will be looking for him.

charliecat · 25/04/2006 12:04

Can you put a new collar with a note in a barrel asking if hes a stray, in other words, could owners please respond before you do take him in?
My charlie was a stray who wouldnt go away, really wouldnt go away, couldnt get out the back door without him diving in the house and he was a skinny runt and is now a big fat boy.

SparklyGothKat · 25/04/2006 12:06

My cat that came home yesterday has got very fat in the 4 weeks he has been missing, I think he has been feeding somewhere else..

jodie1984 · 25/04/2006 16:18

I would definatly find out if he is a stray before you decide wether to take him on or not. Definatly take him to your local vet/ RSPCA center to see if he is micro chipped. if he is not charliecats idea is very good.

bobbynog · 25/04/2006 16:21

I would phone your local cp branch, as someone said, they have a lost or found list. Also, they have scanners to check for microchips. They will also help you to put posters up and leaflet the local area, and if no-one replies, the cat will be yours if you want it.
What area are you in?

expatinscotland · 25/04/2006 16:31

yes.

glad you got your cat back, sparkly.

pebblemum · 25/04/2006 17:44

If the cat is definatley a stray then i would take it in. We did this a couple of years ago and although the cat was only with us for a couple of months before she died I was glad we did. Scabby (the kids named her) had epilepsy and one day she went out and never came back, her body was found 1wk later, she had been attacked by a fox. Even though she cost us a lot in cleaning bills and vet bills I would do it again.

Original poster

rickman · 25/04/2006 21:52

Sorry I haven't got back to this earlier. I spoke to the vet earlier and he said that I could take him down and they would check to see if he was micro chipped. If they thought it was a stray, they would take it in until the RSPCA could rehome it.

The collar is a flea collar, so no details on it. I tried to have a closer look at him today, he seems pretty healthy and appears to have been neutered already. That has made me think that maybe he does have an owner, but prefers my house.

For now I have cut off his collar and will wait and see if another one appears, before I do anything else.

OP posts:

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