Do you think this cat doesn't have a home?

[Sn0wflake]

So I'm on maternity leave and I noticed in about January that a long haired black and white cat was spending all the daylight hours in our garden. Sitting on shed roof in clump behind bamboo and other places.

On rainy days under our wooden seat.

I've gone down at night and I'm not sure....she is mostly black and I might not be able to see her (?) in some of the crannies.

She looks just a little dusty and dog eared but not terribly so. She doesn't like you to get more than a 4 feet from her. She has no collar.

I felt sorry for her and gave her a bit of milk and water a couple of months ago. She liked that. After a while I got some cat food and a bowl and started to feed her twice a day and put out water for her. She comes to the door morning and evening asking for food.

Basically do you think it's normal behaviour for a cat to spend all daylight hours in somebody else's garden even on cold or rainy days?

We are trying to sell our house and I don't want to leave her behind if she has no home.

Thanks

The Cats Protection people can give you a paper collar which you can put on her which will alert her owners if she does have one.

Most cats have at least two homes IME. They are quite adept at appearing pathetic too

And frankly, why would she go home, her owners are probably at work and you feed her during the day. Let's face it, you've become staff

True!

But I just went down to the bottom of the garden and she's in her nest behind the bamboo now (7.40pm). I would have thought she would go home....she is in the garden all weekends as well as week days.

The paper collar thing is a great idea. I'm not sure I'll be able to get near enough to her to put in on though. Still if she never lets me near her I can't really take her with me. I'll just worry she is alone.

Tom cats that haven't been neutered tend to wander and don't settle in a home, so could be a tom that has wandered away from his home or something. Our neighbours have two cats and so do we and all four of them hang out together, but it is clear from looking at them that they have homes - they are well-fed, glossy-furred etc. We got our older cat because he was a tom that had wandered and a lady was feeding him and didn't want to leave him whilst she went on holiday so took him to the RSPCA and he was neutered and is now very very settled. I would call Cats Protection League for advice.

Where do you live because it sounds suspiciously like my cat, which is why she never eats any food I give her

I have 3 cats - 2 are out and about all the time.
One is black and white and fluffy and loves sitting in other peoples' gardens so I've been told.She looks v scruffy as we are not allowed to get near enough to brush her.
You don't live near me do you snowflake??

I don't know why I think it's a female cat (but I have not noticed male genitalia).

I'll call CPL on Monday then.

TheFoosa, sharbie - I live in Walthamstow off Queens Road.

No not mine.Iknow they like a walk but not that far.