If in doubt - feed

[thecatneuterer]

Not exactly a thread about a thread - more a thread about lots of threads.

We so often see the advice from contributors on here that you shouldn't feed a cat you see hanging around, even if it looks hungry, as it might have owners. Well yes, it might have owners, but it might also be stray/abandoned/starving and if no one feeds it then it will end up like this rescue I was called to yesterday:

www.facebook.com/celiahammondanimaltrust/posts/830773006933560

When looking for this cat I went knocking on lots of doors and most people had said that yes, they had seen a very thin, desperate looking cat hanging around for the last couple of months. When I asked if anyone had fed it most just shrugged and said no as 'it was nothing to do with them' (fair enough - you can't make people care), however a couple of nice people said no, they hadn't wanted to as they were worried it might belong to someone. So that cat was slowly dying of starvation as a result.

So, if you're worried about a cat, please do feed it. Then to check if it has an owner use a paper collar, or get it scanned for a chip (for free) at any vet.

Oh my TCN!! That poor girl
She looks so thin
Thank you for getting to her in time

I second your post. I have only had the pleasure of rescuing one abandoned cat (Stanley) and yes I went into work at 7am to feed him. I would always come down on the side of caution with a hungry cat and definitely feed.

The bastards who left that poor girl need prosecuting

Thanks for pointing me to this. Poor girl.

Our stray boy has eaten half a can of Whiskas plus some biscuits, had a long drink (out of the sink!!) but won't stay in.

He's asleep (as far as I can see) in a cardboard box behind the bin. Dd2 has put a blanket in there as we though that was where he was. I'll give him breakfast etc but I genuinely can't get to a vet or SSPCA until the weekend - dh working away and I'm disabled and can't drive.

But we won't leave him to starve!!

Poor girl, how could anyone let her get like that?

There was a cat who we used to see in the service road behind our house. At first it wasn't clear he was a stray but we noticed he was getting thinner and thinner so we started feeding him. He's now living with my Mum as we couldn't keep him. He's got a few health issues but is doing well.

I was worried at first that I was feeding someone's cat but then I though if he's that thin he's not getting enough food, he had bald patches and he was out in all weathers.

Poor wee Kitty. On the flip side of that though is there is a stray cat by us who was owned by am old lady who unfortunately died. He is still hanging around the house. Everyone is feeding him and as it's summer it's not too bad but all the charities and the RSPCA don't want to know because people are feeding him! I would take him in but we've got 2 already including a kitten. I really don't know what to do for best!

Bigcat: two cats is nothing! I'm sure you can fit one more in:)

It's not that the charities aren't interested if a cat is being fed, it's just to do with priorities. All the rescues are full to the rafters most of the time, and of course things are even worse in kitten season, so they have to prioritise those cats in imminent danger of death/suffering.

If neither you, nor anyone else can take the cat in, I would keep feeding and try the rescues (avoiding the RSPCA though - they are often worse than useless and also euthanase at the drop of hat) again in the autumn, when kitten season has calmed down.

How does he get on with your two?

(Sorry for the slight hijack, TCN.)

I would so take him in I know 3 cats is nothing but think my little cat not the kitten would be really distressed.
The stray is such a lovely friendly boy and in a strange way it has connected everybody. He eats very well at moment! I'm sure we will find him a home as so many people are looking!
Sorry for hijacking thread!

Is she going to survive TCN?

That's not a thread hijack! It is a thread about stray cats after all.

Fluffy: we don't have any definitive news yet. She's eating very well but does have appalling squits - but's that's only to be expected after starvation. The vets didn't get a chance to do bloods yesterday and I'm not sure if they've been done yet today. There is every chance that there is nothing more than starvation and a loose and painful front tooth going on. Thyroid problems are another possibility - but these too could be managed/cured. So, to sum it up, we're hoping for the best.

I really hope she makes it and gets the forever home she deserves.

We really wanted to keep 'our' stray but it wasnpt going to work as he was swiping at Harry. Harry over grooms when he's stressed and I couldn't take the risk of upsetting him. We ended up buying a cat kennel for the stray and, when she lost her dog, Mum agreed to take him. I'm so glad he's got the home he deserves as it was breaking my heart seeing him sitting in the garden waiting for food.

I just thought I'd update this tread. I've been fostering little Lois and she's more or less doubled her weight and I'm managing to control the diarrhoea with special food (mainly chicken and rice). The vets suspect she may lymphoma (due to seeing a thickened bowel on the ultrasound I think), but that can only be confirmed by a biopsy and she's not strong enough for that just yet.

On the other hand she's doing so well that it probably isn't that, and even if it is then it's not affecting her at the moment. Depending on the results of the eventual biopsy she will either be looking for a permanent home or, if it is lymphoma, will probably end up staying with me.

Here are some photos of her in my spare room with five kittens I'm also fostering (that's on top of my normal 18 - one died last week - residents).

She looks a little rough still - but heck of a feisty with it. (Great eyes and attitude.) If that's her nearly doubled her weight, she must have been a desperate wee scrap when she came to you.

Well done, TCN and CHAT.

You can see photos of her when she first came to us in the link above Cozie

Found them. Lordy - she was in a bad way.

She looks like she's doing ok

I WANT THOSE KITTENS!

crazynanna pm me your address and I'll get them couriered over

She's not joking, either!

(Or at least not completely.)

Speaking of these kittens, we had three sets of people coming to rehome kittens last weekend. However I was told not to even bother bringing these kittens in for them to see as all three of them had said they wouldn't even consider black ones

Extraordinary. All three sets?

Yep

Don't want the black ones

After my Poppy, that is the only colour I would ever have

She looks much better TCN.

What is it with black cats? It's just a coat colour after all.

Crazy Poppy would never forgive you.

If they're hanging round for more than a couple of days I feed them, but that's if there's no collar on. 90% of the time is cats from couple of roads away just going for a stroll and they usually go back home after a day or so.

Those kittens are adorable and the rescue looks so much better!

However, this has reminded me that I need to put my cat's "Do Not Feed Me" collar back on. No one is ever going to mistake him for a starving stray though. 2 weeks in a cattery has not been good for the fat, lazy beast!