My Cat has a new little friend...

[Chicanana]

and it's a really scabby looking cat.

We moved house about 10 months ago and our gorgeous black (neutered) cat has finally got some confidence outside after a few screechy moments with some fluffball bruisers intent on taking his food. In the last couple of weeks a slightly smaller black cat has been making friends with him, which is nice, but it has a big scabby bald patch on its neck and we have seen it on occasion with big drool hanging from its mouth.

I'm happy my cat has a friend of sorts but also worried he could catch something from this cat. We were thinking of trying to catch it and take to a vets - it must have an owner but not sure where it lives. It must be feeling a bit ill.

Apart from that it seems sweet, follows our cat up the path and sometimes is waiting for it outside the cat flap in the morning! He seems to be getting a nice play friendship with it, which he used to have with a different cat who lived near our last house a few years ago.

What would you do? I'm a bit concerned about that cat but don't want mine to get ill either!

Is it a stray?

What on earth makes you think it must have an owner? That sounds like a description of a typical stray to me. And a stray that needs help. If it's drooling it's almost certain it needs a dental - he will be in terrible pain. The scabby bit is either flea allergy or maybe a healing abcess from a fight injury. He could well need neutering - hence the fight injury.

If you treat your cat for fleas and he's neutered he is unlikely to be at risk of anything from this cat. The stray definitely needs to see a vet. Unfortunately though dentals are quite expensive. If you explain the situation to the PDSA they may agree to treat him, but i'm not sure what their rules are.

If you really want to check he has an owner you could put a paper collar round his neck with a message. However if he is in such a state then it means that, even in the unlikely event he does have an owner, it's not an owner that is looking after him. So I would feed him and take him to a vet (who will scan for a chip at the same time just to be sure) and take it from there.

You mean you have a new little friend.... and a second cat. Good luck with the vet, and congratulations.

Mr C was a stray in appalling nick and now he is the sleekest, fattest, most loving cat I know.

If you're in London you can bring him to us to treat www.celiahammond.org

I have vaguely assumed it may have an owner because I know a few cats live in houses in close proximity here. I think it may have got in a fight with one of the fluffy cats; I had heard and seen them having a bit of a stand off the other week. It could be a stray too - though may be new to this area as I haven't seen it here too often. Not sure how we'll catch it yet, it scarpered when I tried to get a bit closer.

We're in West Yorkshire, but thanks!

I'll admit I also assumed it was a 'she' - it doesn't have that fat head appearance or general size of toms I've seen. It could just be young though.

Start feeding him. You'll gradually get his confidence. Then he'll either become tame enough to catch, or you may be able to borrow a trap from your local vet, or CPL, or Yorkshire Cat Rescue, which is in Keighley.

With the fighting I would assume male. The lack of a big head could be because he's young, or because he is in fact already neutered. The drooling though indicates tooth problems, which means he's unlikely to be young.

If it is in fact female then it's even more important you get her checked out to make sure she's neutered.

Or even possibly the scabby patch on the neck could indicate a female being mated, and therefore bitten on the neck a lot?

Ring up your local cat charities, and see if they'll lend you a trap so you can get your cat's pal in for a thorough check-up. They'll scan for a chip, ascertain sex, neuter etc.

Looks like you've acquired a beautiful new family member!

Good point Rubbish.

I was lent a cat trap from my local cat charity. I got it for a stray with a bad foot that I'd seen near my house. not in Yorkshire so can give number sorry but I'm sure you'll find a similar charity near you.

The cat charity I contacted funded the vet treatment too (though I think the vets I took him to does a very special rate for the charity and strays)

Hey thanks everyone. I'm going to see if it keeps coming back. My cat scared it off this morning (I think by mistake, it had its face up against the cat flap which another slightly horrid local cat does frequently). If it does and we can safely capture it, I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks again.

Well done, you sound lovely. Leave food out. Do everything you can to make the kitty feel safe around you, and soon you should have your very own adoptee.

The Blue Cross are fantastic about this and will do everything free for you if you tell them you are on low income, otherwise it's pennies only. Give them a ring - they are lovely people.

I've got a cat who hangs around my garden, and I was told by the CPL NOT to feed her , but that if I could catch her they would check for a chip. It might not be a stray...

And how the hell are you supposed to catch a cat if you don't feed it? That's terrible advice from the CPL. No it might not be a stray, but it certainly sounds like one. And it's best to feed and then to check for a chip and of course to get a vet to look at it.

I know, I've ignored their advice and I'm feeding her as I have no chance at all of catching her otherwise. Actually the woman was really unhelpful!

That CPL advice has made me think it's time to resurrect my thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/2138803-If-in-doubt-feed

And to update: Little Lois, who is the subject of the thread, is now very happy and healthy (if a little corpulent) and in a new home.

Snacking is generally the way to Kitty's Heart - even I as a rank amateur have been taught this from 40 years of indentured cat servitude.