From four to five....

[MycatsaPirate]

We have four rescue cats already.

Marshall is 13.5 and is very much 'in charge' of the cats. Dp got him from a rescue 11 years ago.

Silver is 11 and a grumpy little madam but loves a cuddle. We have had her three years after getting her from a rescue.

Bella is 5 and we got her last year because we felt bad she'd been in rescue so long.

Coco is 3 and is quite honestly the daftest cat on the planet. We have had her two years after getting her from a friend whose baby is allergic to cats.

We said four was enough. We weren't getting anymore.

But, yet again we find ourselves facing taking on another cat. This one lives 3 doors down from us with a woman and her two children. The cat is out 24/7 and is always looking for food. After he came in our house persistently 3 days ago, I picked him up and carried him home and gave him back to her and said that he had been trying to stay in our house. She said that he wasn't allowed in her house as he keeps pooing and weeing on the floor. I asked if she had a litter tray and she said no because he was ignoring it to toilet on the floor. I left it at that and came home.

The next morning he was back at our house. And has been here ever since. He is sleeping in the cat house in the garden due to fighting issues with our resident cats but he comes in the house, rolls in the catnip, has a sleep, plays with toys and has a cuddle with the humans. He waits patiently at the back door every morning for his breakfast and comes up for his dinner later on. We are leaving dry food out for him at other times.

Woman across the road said owner saw her today and asked whether she had seen the cat. Neighbour said cat is in our garden. Owner said he is only not allowed in the house overnight or when she is out (she works so pretty much cat is always out) because of toileting issues. Neighbour said I will come and see her when I get back from holiday to talk about future of the cat. Owner then said she was going away for the weekend and left. Didn't come and see me, didn't check to see who would be feeding the cat while she was away (knowing I am going away tomorrow!). Didn't offer to buy food for the cat.

Fortunately I have a lovely pet/house sitter coming and she will be looking after all five cats (I have left a list of their likes/dislikes, sort of a Cat CV).

Cat is V thin and probably needs to be wormed. His flea collar is falling apart and I desperately want to take it off him. Also suspect he may be an intact male.

I know we will probably end up with the cat and that it will take considerable time to get all five of them used to each other without the bloody cats choir going on right now and the hissing and spitting.

Are we mad?? This is the cat.

No not mad at all. It's no wonder it wees in the house if it's an entire male.

I bet it's not been near a vet for jabs, worming, fleas either.

If you don't have him he's going to be out all winter too. Do your cats like him?.

No you are not mad. You are lovely. And of course he's spraying if he's not neutered. (how can you not know? Just feel his balls). Get him done, take his collar off, microchip him you and take it from there. Yours will accept him eventually I'm sure. Failing that then a kennel in the garden is better than nothing. And anything is better than what his existing 'owners' are doing for him.

He definitely has something between his legs! He rolled over to let me stroke his tummy and I had a quick look so will sort that when I get back from holiday.

I am almost certain he has worms, he is eating two meals a day plus dry food plus whatever he can steal from my cats wet food bowls. That's an awful lot of food for a very skinny cat, even my biggest cat doesn't eat that much. He clears his bowl every time and I wonder how long he's been outside as he acts as if he's not getting fed ever again.

I will speak to the 'owner' when we get back from holiday. We leave tomorrow and she's away until Monday now anyway.

Marshall has had a few hissing spats but no fighting. Bella goes nuts, puffs up her half-tail like a small indignant toilet brush and has bounced Felix off the wall a couple of times but no claws or bites, just showing him who is in charge. Coco just runs away. Silver only goes for him through a closed door (which is really bloody funny, she just batters the door, daft cat). The rest of the time he is allowed to come and go while they all snooze on sofas and watch him wander through the conservatory.

I promise I will get this all sorted when we get home.

And none of my cats particularly like being picked up, they like to sit on us or lay on us but no picking up. Felix however, when I pick him up, he clings onto my shoulder with his paws, pushes his head against my face and just purrs. He will sit quite happily for ages just having a cuddle. He's such a lovely, lovely cat.

I think speaking to the 'owners' would be a mistake. I would just do everything and he will gradually become yours without any need for discussion or confrontation.

We came home from holiday last night.

Felix has been at our house all the time we were away, sleeping in the cat house in the garden but both DD1 and petsitter said he was really confident and coming into the house every day.

We let him stay in the house overnight last night and there were no issues at all, no fighting, no weeing or pooing anywhere. He is still happy just to sit on the sofa next to one of us and looks for fuss.

The eating is a problem though. He is constantly hungry and looking for food. He has eaten about three pouches this morning between his own food and hoovering up the other cats food. I will speak to the lady from CP again who has said they will help us out with health check and neutering if it's needed. He clearly does not want to go back to his old house.

Great. He's a lucky boy.

A lovely lady from CP came round yesterday, she lives near us so popped over with a scanner. He is chipped to someone who lives in the next town. I still can't get hold of the neighbour, she is never bloody in. CP lady says we need to get hold of her to find out how she got the cat and then go back through owners to get Felix chipped as belonging to me. Bloody headache.

CP have also said that I can't get any vet treatment done for him as I know he is owned by someone. He is not technically a stray.

My issue is he just won't stop bloody eating! Dp gives him a sachet of food when he gets up. Then he gets another one when I get up as I feed the others (they are all still sleeping and Dp gets up too early for them to have breakfast). He then eats his, and waits until the others have finished and hoovers up any leftovers. So far, by 9am he's eaten 3 sachets of food. He has dried food available 24/7.

Yesterday he had another sachet about 4pm, then another at 6pm and ANOTHER one before we went to bed. He licks the bowl clean every time. That is not normal surely? He is also really skinny and can feel his spine bones.

He is 13 years old. I wormed him on Sunday and was hoping his eating would calm down but he just follows me round the house crying for food all day, every day!

He is still lovely and affectionate, Bella, one of my girls has stopped yowling at him all the time and is now doing the love eyes thing at him. Only boy cat is still being a bit of an arse and one of the other girls seems a bit put out and hisses but he never reacts. He just sits and looks at them.

And he is using the litter tray or asking to go out so all good there.

He could well have a thyroid problem. I would ignore the advice about not treating. Just say to the vet that you've just adopted the cat from someone who was unable to look after it and they won't ask any more questions.

Thank you, I will phone the vets tomorrow. Spoke to the owner this evening, she is happy for us to take him on but as she isn't registered as the owner it's an issue. She got him from someone she knows whose husband is allergic and we presume the previous person to that is the one he is registered to. I have asked CPL to see if they can sort it and get the details changed over.

He is currently sprawled across the rug watching TV with no care in the world.

Sounds like he's settled in already! Yes definitely a vet visit to get to the bottom of the excess eating and skinniness. Overactive thyroid is a common problem as is diabetes-does he drink a lot too? Blood tests will get to the bottom of it.