Intact stray Tom just followed DH and DD to and from the shop and is now on his third bowl of food

[ILikeyourHairyHands]

Don't know what to do here, Big cat seems pretty accepting @thecatneuterer, what should I do for the best.

He has raggedy ears, a big wide face and is skinny as fuck, but seems friendly.

I think probably a tom that was once domesticated, not neutered but has been cast out for whatever reason.

Have left the back door open and he and Big cat are sniffing each-other.

Oh what a lovely tale. That's made my evening

Let us know when you’ve been to the Vet. It’s lovely as long as he isn’t micro-chipped! I’d be holding back from falling completely in love with him until then. Though it seems unlikely someone would micro-chip and not neuter. Fingers crossed.

Well I'm in bed now and although given the option, Monty decided to stay.

I've partitioned him from Big just in case and they both have access to litter and water.

We shall see...

Oh that’s lovely. I hope he knows how to use that tray is it natural to them? I hope you all sleep well xx

OP, my cats are also partial to some Thomas Tallis as well. You and your cats have excellent taste.

How did last night go OP? And how are Monty and Big doing today?

This happened to us. Big ginger Tom appeared one day. Not neutered with a nasty looking eye infected and a tummy full of worms. Took his to the vet who lopped off his nuts, took out his poorly eye and dewormed and deflea’d him. He was thoroughly cheesed off for a couple of days but obviously knew where he was fed. 11 years and one house move later, he’s still with my parents, the one eyed ball of fuzz

What happened today?

So (apologies for delayed update, busy couple of days), on Monday morning DH got up, Monty and Big were still in their respective sleeping spots.

DH fed them both and then Monty did exactly what Big does, which is to go into the cellar to use the litter. Clever boy. No accidents overnight and no Tom spraying either (which had worried me slightly, having experienced entire toms and their stench before).

Big went off out then for his morning constitutional and Monty followed.

I was out for much of the day and Big came home not long after I got back. No sign of Monty. Usually I have the kitchen door open if I'm in, but yesterday because of the high winds it was shut, we did go to it and call a few times but he didn't make an appearance. I presumed he'd buggered off or was hunkered down somewhere.

I was out again for most of the day today too but came back and was chopping some veg when I heard a 'Meep' behind me and there he was.

When I asked if he'd like some food I got another 'Meep', so he had an Aplaws and an Encore pouch (Big gets the good stuff), and a bit of raw chicken when I was cooking, then headed straight to the blanket I left out for him.

Here is is, on his blanket, purring away to himself.

My question is, (I guess @thecatneuterer is the best person to ask), at what point do I decide he's definitely a stray (which I'm pretty certain, due to condition, weight, hunger levels and his desire to be here, but I guess one can never be sure with cats), and bundle him off in a carrier to the vet's?

I don't want to inadvertently kidnap someone else's pet. At the same time, if he does have an owner locally, they've not been doing exactly right by him.

Tricky.

If he's entire he's probably not chipped.

That's my thought Fluffy, my cats have always been in for a spay/neuter and chipped at the same time.

He's can certainly put the food away, and when he's next to Big, who has such a lovely sleek and shiny coat, he looks so ratty, and tatty.

I don't think he's very old, I'm guessing about 3 or 4. His ears are tattered to buggery but he's not a scarred old tom.

And he knows all about litter trays so he must have been inside at some point.

Maybe a young tom who wandered due to being intact and then couldn't find his way home?

We acquired one we found the owners were putting him out in minus temperatures. He moved in that night.

The owners were banned by the RSPCA from owning pets.

Oh bless him

Lovely to see a happy ending

Here's Big and DD, they have something of a close bond (and you can see why he's called Big)...

From the sound of his condition, if he's not chipped then I would have no qualms about adopting him as potential previous owners should have had him chipped & neutered if they cared about him.

That's my thinking Allergic (can one be allergic to something that doesn't exist?).

If he's not chipped, and choses to be here, I guess that's it isn't it?

When Mabli the pregnant stray dog turned up I had her to the vet's the same evening, but cats and dogs are very different in their habits!

(And Big still hasn't forgiven me for that, he was the cat that Mabs went for, and will forever have a kinky tail as a result).

Of course he's a stray. There is absolutely no question. Unneutered, tatty and hungry. He can't be anything else. There is a very, very remote chance that he microchipped but in my experience, of the thousands of cats that have passed through my hands (and barring pedigrees) I have only come across one unneutered cat that was chipped. So by all means check but I think it's more or less pointless.

Unneutered toms become stray either because they weren't neutered in time and then went chasing a female in heat and got lost, or simply because the sort of owners that don't neuter are also the same sort of owners that abandon/throw out cats. The vast majority of strays in the UK are unneutered toms.

So he's yours now and it's lovely that your cat has a friend and he now has caring owners.

Thanks @thecatneuterer, I thought as much.

Right, a call to the vets tomorrow.

He has gorgeous eyes! My black cat was unneutered and stray for 4 years before CPL took him into foster. He also knew what a litter tray was but wasn't chipped

How did it go at the vets?