Cat visitor - 'Found'

[Hookedoncatnip]

We have a cat who visits our garden and just sort of hangs out. We don't feed him but he has been know to sneak in to our kitchen (our catflap is broken) and eat some of our cat's food. Besides the food stealing I've become quite fond of him.

Anyway, his picture was recently posted on our local FB group via the Petslocated website. No one has claimed him yet. I'm a bit concerned that if he is in fact 'lost' that his owner may not use FB and therefore not realise that he has been 'found'. If possible I'd like to help reunite him with his owner. I thought about printing the the 'Petslocated' page out and putting it up on a few lamp posts. Does this sound reasonable? Should I put my phone number and then re-direct them to Petslocated or just put the Petslocated website on the poster? I wouldn't want him to end up in the wrong hands! Any other ideas?

The other thing is that I haven't seen any posters up saying that he is lost so I'm not really sure how whoever picked him up knows that he is lost. He looks to me to be healthy. He doesn't look malnourished or unloved. He'll go through phases of visiting our garden everyday and then will disappear for a while and then turn up again weeks later.
I don't know where he is being looked after now but I'm worried about what will happen if he doesn't get claimed.

I'm a bit confused. Who has put his picture on FB? Not the owner presumably. If you know he's actually lost rather than just visiting then put posters up saying he's been found. If someone's looking for him they'll see the posters.

Take to the vets to check if it's been chipped ?

Can you put a paper collar on him with your phone number and "Am I your cat?" written on it? I was just involved in reuniting a "lost" cat that turned out to live just a few houses away and was not lost at all...

Otherwise taking him to any vet's for a free and quick microchip scan is a great option although you will need to have a secure cat carrier for transport and to be confident to put him in it.

Sorry I haven't explained it very well.

The cat has been listed on the 'Petslocated' website as being 'Found' (rather than lost). The picture was shared by someone on our local FB group. I saw the FB post and recognised him as the cat that visits our garden. I would like to help reunite him with his owner just in case they are not on FB.

The info listed about him says the he isn't microchipped (or neutered). I guess this means that someone has taken him to the vet - perhaps whoever listed him as being 'Found' on the pet website. I'm not sure how they decided that he was lost in the first place.

He was found on our road which is where I sometimes see him but more often in the back garden.

I don't actually have him in my possession. In the FB photo it looks as if he's in some kind of cage/pet carrier so someone has him. As with your experience viccat I'm not convinced that he was actually lost. Any idea what happens if no one claims him?

If he's an unneutered adult male he is almost certainly a long way from home (they chase females and then get lost) or he has been deliberately abandoned. I think you have virtually zero chance of finding his original owners, and they were obviously shit owners as he isn't neutered.

I would feed him, get him neutered, may be get him a shelter and take it from there. You may find a rescue to take him in and home him, but they are all so full it's unlikely.

Sadly, I think you might be right about his owners or lack of catneuterer.

The problem is that I don't have the cat. He is presumably with the person who took the photo. He's also presumably not out and about anymore as in the photo he is in a cage. I wonder what made them think that he was lost in the first place.

Would it not be sensible for me to put the information out there to be sure he isn't missing? For example, notices on the lamp posts on our road saying to contact Pets Located with the reference number?

I would consider adopting him myself if it turns out that there is no one. I don't suppose I'll find out now anyway.

Well you have nothing to lose by trying. I'd bet my house that it will come to nothing, but at least you will know you've tried. I would then get in touch with the people you have him and offer to take him if the owners can't be found.

It's exactly that. At least I would have tried. I hate to think about him having no one. I've said to the person who posted on the FB group that I would be interested to hear how he gets on.

The Pets Located website seems to be an intermediary so they don't put you directly in touch with the finder unless they are happy that you are the owner. They obviously don't want animals to be handed over to just anyone.

I would be more specific to the FB group person - that you would be interested in adopting him. They are likely to be stuck for places for him to go.

Do you have any advice on adopting another cat when you already have one?

My cat befriended this cat when she was a kitten which is how we know him. However the relationship has been lukewarm more recently although there doesn't seem to be any bad feeling. Might be different if he moves in?

She used to try to initiate play with him but he didn't seem to know how to respond. I thought it was just because he was a bit older than her and not interested.

I'd also have to run it past DH...

It sounds as though neither cat is a cat-hater, so it should be fairly easy. I find the easiest way to integrate is to put the newcomer in a large dog crate, with bed and litter tray, somewhere in a high traffic area where they will meet any resident people and pets but no fighting or running away is possible. It can take around three weeks but eventually both cats will start ignoring each other. Then you can let the newcomer out.