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The litter tray

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Not sure what to do with this lovely little cat...help!

222 replies

Alabasterangel6 · 08/10/2019 19:51

I won’t dripfeed so apologies for the long backstory.

I had a cat for 22 years. I am a cat person. DS was born when DCat was 20, so for 2 years he was around cat, touched cat and grew up with a very furry environment.

When DCat died we said no more pets for a while. A year later, at 3, DS went into the home of a dog and with no warning at all had an acute and severe asthma attack. A&E blue light job. It isn’t the only dog he is allergic to because he has less severe but obvious symptoms if we even go in a car where a different dog has been. We are very very vigilant to avoid dogs (due to the acute and severe nature of the attack) and DS is now 8. We’ve always wondered if he is the same with cats but a) hoped not due to earlier exposure and b) daren’t risk finding out. Note we lived in the house that the cat had lived in for another 2 years but moved when DS was 4.

Minding our own business, going about life, and for reasons unknown to us this little cat arrives. She is small, fed (as far as I can see), clean, very used to humans and for some reason is also very very very determined to get into our house. We have NEVER let her in or fed her, not even once. DD (10) will stoke her if she’s playing in the garden but the cat is very affectionate and absolutely adores DD. When we come home from school Cat comes running miaowing. She spends hours every day miaowing on the kitchen windowsill or at the kitchen door. She stares at us through the door all evening and scratches at the living room door all evening (see photo!!). If DD or I go out to her she will literally jump from the wall or garden table to DDs shoulder. As I speak she is outside miaowing at the door.

I’ve been round circa 25 houses in the direction she most commonly comes from and everyone sees her but no one knows who owns her. So....

What do I do to locate her owner? I don’t want to take her to a vet, I don’t have a pet carrier for a start.

Should I put a note on a collar and put it on her? Would that work?

In light of the above, I don’t want to claim her as I am 80% sure she is owned but if she was your cat wouldn’t you want to know she was trying so badly to invade ours! I want them to know i haven’t fed her or tried to steal her!

DS has allergy testing at the end of Oct, but IF (if if if if) it turns out she’s a random, what are the chances of him being allergic to dogs but not
Cats?

Thoughts on the above, please?

Not sure what to do with this lovely little cat...help!
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7
OliveOwl · 13/10/2019 03:24

She’s gorgeous. You’re a lovely woman for looking after her so well. I hope that it turns out that you can keep her.

sashh · 13/10/2019 05:03

I'm glad you posted the second pic as Pip is very similar to my cat, who is fed, watered, adored and also cons the neighbours into letting her in.

I have bought cat milk for my next door neighbour's grandsons because they love giving her milk.

She also looks like she is 6 months old as she is very small.

The Yodel delivery driver asks where she is if she isn't around.

I also have water bowls out for the hedgehogs but I'm not a drunken bloke. Oh and I'm in Wolverhampton so not too far away.

Fluffycloudland77 · 13/10/2019 07:17

At least your raising children kind to animals. They sound lovely kids.

Your old boy looks thoroughly spoilt.

Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 08:43

Thanks everyone. She’s not moved from the shed and it’s raining again so she’s had breakfast in bed Grin and is snoozing again. I suspect she was exhausted frankly and needed a good sleep. Amazingly the hot water bottle was still warm this morning (it was under a fleece and on top of the duvet) and she clearly loves it as she was purring away.

She’s been circulated on FB by the local cat rescue. Even though I am very sure that’s where she’s from it won’t hurt, but also it might spark some interest from anyone wanting to own her if we can’t have her in a couple of weeks.

Re. Getting her spayed now - I’d be happy to fund this (and her innoculations) but post surgery she’d have to be indoors and we can’t do that, which is what’s stopping me. Unless someone tells me I’m wrong?

Also re. DSs allergy - he is so chronic with dogs that I don’t know if ‘exposure’ is going to help. He doesn’t just have itchy eyes and a runny nose, he has full blown asthma attacks. However he does need to be around the dog for a few hours before it starts and is okay sometimes around dogs but going into dogs homes really does for him. therefore with the cat I can’t gauge what’s going on, as he’s only had momentary interaction and she’s not depositing her allergens in the house as such.

To be honest it’s causing me that much heartache that if someone lovely responded to the lost and found saying they’d have her then via the cat charity then I’d consider anyway, mainly because it would resolve the next two weeks of worry which probably won’t end well anyway.

😢

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikescake · 13/10/2019 09:16

Yes that is a good point re keeping her in post spay 🤔 you'd think the cats protection league would help in those circumstances, esp if you're offering to pay etc.

My nephews asthma is triggered by cats but he can be around them for a while and it does seem to vary. This cat might be happy being an mostly outside cat if she has a warm shed to go to?

Fluffycloudland77 · 13/10/2019 09:23

I’ve seen the exposure therapy on tv, they injected micro litres of the allergen with a crash cart next to them. My dh is allergic to our cat but acclimatises in the first few weeks and now only reacts if he fusses the cat then touches his eyes.

I would be wary of exposing a child with known animal allergies to her.

If it’s meant to be then it will happen & she'll be stretched out in front of the wood burner in no time.

thecatneuterer · 13/10/2019 09:31

Re the post spay care. As long as she is enclosed somewhere, especially for the first night, that's the most important thing. The shed would be fine, with a hot water bottle and a litter tray. Ideally she should stay there for three days, to make sure the wound has healed well. It doesn't sound as though she would make a bolt for it, so securing her in the shed would be absolutely fine.

Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 09:34

With the way I feel today, it’s going to be a long 2.5 weeks. I’m exhausted with it and can’t switch off! Wide awake at 5am!

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Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 09:35

I didn’t realise but I’ve just looked online and there is a Cats protection league in the next town. The cat charity I’ve been speaking to is a local independent one. I’ll call the CPL later and see what they say.

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Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 09:39

Not open till tomorrow. I’ll try again then.

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Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 09:59

OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!

I am crying!!!!’

My friend is going to have her, permanently.

She lost her cat in the spring and has DC the same age as ours and a lovely lovely safe and warm home. She’s aware of the responsibility and need to spay. DD can see her anytime and we can feed her when they are away.

I am sobbing with relief!!! This time tonight DCat is going to be in a lovely warm new house!!!!!

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Fluffycloudland77 · 13/10/2019 10:00

Well done!.

nzeire · 13/10/2019 10:02

Reading this in New Zealand and crying with you! What a lovely person you are!!!!

DirtyWindow · 13/10/2019 10:02

Fantastic news! Well done OP!

(Just make sure she keeps the cat inside for a good few weeks or she'll be straight back to yours Wink)

YetAnotherSpartacus · 13/10/2019 10:03

I'm pleased but was also hoping you could have her permanently (I must admit). But a great outcome for Pip wonder if she will make her way back to your place...

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 13/10/2019 10:10

Hope your friend doesn't live too close to you...

Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 10:12

A good mile away, and in a lovely house with open fields at the back. And we’ll be seeing her often. My DD is literally overjoyed.

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YetAnotherSpartacus · 13/10/2019 10:13

Then I am overjoyed too. The other advantage is that druggie couple will not be able to sober up and remember they had a cat :)

Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 10:14

And perfect timing,

DS has been out to her this morning and now has puffy eyes....

And I’ve explained if the tests do come back negative then at some point in the future of course we can think about things, but I really doubt they will and this home is just perfect for her. Believe me I wouldn’t hand her over to someone without 100% certainty.

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Coffeeandchocolate9 · 13/10/2019 10:32

Oh what a relief!! The cat obviously knew your could and would help her!

chocolatespiders · 13/10/2019 10:42

Really good outcome for you all.

My dd who was allergic to cats but cat was here before her!! Did become immune to the cat we had but if we went somewhere with a new car she reacted! So I think immunity can be built. Air purifiers also help!

coastergirl · 13/10/2019 11:14

What a lovely outcome. I hope she is very happy in her new home.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 13/10/2019 11:24

Well done @Alabasterangel6 that’s a lovely result.

Obviously we will need your friend to log in to MN and give us updates and photos........

Alabasterangel6 · 13/10/2019 11:51

I’ll make sure we get updates don’t worry. DDs best friend lives next door to the cats new home too, so she’ll be seeing her quite a bit Grin

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OliveOwl · 13/10/2019 11:56

Oh, that’s brilliant. So happy for you all 🐾