‘Stray cat’ advice

[Whatthechicken]

In inverted commas because she is in really good nick if she is a stray.

We moved into our house about 18 months ago. We have nearly an acre and i’ve seem a cat around the whole time we’ve been here. Cat has been happy to sit at a distance from me but always quite aloof and has never come close or shown any interest - I assumed it was a neighbours cat (about 200/300 metres away).

Last night cat started acting really needy, came to me for the first time, rolling around on the floor and loved a bit of fuss. The cat seemed like it wanted to come in the house (It didn’t) and would not leave. Cat is back again today miaowing and wanting fuss. I called the neighbours because of the sudden change in it’s behaviour and they thought it was ours. Apparently they see it in their field hunting rabbits. No other near neighbours.

I put out a call on the local FB groups with a pic and another person in the village about 1/2 a mile away said it visits them but no one else recognised the cat. It must have a roaming distance of at least 1/2 square mile. I’ve left the garage door open and put a bed in there for shelter but I’m not sure what to do. My worst worry is that it’s pregnant and that’s the reason for it’s change in behaviour...but I know nothing really.

I don’t think I will be able to catch it, it likes cuddles but is quick on it’s feet.

If it is a stray, it’s lasted this long in the wilds of Yorkshire so maybe I shouldn’t interfere?? If I was to call RSPCA I think they’d call me daft as it’s in such good condition. Any advice?

Photo of cat.

Is it female? The last pregnant female i saw had pronounced nipples

Awww it's lovely. If you can provide a bed and dont need to have the garage closed id do that. People often mention on here putting a paper collar in with your details so if it has an owner then they can contact you to let you know but it sounds like you live pretty rural. Not sure a paper collar would last!
Im sure someone will be along shortly to give better advice!

She’s very pretty and very small so I just assumed she was female and looking at her back end confirmed it. I tried to look for her nipples when she was rolling but she has a thick coat so I couldn’t see. I have set up a makeshift bed in the garage and left the door open - I’d have her in the house, but I have a crazy beagle and a very elderly wobbly house cat - plus I don’t want to steal her from someone...I know they can be fickle.

I will try the paper collar tomorrow. We are rural, but on a very fast, busy road - no other neighbours than the one I called - the land stretches out to the back. She must be quite a wily cat to avoid the road.

The pregnant worry was because the neighbours said that they were sure the previous owners had a black and ginger cat that did get pregnant - so at that point my mind started going into disaster mode (and she’s quite chunky if all she’s been doing is hunting). Cat has shown absolutely no interest in me or the house previously though!

It may be the change in the weather that's prompted her to approach you; my cousin has a smallholding and a while back a cat just moved in and adopted them. He'd been happily sleeping in the barn most nights (his choice) but he's moved indoors since the weather turned. Last week or so he's just popped out for an hour or so to catch & eat a rat (yes she DOES feed him, again his preference!) then back indoors by the fire.

One thing that may be possible is see if any local(ish) cat rescues have a microchip reader, and if so if they will let you borrow it for a day. That way at least you can put your mind at rest that you've done everything possible to see if you can find any other owner.

I think someone nearby may have a chip reader, I’ll put some feelers out. It does coincide with the weather getting colder. She never bothered last winter but I think last winter was a mild one (unless of course she found another sucker last year). She’s just left, probably to go hunting. If she is in her own, I think in warmer weather she probably has quite a nice life, does quite well for herself hunting and has never been interested in contact before. I know she’s used my poly tunnel for shelter before, so I‘ve opened that up for her too.

A pic of her face (I’m not falling in love with the previously aloof cat, I promise). I can’t be doing with any more worry about pets!

She’s beautiful. Looks very healthy to be a stray, I’d put food down and access to a dry shelter with a blanket. See what happens....

I know, doesn’t she, that’s why I’ve never worried about her before. It’s just this change in behaviour. I just can’t work out where she comes from. If she does have a home she must have a wide roaming area and has always spent much of the day in our garden. As the only neighbour we have had said they thought she was ours, I thought she was theirs. She has a bed in the garage should she need it and some biscuits and water. Paper collar tomorrow I think! Bloody cats and their pitiful, manipulative miaows!!

She might well be a stray if you are rural. I don’t know how far cats travel, but I’ve seen mine further away than I’d like him to be.

Just to add that the stray who "acquired" my cousin looked in excellent condition too. However one thing to look at is the coarseness/silkiness of the coat. My kitties have incredibly silky soft coats (indoors only), my DSis's cats tended to be a bit coarser & thicker (in and out cats with a flap), and the outdoor only farm & stables cats I've known have much thicker & coarser coats.

I have just got a bit of info from the nearby farm shop, she is apparently a stray farm cat that showed up about 7 years ago! I think (if I can convince my husband...and Beagle...and elderly cat, and two children) we may have just been adopted!

Yay 🙌

She's gorgeous!

Children definitely shouldn't be a problem, Beagle won't be given a choice in the matter (even German Shepherds & Dobermans back down from determined cats), and even reluctant spouses usually end up in love. It's just the resident cat you need to worry about.....

I know and I don’t want to cause her any undue stress...she hasn’t got long left, bless her. She’s at the stage where she has lost some weight and is wobbly. I introduced my cat to her 10 years ago and it took two house moves before they were finally ok with each other. I lost my cat last year (Old age)...she broke my heart. Promised I would never get another cat (mostly due to breaking of heart when they die but also because of the road,), but this one can cope with the road (don’t think she crosses it), she’s here anyway and survived this long! Bloody manipulative cats!

Well of course you’ve been adopted! 7 is getting on for a cat so she’s obviously chosen you as her retirement plan.

She’s done amazingly well to last that long with no proper shelter, no vet care. I hope you’ve got an aga for her to warm herself buy so she won’t need such a thick coat this year.

The rolling and miaowing would make me question whether she was in season or not? She's a tortie and you don't get make tortoiseshells.

@MyMistakeToMake

The rolling and miaowing would make me question whether she was in season or not? She's a tortie and you don't get make tortoiseshells.

Age wise it may not be that but it it's in heat behaviour!

It’s not kitten season though.

I do have an aga!

I don’t know much about cat seasons or cat pregnancy, our cats were townies and rescues so all that had been taken care of. Maybe she is just slowing down and with the cold weather has realised It’s time to plan for retirement!! Bloody manipulative cats!! Farm shop man said he encouraged her because she was such a good hunter. He has agreed to keep feeding her too when he sees her.

How exciting. She’s done well to live independently for so long.

Well if you have an aga every cats going to want to move in. I love them.

Ahh husband is already softening up...in his words ‘not happy about it, but if that cat comes in here, it’s going to the vets first, wormed, de-flea-Ed’....everything’ seems I have a new project!

33 years ago my dad said no to a new cat, my mum is still pissed at him now. She really wanted that cat.

Happy Wife, Happy life.