‘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?

@Fluffycloudland77

It’s not kitten season though.

Cats can still come into season. They mainly go for the spring/warmer weather but it's nor unheard of for litters at other times.

She looks nearly identical to our cat (NW) ours is definitely a wannabe farm cat. She comes in one door and is straight out the other. She loves attention but only when she wants it!

Does she offer you an appt in two weeks time for 5minutes at 4:30am but only if you accept in the next 30 seconds?. She’s beautiful so I’d let her get away with it.

Just a thought, if she's been a stray for so long surely someone would have spotted her with kittens before now, so hopefully not pregnant now? May be she had an owner once and has been spayed?

Ir a tnr schemes done her but not cut her ear. Or she’s an abandoned pet.

Food (extra nutrition in case she is pregnant) and shelter, and a warm Cardboard box. In case she does have kittens, she will prefer a warm garage with a box rather than a bush somewhere. That way you can keep an eye on her and future kittens. anything you can add to keep the garage warm, like an electric blanket would be good.
Keep us posted. She looks magical.

I’m not falling in love with the previously aloof cat, I promise

Of course you're not...

We took a stray cat in and it's the best thing I've done. My husband said no originally, the cat was placed at a rehoming centre but I missed him so much the centre let me reclaim him! He's such a lovely cat who just slotted into our home and gets on with our other cats too (in fact he seems to have stopped the arguing between the girl cats).

@Whatthechicken is the little cat ok?.

@Fluffycloudland77 yes cat is ok and still visiting. Haven’t been able to catch her yet though...still coming for snuggles, but not brave enough to step inside the house yet, I don’t want to just grab her and frighten her off as I did try and she’s too quick. She also hasn’t taken up the offer of the cardboard box bed in the garage yet. I thought it may be because it had a blanket - so I swapped it out for straw. Husband has kind of accepted we may have another cat as long as she goes to vets - vets are on stand by. It was really cold the other night so I was worried - so I kept checking on her overnight. If we get a freezing night I will take my chances and try to grab her. Someone else mentioned on SM that she looks like a cat that had kittens in someone’s stable last year - they got the kittens and re-homed but did not manage to catch mum. I am regularly walking the garden and checking the poly tunnel- just in case!

Slowly does it is sensible. They are wary of us. She’s started to visit you regularly which is an improvement. Time to break out the Gourmet.

Any update?.

We are still at the same stalemate. Think I might have blown it tonight though. It has been pissing down with rain and is freezing cold, she has been sleeping under the hedge...and I thought enough is enough...I made a grab for her and I nearly made it, but she wiggled out of my grasp before I shut the door. She came back for a cuddle, but I think we may have gone 2 steps back. The other morning when I went to let the choocks out, I did see her come stretching out of the garage...so I’m hoping she is making use of the shelter during the night. I think I am just going to have to wait until Bella is ready (not sure why I called her Bella- I think it just suits her...and she seems to know it already).

Bloody animals, I found a pigeon walking the dog yesterday, it couldn’t fly and was falling over (think it had been clipped by a lorry). I took it home and placed it in a quiet spot in the other garage, hoping it was just stunned, but it didn’t make it through the night. Really sad, but at least a fox or badger didn’t get it whilst it was incapacitated. I think the vets are gonna think I’m crackers. Already spent nearly £300 on one of my chooks, called them in prep for the stray cat and very nearly took the pigeon in to be looked over.

Note: the pigeon wasn’t walking the dog. I was walking the dog when I found said pigeon.

Another note: my husband said ‘why are you trying to trap it, surely it will come in went it wants too’.
Which of course set all my moral and ethical lights buzzing and I questioned my actions (‘trap’ sounds awful - are my motives right?). My answer was that I am really concerned, it is very wet and very cold, Bella spends much of the day here, or very close, she spends much of the night close (I have stayed up, so I know). No self respecting, comfy bed owning cat would spend cold, wet nights under the hedge surely...would they??

Of course not, she doesn’t know about warmth, full medical care and three meals a day yet.

Bella is a lovely name.

Have you got a cat FLAP?

... excuse caps.

You are right, it is a plea for help. Oh, they do that soooo well!

Maybe she’s interviewing other candidates for the position of retirement home? 😲

No, haven’t got a cat flap. Our elderly cat probably wouldn’t survive outside now, so never put one in. I think Bella is way off using a cat flap too...she doesn’t trust any destination that may shut her in.

She slept under the hedge all night and all day today, and she didn’t eat. I have been worried...just this minute though she’s sparked up and had a lovely cuddle (so I guess we’re friends again) and some food in the garage. Apart from the one time I saw her stretching out of the garage, she is not overly using it to sleep in that I know of, so to cross all bases today I have put an old wooden trunk on it’s side under the hedge she sleeps under with straw in it...hopefully she will understand the benefits soon!!

You can drape a fleece over the front too for extra warmth.

I wonder if she’d like some catnip?. You can buy bags of it in Tesco.

I suppose that you are wondering how cold it has to be to give her the final push.
Maybe she is a little wary because she can smell another cat?

I’ve bought a Mr Snugs Kat Den from amazon - it has a reflective blanket inside over the top of an old towel. My ferals love it.

Try some food places close to the box - that’s how I ‘persuaded’ them to check out the shelter.

We have progress!! Bella has taken to her makeshift outside ‘trunk’ bed filled with straw! I will still try to tempt her inside, but it feels like a step forward.

Sorry for the bad photo, didn’t want to spook her by getting too close.

😃 oh well done. How many times a night do you check on her?.