Any experience with taking in a stray cat?

[Aspiringmatriarch]

We already have two cats, a year old. Another male cat has been around the neighbourhood a lot and has got into our house a few times until we changed to a microchip catflap. Anyway, having asked around it seems he doesn't belong to anyone. He's unneutered and has sprayed in our house before. Lately DP and I have been worried because he's lost weight and is limping so we managed to tempt him into our cat carrier and get him to the vet near us who are treating the foot, and can get him vaccinated and neutered too. He needs a home though and DP wants to take him... I'm just worried about whether he'd get on okay with our cats, whether he'd adapt to being a family cat, whether he'd actually stop spraying even after being neutered. I question whether he'd be better off going to a home without other cats, but I'm also worried about him not being rehomed.
Has anyone been in this situation and had good or bad experiences? Any advice?

He's lovely. Looks like he loves your DH.
It's a nice thing to reunite the cat with its owner, but you never know he might come back to visit. Best of both worlds!

I hope so Beamur. My partner took him back to the owners this morning and the man opened the door and said "That cat is a cunt." Not feeling happy about it but I don't think they abuse him or anything like that.

The owner sounds a peach. What a shitty thing to say.
If kitty comes back, don't take him 'home' again.

I know... we'll definitely make a fuss of him and give him food if he comes back. Cats choose where they want to be, so I don't think we'd rush to return him if he just happened to like being here! I'm just worried that leaving him unneutered the way they have means he's more likely to get into difficulties, and they clearly don't care. The woman said to DP over the phone that she 'just wanted a lap cat', DP said he'll probably continue to wander unless they give him the snip and advised microchipping at the same time. Nothing more we can do unfortunately.

What a shame, why would owners who haven't taken care of him then go to the trouble of claiming him back?

Classy!

Does he live far from where you live?. Go back tomorrow with a carrier and snatch him.

He's been back already a couple of times! We've been making a fuss over him and given him some food but I'm not keen on letting him in too much as he really does spray everywhere . If we were able to adopt and have him neutered that would be different but as things are, we're a bit stuck. It's lovely to see him though.

Aww..he luffs you guys.
Enjoy him part time.
Could you put a little outdoor cat house in your garden...I have one that my neighbours cats make good use of!

Do they know where you live?

I mean they crossed a line when they called him a cunt.

@Beamur

Aww..he luffs you guys. Enjoy him part time. Could you put a little outdoor cat house in your garden...I have one that my neighbours cats make good use of!

Good idea!

What about speaking/writing to the owner explaining that he keeps returning to you and offering to take him?

I had a similar situation with a little neighbour's cat. Owners didn't really have any interest in her, my two resident cats were petrified of her as she was very feisty but she kept coming over to ours. She was out in all weathers and she was tiny. It broke my heart.

The neighbour's were more interested in their dogs. In the end we spoke to them a couple of times and they eventually agreed we could take her. She lives like a princess now! My two resident cats are still very wary of her but they manage to rub along.

Could you offer to adopt or even buy him?

Just resurrecting this thread. We've had a lot of visits from our friend. His owners were advised to keep him in for a few days when we returned him, and also to get him neutered, but did neither (he turned up again the next day). Now he's appeared with this injury. I'm quite concerned for him. We've contacted Cat's Protection and they said to call the owners but I'm not sure, they don't seem very nice at all and we live locally so I don't want any dramas (they seem the type). But obviously he needs looking after properly and we don't have any legal rights to do anything. Can anyone advise what to do?