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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Cat being crying at my door for 24 hours

48 replies

getintheseaharold · 29/10/2021 21:14

Yesterday morning I heard a cat crying and rustling in the bushes. Out pops a very chatty little tabby. Clearly very young, no collar, more lithe than skinny. Never seen her before. She seems well kept bar being little and lithe.

She hung about for a stroke, did a lot of purring, and hasn't left our yard since and has been at the door crying now for 24 hours. I went to bed with her at the door staring in. I heard her mewling as I went to sleep then woke up to her crying outside still. She has clearly slept on our outdoor sofa and the only time she stops the mewing is when she's napping on our outdoor sofa.

I've had cats before so I'm well acquainted with their ability to appear neglected and starved but isn't this a long time for a young cat to be away from home?

She's in no way trapped. She's not injured (trots around happily) . The gate is wide open to the road and she could belong to any of the houses but she's not moving from our yard.

Not sure what to do tbh! Do I feed and water her? Chase her away? Hope she buggers off? The mewing is breaking my heart (and it's VERY loud)!

OP posts:
Burnamer · 29/10/2021 21:16

I’d have to feed her! I’d also check local fb pages to see if she was lost.

Pumpkinsondisplay · 29/10/2021 21:16

Can you take her to a vet tomorrow to get checked for a microchip?

Marelle · 29/10/2021 21:17

Take her in, feed her and get her checked for a chip. Poor little soul.

SweetBabyCheeses99 · 29/10/2021 21:18

Nooo never feed someone else’s cat. That’s exactly why they don’t go home. Coax her into the cat carrier and take her to vets/cat protection/rspca. They’ll scan for microchip so she can be returned, or rehome.

NotMyCat · 29/10/2021 21:19

Feed. Always better to feed
There is usually a local FB page with chip scanners or take to vet if you can
Paper collar but that's no help if cat isn't leaving!

Longdistance · 29/10/2021 21:20

Aww, I couldn’t leave a kitty crying like that. Feed, take to vets, try looking in fb and Nextdoor app in case they are missing.
Why can’t I get adopted by a cat? Sad

CatChant · 29/10/2021 21:20

Let her in, poor thing. Feed her, give her water, keep her warm and take her to a vet to check for a microchip as soon as they're open.

Pumpkinsondisplay · 29/10/2021 21:27

Sounds lost!! She seems adamant she is at the right house! Does your area have a local fb page? Lots of ads on ours for missing /found dpets every day.

Brusca · 29/10/2021 21:31

As she looks well try a paper collar first for a day or 2, but make sure she has some food (nothing too desirable) and water available. If nobody contacts you she needs to be chip-checked

violetbunny · 30/10/2021 05:46

I would definitely feed it just the once, then take it to a vet to get scanned for a chip. If the latter isn't possible - put a paper collar on with your details and you'll soon find out whether it has a home.

Wrinklyeyes · 30/10/2021 06:01

Aw, let her in. No way I could listen to a crying kitty for 24 hours Sad

Somuddled · 30/10/2021 06:38

Not surebi could cope with 24 minutes of crying from an animal. How did you ignore for 24 hours? If it were me I'd bring it in, give it water and warmth and check with neighbours, local vets, Facebook etc. Basically do whatever you would want someone to do for your cat.

Original poster
getintheseaharold · 30/10/2021 06:52

Well she's still here. I've given her a tiny bit of Chicken and she... turned her nose up at it!

We are in NZ so it's warm here at the moment and she has shown no interest in going indoors. The door has been open all day! Believe me I'd be snuggled up with a cat but she's happy pottering around us outside. She will cry at the door if we are inside and it's open!!

It started raining at lunchtime and we went out for a run. I was hoping she'd go home because we weren't around and the rain but no. She's slept for hours on our undercover outdoor sofa and came for a stroke and a sit outside with our visitor just now. She's still here. She rejected the tiny bit of cheese we offered her.

It's as if she just wants be near us for strokes and attention and is neither hungry nor wants to come inside. Catty friend says she's a little skinny and young but otherwise appears to be a well loved pet

Very very small community and lost pets appear regularly on the FB pages but nothing yet. I'd take her to the vets but we are still in a version of lockdown and rural vets are only open for emergencies at the mo.

Here she's is.

Cat being crying at my door for 24 hours
OP posts:
Original poster
getintheseaharold · 30/10/2021 06:56

@Brusca

As she looks well try a paper collar first for a day or 2, but make sure she has some food (nothing too desirable) and water available. If nobody contacts you she needs to be chip-checked
She's never left our yard! Literally is glued to us! Paper collar seems a little pointless.

She's happy enough with our strokes and napping on the sofa!

OP posts:
Original poster
getintheseaharold · 30/10/2021 07:32

@Somuddled

Not surebi could cope with 24 minutes of crying from an animal. How did you ignore for 24 hours? If it were me I'd bring it in, give it water and warmth and check with neighbours, local vets, Facebook etc. Basically do whatever you would want someone to do for your cat.
Hence asking for advice. I'm a sucker for a cat and I would have let her in immediately. I really didn't want to encourage her to stay though. I was hoping she'd have given up and gone home by the morning!

I know they are fickle and I'd hate to be the reason why a loved pet isn't appearing at home. On the other hand I can't bear to think of her lost, scared, wet, cold and hungry but she's not any of those and I'm not even sure she's lost! DH reckons he's seen her about before but I haven't

Cat friend reckons she probably doesn't get attention at home so we are are her cuddle friends.

OP posts:
violetbunny · 30/10/2021 08:12

Just saw you are in NZ. You could also post her pic on lostpet.co.nz which is the website of the official microchip service. They have a lost and found map for cats.

Definitely worth getting her to a vet to scan for a chip if possible. I a, in Auckland and my cat was missing for 2 weeks, I eventually found him myself several streets away and he was skeletal (he was injured so I don't think he ate in 2 weeks poor thing). Despite being on a very busy street no one noticed him at all let alone fed him. So i would feed until you can establish whether or not she has a home.

Original poster
getintheseaharold · 30/10/2021 08:57

Thanks @violetbunny we are on Waiheke so we are surrounded by large bush sections and houses quite far apart. Our yard is probably only 20 metres from the street (v quiet street) and she's trotted up there with me when I encouraged her to have a look (in case she recognised the street and realised) but she just followed me back! I know the closest neighbours and she's not theirs.

Very active community pages on FB here so if she's still around in the morning I'll post on there. I'm reluctant to take up the emergency spots at the vets given teeny island practice and it being the weekend.

It's still raining but she's happily curled up on the outside sofa under the waterproof veranda. Still won't set foot indoors.

OP posts:
violetbunny · 30/10/2021 09:00

Yep makes sense, I would feel the same. Given it's a small community hopefully Facebook will do the trick!

romdowa · 30/10/2021 09:24

I wonder could she have kittens somewhere . Might explain why she is on the skinny side

WaltzingBetty · 30/10/2021 09:34

She doesn't look especially skinny, just a normal healthy cat

sluj · 30/10/2021 09:36

I would post on FB straight away and not wait till tomorrow, someone might be worried sick about their missing cat

beautifullymad · 30/10/2021 10:45

She's lost. Feed her, take lots of pictures and post on all your local sites. If an owner had t come forward in a day or two then take her to the vet to see if she has a microchip.

Original poster
getintheseaharold · 30/10/2021 10:46

Ok. I'm facebooking her. She's been here too long.

OP posts:
SammyScrounge · 30/10/2021 10:57

You are the Chosen One. Accept it.

Pumpkinsondisplay · 30/10/2021 11:03

I feel she had at least 2 paws under your table already op...

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