Looks like we are being adopted

[MEgirl]

The fluff ball in the picture sauntered in to my house a few days ago and has been hanging around since. It's very friendly, so much so that Apollo doesn't chase it away(he's just visible under the chair).

I gave it a few biscuits this afternoon and it camped outside the kitchen door tonight. It's very chirpy as though it's trying to tell me something. I wouldn't be surprised if it works out how to get in through the cat flap. I can't make the flap Out only as Apollo doesn't stay out all night.

What are the chances that within a few days we will have a new family member?

It's 14 months until cats have to be microchipped by law but the majority of people have it done when they are neutered.

70% or 8 million cats are already microchipped.

30% or around 2 million are not, so the odds are in favour of him being chipped.

I give up. I fed it once and don't intend doing so again. I didn't say I would feed it again. And for those who take everything so literally, do we have to put "light hearted" in every title?

All I want to do is try and find it's owner and instead I get a roasting.

As for stray cats, what a shame we can't do something for them without being given a kicking.

I hope it is then, it can be returned to its owner or they can at least be made aware of where it goes.

The paper collar is a good idea that I'd forgotten about. I'll try that if I can catch it.

I would ignore people who say to do nothing and just help the cat.

Some local rescues will lend you a chip reader to check the back of his neck yourself, some will come out, as will Scan Angels. All vets will also check for a chip.

What's the worst that can happen?

You find out he lives four doors down.

I don't know why people are getting so angry about checking for a chip. It's standard practice. If the angry folk want to be sure their cats will be brought home to them all they have to do is get them chipped.

I've checked for a chip loads of times on cats I've had concerns about.

One time the cat wasn't actually lost, as such, just old and ill, and his people had to go and collect him from the nearest vet.

But I'm unrepentant. He was four streets from home and his people didn't think he could walk that far any more so who knows if he would've got home unaided?

As for stray cats, what a shame we can't do something for them without being given a kicking

Well you can't do anything on Mumsnet without getting a kicking, largely from people who are looking for an excuse 🥴
Meanwhile, back in the real world people help cats all the time. I'm on a few Facebook groups and some members appear to have hand held chip scanners. When people find a cat they post a pic and a scanner comes out then they try to reunite it. See if there's something like that in your area.
Good luck!

And if you post on any local groups about him don't just hand him to anyone who says he's theirs. There are bad people out there.,

Local rescues will advertise him on their pages and they usually want photographic and/or vet evidence of ownership.

Did you notice if he still had his balls? Entire cats are less likely to be chipped in my experience.

“A bit of an extreme response”? Did you actually read and comprehend what the pp said?

Stop trying to backtrack. Or, in the future, think more regarding your chosen thread title.

No, don’t go down that route to justify yourself. Your thread title says it all.

If you’d worded things differently, you would have had a different response.

Wow some really dramatic posters piling on tonight. Leave OP alone and wind your catty necks in fgs.

I’d feed a dirty matted cat too. He shouldn’t be dirty or matted.

Good luck getting him scanned.

Please don’t routinely feed stray cats. But PLEASE do check cats you are unsure about for chips. My cat has just come home having been lost for 10 (yes TEN) years because someone finally checked to see if she was chipped.

I'm so glad you got your car back!

Most of the cats whose chips I have checked have only been missing for weeks or months. The ones who look like they've been out on their own a long time tend not to have one.

When our cat got lost we prayed somebody had taken him in and would check for a chip.

What a wonderful ending for you and your family. That must have been a real shock! Did your cat recognise you?

I would too, then check for a chip while they were eating.

My cats are scruffy urchins but a cat with greasy or muddy fur, matts and or fleas would look like it needed help to me.

The one that came in my door and lay down in my hallway was very thin and seemed like he could barely raise his head. It was hot so I brought down our cats water fountain and he lapped a little water then lay his head down again.

I thought he must be ill so took him to the vet immediately.

He was ill, but mostly old and tired from walking further than he usually did in the heat.

His people were not thrilled at having to go and get him, but I stand by it. I'm glad he came to us rather than just pegging out under a bush somewhere and nobody knowing what happened to him until someone found a body and hopefully scanned it.

People are weird on here about cats, if the cat looks in poor condition and hungry, absolutely take it to the vets, or contact a local charity to see if they can come out to scan it for a chip and then try other venues to locate a possible owner.
The cat maybe abandoned, or lost and if it was the latter I would appreciate someone doing this for my cat, not be really ANGRY ABOUT SOMEONE STEALING MY CAT.
The mental gymnastics and anecdotal evidence that’s dredged up to essentially ignore a cat that posters haven’t seen is staggering. Not all cats having loving homes and some shitty people abandon and neglect cats, this maybe one such cat and the op is trying to help it.
As long as she makes steps to locate its owners, she’s not doing anything wrong.

Doesn't look like a stray to me! Kooky well fed and care for. Please try and find out who owns him/her. A well meaning cat nut who loves near me 'stole' my cat a few years ago by feeding her wet food (I used dey for various reasons). Of course she started hanging around where the tastier food was. Drove me mad and had to have an altercation with her to get my cat to come home. Think before you steal!

How can you see it’s clearly well fed and cared from a couple grainy photographs?

😆😆😆 yes this exactly!!

The thread title wasn't "Caring for a stray cat". It was "Looks Like we are Being Adopted". These threads pop up regularly and they always get the same reaction because unsurprisingly, cat owners get very irate about people stealing cats.

Many years ago, a cat arrived at my parents in very poor condition and refused to leave the house. We didn't just assume he was ours, we still took him to check for a chip and kept a thorough lookout for any lost cat notices.

If you see a cat you are concerned about, check/post on local social media, paper collar and then check for a chip.

Do not write a triumphant thread on MN and claim you've been "chosen".

@PuttingOnTheKitsch. And posters then react to a poorly worded title, regardless of the possibility that a poor cat might have been abandoned, or is lost.

DON'T TAKE IT TO THE VETS! DON'T FEED IT ! CAT THIEF !

Honestly if you have a naturally skinny, scruffy looking, or cat with special dietary needs, put a collar on it, so people know it has an owner. Or at least understand that most people that care about animals will be concerned about it, which I think is a good thing.

Honestly if you have a naturally skinny, scruffy looking, or cat with special dietary needs, put a collar on it, so people know it has an owner

I do, regularly. Cat promptly takes himself go a bush at the bottom of the garden and removes it. IME, few cats tolerate collars.

Half of the lost cats I have chip checked had collars on. No details though, or out of date ones.

I do, regularly. Cat promptly takes himself go a bush at the bottom of the garden and removes it. IME, few cats tolerate collars.

Without visible signs of ownership. i.e. a collar if your cat looks skinny, or generally uncared for then I will assume it's a stray or lost, until I have information to the contrary.

I don't give a shit about the hurty feelings of possible owners, I would absolutely be getting that cat scanned for a chip and taking strides to locate it's owners. I certainly wouldn't be ignoring it and assuming otherwise.