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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

How do you recognise a stray?

54 replies

MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 08:34

We've had a young cat hanging around our garden, crying for a few days now. Yesterday I saw it trying to eat old, wet bird seed from under the feeders.,. It seemed so desperate that I put some biscuits out, which it wolfed down, clearly very, very hungry. So now it's moved itself in and is asleep on the swingseat with my cat.

I don't want to feed someone else's pet, but I also don't want to ignore one that needs help. I've put pictures on the village's lost pets FB page, but no joy. DH has knocked on all the neighbours, but nobody recognises it. We've even scanned it but it has no chip, which is a legal requirement here.

Should I continue to feed it? And I what point do I get to say I have another cat?

OP posts:
Pascha · 21/08/2023 08:50

Now.

Your cat has accepted it.
You're feeding it.
You've done everything possible to locate an owner with no luck.
It's happy with you.

It's your cat. Chip it, neuter it and name it.

(also obligatory pic please)

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 21/08/2023 08:59

If it doesn't have a chip and you can't find it's owners via social media then I'd say that time is now, tbh.

Generally I'm not an advocate of feeding random cats but if you let your cat out to roam then you should have it chipped at an absolute minimum.

I also have to say that if my cat was missing I'd be posting all over social media so if it does have owners, they're clearly not that bothered 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 09:00

Sneaking in ...

How do you recognise a stray?
OP posts:
Undecicive · 21/08/2023 09:01

Paper collar, taking to vet to do a microchip reading? Doesn't look like a stray to me.

Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 09:03

Being supervised by my other very angry, hostile cat. My other one is a dopey cat and Im not surprised he's accepted the newcomer. But my old lady usually goes nuts at strange cats in her territory. But she's being nice. Which is really weird.

How do you recognise a stray?
OP posts:
cinnamonfrenchtoast · 21/08/2023 09:04

Undecicive · 21/08/2023 09:01

Paper collar, taking to vet to do a microchip reading? Doesn't look like a stray to me.

OP says the cat isn't chipped.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 21/08/2023 09:05

I do agree though that it doesn't took like a stray cat - it looks very healthy and a good weight.

Could she have strayed from further afield? I know cats who have managed to get into delivery vans and ended up miles from home.

I would post on more National lost and found pages maybe?

Whinge · 21/08/2023 09:05

That's a pretty chunky cat. My money would be on a six dinner Sid rather than a stray. Some cats are just amazing at the starved moggy act, you would be forgiven for thinking my cat hadn't eaten in weeks by the way he reacted to food, but he was just a greedy bugger. 🤣

I would take it to the vets to confirm no chip, and then add a collar with a note asking people to get in touch.

Catname · 21/08/2023 09:08

I’d agree about the paper collar being the final step. Is the cat an unneutered Tom? He looks as healthy as a stray tomcat we took in after he used our garden as a shortcut for 2 years (and it was clear he had no owner so we planned to trap neuter return but he had other ideas)

Approaching · 21/08/2023 09:12

I’d probably try and post online to check a bit further afield - next village/town. But the main thing is to check for a microchip, so if nothing turns up on social media for a few days I’d consider yourselves a three cat household! Doesn’t look like a stray as such, potentially a pet who has decided to move out for some reason.

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 21/08/2023 09:12

They don't have to be thin to be a stray. We trapped one who was enormous - he just ate everywhere and anywhere he could get some food - think food off counters etc.

The other looked in great condition normal size but had been missing a year from just 1/4 mile away.

Beamur · 21/08/2023 09:12

He looks too healthy to be a stray. Poor form for the owners not to chip him though.
Has he been coming around for long? Changes of circumstances at home can also mean cats seek better slaves - new puppy/baby etc.

LadyOfTheCanyon · 21/08/2023 09:12

If it's a he, he hasn't started to get the cheek pads of the unneutered Tom yet.

So my bet is on a neutered Tom or a female. That belly looks like it could be a female that's had a litter?

Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 09:16

It does look quite chunky in those pictures but it's actually quite small, at least when compared to my monster cats. But it's also quite young.

It was the eating the birdseed that worried me.

I tried to upload a picture that shows it's quite a thin cat, but seems otherwise healthy but MN won't let me.

Definitely no chip. DH brought a scanner home from work to scan ours when the law came in requiring all cats to be chipped and registered on the government database. He hasn't taken it back yet.

OP posts:
Undecicive · 21/08/2023 09:25

@cinnamonfrenchtoast You're right, I missed that part.

Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 09:25

We have a problem with irresponsible cat owners here. Some think it's ok to chuck cats out and leave them to fend for themselves when you go on your holidays. That's why the law was brought in about chipping, so the owners could be prosecuted.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 09:29

Not as chunky as it looks in the other pics.

How do you recognise a stray?
OP posts:
Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 09:30

There we go, it's only from the app I can't post anymore pictures.

OP posts:
CantThinkOfANameAtAll · 21/08/2023 09:37

Get it put on cats protection and rspca's lost and found websites for local and national coverage. Do the local Facebook page for where you are and if you have that neighbours fb page.

Put up posters on lampposts covering a few streets around you.

Scan for chips (you have done).

After a few weeks tell cats protection or rspca that nobody has come forward and ask them to rehome. Take down posters once they have the cat.

^^ that is what I was told to do. I have removed/trapped two stray cats, now on befriending my third so I can rehome. Sick to death of ppl not chipping. And yes I would be worried about it eating bird seed, my first stray tried to eat fallen pears in the snow. Cats are meat eaters, they need taurine.

Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 09:42

We're not in the UK.

OP posts:
Pickledpigeon · 21/08/2023 09:45

Sadly lots of cats are being abandoned and the rescues are full to brim, people are just dumping pets.
I would absolutely feed while I tried to locate an owner, paper collar, Facebook groups and not ignore.
I would say eating bird seed and generally scavenging food are indicators the animal is seriously hungry, it’s not the behaviour of a greedy six dinner Sid.

sashh · 21/08/2023 09:53

This is a long shot but are you in or near Wolverhampton?

sashh · 21/08/2023 09:54

OK not in UK, not the one lost near me

Original poster
MrTiddlesTheCat · 21/08/2023 10:08

He's finally let me properly pet him and he's definitely a young, unneutered male.

OP posts:
Iamacatslave · 21/08/2023 10:36

I think you may have been adopted.