Stray cat?

[Moonwatcher1234]

we have a cat which has started coming regularly into our back garden. It seemed hungry and so we fed it initially and now it regularly comes and mews at the back door.

We always open the door and it comes in for a feed and has started to explore generally. It didn’t like being touched at first but now accepts respectful strokes and eats dreamies from the kids hands.it is a very gentle and languid cat.

We have all fallen for this cat but I don’t know how to check if it belongs to anyone. I’m not sure whether handling it and bundling to the vet would be stressful and undo the trust we worked hard to build. Any ideas welcome - thanks

Have you read 'Six Dinner Sid' OP?
If the cat is healthy and friendly (and fat) the odds are it's a chancer. Put a paper collar on it with your details and wait for the owner to get in touch.
There are a lot of NMCs in 'the litter tray'. This is 'not my cat' snaffling my cats' food.

Nope never read that but will look it up. I feel conflicted as “my” cat seems healthy and well but just so hungry all the time. Thanks for the advice on the collar - I will do it but slightly heartbroken if he can’t be mine!
I love your cat peeping at the intruder 😂

You fed it. So it comes back. Most cats will act hungry if they think they can get a free meal. Doesn’t make it your cat. Start by asking on local FB sites or put a paper collar on it. This could be a cat with special dietary needs that is happy to have different food (that it shouldn’t have)

Absolutely this.

All cats are chancers.

Thank you - I will ask around but it really does act very hungry and I couldn’t bear to ignore its mews. Equally I don’t want to feed it the wrong food. I will try the paper collar as our local FB page is crazy and a random is likely to try and claim him - he’s a gorgeous cat. Another question though- he’s started venturing into the house and exploring - does that mean anything? Sorry I’m new to cats

You’re feeding it and not dissuading it. It’s a chancer! Please do the paper collar thing. A cat “seeming” hungry means nothing. One of mine has just come in and tucked in like she hasn’t been fed for a week. The other one once followed a cat into its house and the pair of them ripped into a packet of dreamies and ate the lot. If a cat is skin and bones then it’s starving. Just because it tucks into tuna it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a home.
If you want a cat then there are lots in rescue.

You need to take it to the vets. It's most likely chiped.

Do we get a photo of Sid?

My cat keeps vanishing & looks like your friend.
Are you north or south op?

No. Curiosity killed the cat :)

They're a nosy lot.

Cats know how to act starving so that you feed them! Don't underestimate the cats intelligence!

I have a cat who was genuinely a starving stray, scrawny and battered and poorly who moved in with us. He’s absolutely definitely not starving now but he carries on as though he hasn’t been fed in weeks so the child keeps on giving him more. He weighs nearly a stone now so I think he’s also telling the neighbours that he’s starving. Some cats are just greedy bastards and good actors.
Mine is very much on a diet but it’s hard to enforce.

I will take one tomorrow when it comes around teatime. But heartbroken that I probably won’t get to keep it. Although on the plus side, I now have my heart set on a rescue rather than the pedigree we were looking to get for the kids in the new year

You've fed him so of course he keeps coming back!