So this cat showed up in my garden yesterday…

[Inarightpickleandpreserve]

Yesterday morning this little small kitty showed up meowing really loud at the door. Never seen it before. Went out and came back and it’s still there. Went out again and it’s still there so I gave it some tuna from a can which was wolfed down.

The weather was awful yesterday and I couldn’t bear thinking about leaving it outside so I set up a little bed in the garage with a blanket in a laundry basket which a heat pad. Makeshift litter box with a shoe box and hastily purchased corner shop litter.

My girls and I took it to the vet and today and they said he’s a boy cat about 10 months old, no chip, not been neutered and did we want to take him home?

so £100 in pets home later we have one kitty that’s moved in with us!! He is very purry and seems happy to be inside and warm.

ive got a litter box, carry case, scratch thing, got him chipped and have some sachets of food.

what else do I need to do??? Help!!

@RubySundayy · Today 12:12

Can’t believe you’re all preaching at the OP to find the owner of an underweight, unchipped cat.

🙄

Someone else who knows naff-all about the law. The OP DOES NOT OWN THIS CAT. The cat is SOMEONE ELSE'S PROPERTY. It doesn't look underweight either. And so what if it's unchipped? Maybe the owner has not got round to it yet! Doesn't mean they deserve to have their cat taken away!

Don't talk such misleading rot. Of course a person owns their own cat - even if it's not chipped.

Cat laws | Animal Welfare Act | Cats Protection

Theft Act 1968

Cats are regarded in law as property, so the theft of a cat is treated as an offence under the Act, in the same way as theft of any other property. A cat that is lost or has strayed is generally regarded as the property of the original owner. It is therefore necessary to try to return a lost cat to its owner.

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@Inarightpickleandpreserve

ehat you do is you do your very best to find the owner.

yes, they should have had it chipped, but they haven't.

they could have a cat sitter or friend looking after it while they're away for Christmas & it's accidentally got out.

you lured it in with food, gave it a heated bed & basically stole it.

the vet may have said it was a little underweight, but it's hardly a starved cat is it???

you have been very premature in assuming it's yours, it's NOT.

someone will be heart broken their cat is missing. Get postering & SM. Call other vets in the area. Find its home & family.

if you want a cat, there are plenty in rescues.

This. He's got a better home with the OP. Some sanctimonious muppets on here!

Be prepared for it to be desperate to get out too. Not all cats are suited to be indoor cats.

Plenty of people wouldn’t be heartbroken if their cat was missing. That’s why rescues aren’t full and can’t take more strays. Plenty of people genuinely see cats as disposable.

How on earth can you possibly know that this cat has a better home with the OP?

Utterly ridiculous, ignorant comment.

@TeacherPlease

im worried about your morals, if you are indeed a teacher.

its no more right to steal a cat that isn't chipped than a car that isn't locked.

yes, the cat should be chipped, but this one isn't fir whatever reason. It clearly has a warm comfortable living home.

it is NOT the OP's cat

He's not a feral cat because he is friendly. He's likely wandered away from his home and got lost and might have been living as a stray for quite a while. Being unchipped doesn't mean he was unloved or uncared for. Not everyone has their cats chipped and neutered (especially males) - doesn't mean they don't care for them.

He's not yours until you have taken all reasonable steps to trace his owner- you need to post pics to local lost cat data-bases such as RSPCA and post on local lost cat facebook groups local social media sites.

Congratulations on being owned by your new cat !
I think if he's underweight and not chipped or neutered and no collar he's probably not owned.
I think wait a few days if anyone responds on socials otherwise take him back to vet in new year and get him neutered and vaccinated. They won't have any records for him re vaccination so you'll just be starting from scratch. Given his state its fairly safe to assume he's not been vaccinated either.
Definitely apply a flea treatment if he's a stray. He may scent mark around the house a bit (as un neutered male). Make sure he knows where the litter tray is too.
Enjoy!

I’m very shocked you would just decide to keep a cat you have just found in your garden.

You could have tried to find the owner before taking it to the vets and going to pets at home.
At the very least, given it a couple of days before taking something that isn’t yours.

The fact that you did everything very quickly shows you have no intention of finding it’s owner.
You got him chipped with your details!!

Cats are buggers and most will go wherever there is food.
Don’t be surprised if he goes to someone else’s home and they decide to keep him.

It could be that he was a recent addition for a family and he escaped and got lost before they had a chance to get him chipped.

Please ensure anyone claiming the cat provides evidence of ownership; there are evil people out there.

You are seriously justifying stealing someone else's cat that wanders near to your house because 'meh, some people don't like their cats anyway?!' Are you actually kidding?!

I can't believe some of the posts I am reading on here. I am glad my kitty rarely goes out, as if any of my neighbours are like you, they will take her and claim ownership if she wanders more than 100 feet away from our driveway! Good grief.

Sorry not all feral cats are not friendly, they're usually cautious but not necessarily actively unfriendly.

Also I despair at people on here treating the welfare of a cat as comparable with theft of a car. Absolutely disgusting.

The Op did a good thing and loads of people piling on OP to criticise them it's absurd

Theft is theft. Period. Car or cat. It's THEFT.

There is no such thing as a cat without an owner unless it was born feral. Cats get separated from their owners and get lost regularly for one reason or another but a friendly cat has always had an owner previously.

You’ve got him microchipped!!

I’m sure you’ll make a lovely owner but you have stolen this cat because you chose to get him microchipped with your details the day after you found him, before even attempting to find out about him in your local area.

@FreshWinterMorning it's not as simple as that when it comes to pets with welfare needs and it's disgusting to compare them

You've not stolen a cat, he was unchipped and as cats roam,the owners are not responsible nor particularly committed. From next year it will be a legal requirement to chip a cat.
Nothing on Facebook so I would say the little guys lucky to have found you, enjoy and good luck, just make sure you get him chipped.

@Santapaws3

some might, but even if that's the case, there's no harm done by trying to find the owner is there?

it's clearly not long been away from a warm home with food, look at it.

it was meowing to come inside, cats that have been living on the streets don't do that.

rescues are full of surrendered cats and those found living rough, no lost kittens meowing to be let in.

Wow I missed that bit. @Inarightpickleandpreserve You actually got the cat chipped with YOUR details without even trying to find the owner first?! WTAF?

The first thing l do when l take on a kitten/ cat is get them neutered, spayed and chipped. There's no excuse, The Cats Protection League are very good at helping out with neutering and spaying costs, you can apply online.
I would definately keep this cat, owners are obviously irresponsible and the novelty has probably worn off. Cats do have a way of finding their owners, my sister has taken on six strays over the years, none of them had been chipped or neutered.
It's very good of you to take him in, he is still a baby and does look underweight. He will bring so much to your life, you have done the right thing.

Just because you haven't got your cat chipped doesn't mean you don't care about the animal. My cat is 4 and only had her chipped this year and got her done also so did it together.

When we went to the vet today they said in any case chipped was good because even if he has a family I will return him to the family and they can update the details. That’s what the vet said was best to do!