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The litter tray

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

Original poster

So this cat showed up in my garden yesterday…

193 replies

Inarightpickleandpreserve · 29/12/2023 12:05

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!!

So this cat showed up in my garden yesterday…
OP posts:
INeverForgetAFaceButInYourCaseIdLikeTo · 29/12/2023 13:55

OP, I'm so pleased you've adopted this little cat. He's not yet an adult, and needed somewhere. I hope you have years of happy times with him. What are you naming him?

arewedoneyet · 29/12/2023 13:55

This thread is actually unbelievable people are more concerned with the property rights of a potentially non-existent owner than the welfare needs of a cat. No wonder there's so many stray animals / animals in need in U.K. if this is the attitude.

FreshWinterMorning · 29/12/2023 13:55

FluffyFanny · 29/12/2023 13:53

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.

Exactly. It's disgusting to just take someone else's cat. I can't believe the nerve of some of the posters on here. Many of them really would STEAL someone else's pet. WOW. Just WOW. Confused

ValkyrieAssassin · 29/12/2023 13:55

When our last cat went missing we contacted the council in case the highway team had picked her up dead. We contacted the pet rescue services and the local vets and letter dropped all the area. If you do the same to see if someone has reported the cat missing plus the list pet section of Facebook and nothing comes up the you have probably done the best you can. But like others I suspect it is a loved cat that had got lost or locked out accidentally. Strays tend to be in rough shape imo

HerMammy · 29/12/2023 13:56

@titchy
I suggest you chip your cats asap, I've scanned many a lost/deceased cat and if chipped can be returned home or give owner closure, very irresponsible. it to have outdoor cats chipped and neutered

FreshWinterMorning · 29/12/2023 13:57

JingleSnowmanTree · 29/12/2023 13:53

@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.

Show quote history

Exactly. If the cat is friendly and affectionate then it has probably only been missing a few days. Can't believe the amount of posters on here justifying stealing someone's pet. Disgusting. Hmm

JingleSnowmanTree · 29/12/2023 13:57

AllTheOtherCats · 29/12/2023 13:44

No chip? Not neutered? Don't listen to any of these posters telling you you're stealing a cat. You're not. Any person who did not have their cat chipped/neutered in the first place is completely irresponsible and doesn't deserve this beautiful creature.

Thank you OP for not turning your back on him and for doing the responsible thing. He's absolutely gorgeous xx

@AllTheOtherCats

who suggested or said to turn her back on it? Precisely no one.

but she isn't 'doing the right thing' acting like the cat is now hers. The right thing is to try elsewhere to find the chip, they can move around & often vets don't find them, it's better to go to a small rescue.

FastingBitchFace · 29/12/2023 13:57

I agree with the PP who said not to put photos up, just say you've found a black and white cat, and let them send you a photo to prove it's theirs.

RomeoOscarXrayXray · 29/12/2023 13:58

The vet said he should weigh how much?

My male DCat (now 5 and a half) weighs over 5kgs. He's a BIG boy. His sister weighs under 3kgs

My mini and maxi moggies!

Keep trying to find an owner and be really strict about assessing ownership.

JingleSnowmanTree · 29/12/2023 13:58

Oh & the vet is guessing at 10 months.

people often wait until a specific time to get cats neutered, they might have been advised not to until it was 12 months.

FreshWinterMorning · 29/12/2023 13:59

HerMammy · 29/12/2023 13:56

@titchy
I suggest you chip your cats asap, I've scanned many a lost/deceased cat and if chipped can be returned home or give owner closure, very irresponsible. it to have outdoor cats chipped and neutered

YES! THIS!

People need to chip their cat ASAP to stop people from stealing them. According to this thread, it seems many people are happy to do this!!!

@Inarightpickleandpreserve I hope you genuinely do try to find the owner. If not, I am sure kitty will be happy with you. BUT you should not have had him chipped before trying to find the owner, and I am gobsmacked the vet did it tbh.

PupInAPram · 29/12/2023 14:01

He's unchipped, underweight and not neutered. He belongs to you now. Treat him right.

Worldgonecrazy · 29/12/2023 14:01

Congrats on your new boy. No one ‘owns’ a cat, they choose their own home, free to go at any time should they choose. I’m happy he has found somewhere to live.

Im also fairly certain that ownership legalities for cats and dogs are very different.

QueenBitch666 · 29/12/2023 14:01

I'd keep him. Stuff the original owners who couldn't be arsed looking after him properly. Thank you for taking care of him Flowers

Feraldogmum · 29/12/2023 14:01

The original owners could not be bothered to chip the cat, OP has rung around local vets etc so owners have likely dumped him or are simply not bothered. Maybe OP was quick to register/ chip but what would you suggest, leaving the cat out and hoping he doesn't die of starvation ? She's looked, no one's registered a missing cat matching description and it's more than likely the vet recommended chipping.
Vets are getting dumped animals brought to them in droves every single day. I've been adopting rescue dogs for the last 15 years and every single one is chipped,its not expensive and some charities will do it for free. There are tbh, a lot of folk out there who are arseholes to their pets.

AllIsWellish · 29/12/2023 14:01

One of mine wasn't chipped or neutered until this year when he decided he no longer wanted to be an indoor cat . We would have been devastated if he had managed to get out and someone stole him. We've had him since he was 6 days old

JingleSnowmanTree · 29/12/2023 14:01

arewedoneyet · 29/12/2023 13:52

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

Take your lack of comprehension & put it in the bin.

Original poster
Inarightpickleandpreserve · 29/12/2023 14:03

i am not assuming the cat is now mine!! I was advised by the vet to put the chip in in any case as they scanned all over and there was none.
I am making an effort to find his family!
I am just looking after him until we know if and where his family are at which point I will return him straight away.
I would not go against the vets advice surely they know what to do better than I do??

I’ve put a notice on Facebook and IG and our local vets know my details in case anyone comes asking.

I AM VERY CLEAR IT IS NOT MY CAT

OP posts:
PurpleFlower1983 · 29/12/2023 14:04

Book him in for neutering ASAP. He’s gorgeous!

rockstarshoes · 29/12/2023 14:04

OP you've done the right thing!

You've checked for a chip, you're trying to find his family!

Well done & thank you for looking out for him!

twigolsenisabrat · 29/12/2023 14:04

Also remember a lot of pets are getting dumped right now because of the CoL, housing issues etc.

He might have had a home, costs started to escalate (neutering/vaccinations etc) cat rescue was full & he just got abandoned. This does happen as well.

Unicorn34 · 29/12/2023 14:05

Hi. Thank you for caring. I would take the pictures down and advertise that a 10 mth old kitten has been found. Then if someone tries to claim you will need to see a photo first.

DoodlesMam · 29/12/2023 14:05

you've done the right thing to assme the ccat is lost and get it's welfare sorted. Ironically we ended up adopting a generally healthy but underweight unchipped and un spayed cat with no vaccinations or flea treatements, but only after the feckless owners had asked the vet to have it put down because they didn't want to pay for anything. So we have, now formally rescued said cat, after a proper rehoming charity took her on. Always check on social as the cat may have a family but it sounds like you are a much better cat guardian. Neuter asap.... x

AInightingale · 29/12/2023 14:05

Have you girls already fallen for him, if so it will be hard if he does turn out to belong to someone else. But kittens do stray a lot, though a responsible owner will be posting everywhere and anywhere frantic with worry. You would soon know I'd imagine. Lack of microchip means no initial vet check and an uncaring or very irresponsible owner to say the least.

Struggling to see how you spent £100 at Pets at Home! Home Bargains good enough for a cat which mightn't even be staying...

JingleSnowmanTree · 29/12/2023 14:05

Feraldogmum · 29/12/2023 14:01

The original owners could not be bothered to chip the cat, OP has rung around local vets etc so owners have likely dumped him or are simply not bothered. Maybe OP was quick to register/ chip but what would you suggest, leaving the cat out and hoping he doesn't die of starvation ? She's looked, no one's registered a missing cat matching description and it's more than likely the vet recommended chipping.
Vets are getting dumped animals brought to them in droves every single day. I've been adopting rescue dogs for the last 15 years and every single one is chipped,its not expensive and some charities will do it for free. There are tbh, a lot of folk out there who are arseholes to their pets.

I'll say it again. Chips move vets generally aren't skilled or motivated to find them. A good small rescue will try harder & generally find them.

you don't know how long they've had him, they may have only had him a very short time & not been able to get it done until the new year.

that cat is not underfed.

wind necks in.

the OP would be morally bankrupt not to do her very best to find the family & home it's missing from. If she wants a cat she can go to an over burdened rescue, not steal someone else's cat.