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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

Stray cat upsetting everything

45 replies

mildlyfried · 10/04/2024 20:22

Can anyone offer me any advice please? I'm desperate. We have been adopted by a dirty, unkempt stray cat. It is underweight with bad teeth and constantly drools. It is afraid of people and won't be touched. We are a cat loving family with 4 rehomed cats but they are all unsettled by the stray and they are now spraying in the house. The stray comes in at night even though we bought an outdoor cat house and made it cozy with straw. It is damaging all our furniture and leaves sticky drool on the carpets. Its poos and wees on the lawn. Really I am at the end of my tether after a year of this. The local charity says its not suitable to be rehomed. People are suggesting I give it to someone with a farm but it will surely die won't it? I'm sending it to its death. What can I do? I wish it would move on but it just won't. Please advise. Thanks.

OP posts:
Autumn1990 · 10/04/2024 20:32

Have you got a garage? If so make it a nice bed in there. Cats don’t really like straw and once it’s even slightly wet it’s cold and harbours mites and fleas. I really don’t know why cat charities recommend it.
It’s difficult with the give to a farm because the farms that like cats and treat them well aren’t going to want anymore. We’ve about 12 outside and 2 in the house and I don’t want anymore.
Our inside cats do sleep in a large dog crate and have done since they were kittens, from the barn, and they are happy in the crate at night with food water litter tray and nice bed. So that might be an option. The crate may need covering

Farm cats like to sleep on the same type of beds as house cats so any blankets, cushions etc

WhiteLeopard · 10/04/2024 20:37

Can you get a cat flap that only opens to a chip? So your cats can come in but the stray cat can't.

Original poster
mildlyfried · 10/04/2024 20:45

Thanks for your replies. Unfortunately we have a cat that struggles with the cat flap so we can't use the chip idea. The garage idea is a good suggestion. Maybe be could try putting the outdoor house in the garage. Trouble is the cat keeps coming indoors because it's nice and cosy and we are asleep. I have to be cruel and we are feeding it because it's so thin. Maybe I need to be harder.

OP posts:
MsAsparagus · 10/04/2024 20:52

When I was looking after a stray, they hated straw in the outdoor bed that always recommended so I swapped it to a fleecy blanket and made sure it didn’t get wet or damp. I mean, cats aren’t rabbits so why they suggest straw I don’t know.

AnnaMagnani · 10/04/2024 20:56

Honestly I'd catch it with a cat trap and get it PTS.

If you want to spend money you could try catching it and getting it neutered to see if that makes the behaviour any better. But if he is already old, ill and needing a lot of expensive dental work PTS may be better.

Both I and my neighbour have male ex-strays who behaved a lot better once neutered. However they both still have a lot of 'street' attitude and have no qualms about going into other houses and fighting the resident cats. So even if yours mellows, it may not be enough.

Original poster
mildlyfried · 10/04/2024 21:15

Thanks for your helpful replies. Yes, PTS has been suggested to me but I feel bad about it. It seems very happy lying in the grass in the sun. But he is causing so much trouble for us. Do you think PTS is better than the farm option? Not sure what my kids will think of it. I'll look into getting a better option than straw. I changed from a blanket to straw on advice but maybe not the right advice. I'm not convinced he will change his behaviour. It's been a year now and nothing changes.

OP posts:
HokiePokie · 10/04/2024 21:33

Have you tried contacting Cats Protection? They might be able to trap it ( or give you a trap to catch it), then possibly neuter and give it medical attention. The cat sounds very unwell and eating must be very painful for the poor thing if it's drooling. Cats Protection are very good. Possibly some other local charities might be able to help too.
You are really kind to care so much for this cat. PTS might not be necessary if it gets some treatment. ( Of course might be seriously ill and suffering).

Stickytreacle · 10/04/2024 21:39

If he is unneutered then you will constantly have issues.Your other cats will react to his scent. I'm a cat lover and have many ex ferals that I neuter, keep in a separate room for a while in the warmth and make sure they are fed and comfortable and introduce to my other cats over a period of time. They have all tamed given time and tlc. I have had up to twelve cats at once.

I couldnt send the cat off to a farm or be harsher with it, it isn't the cat's fault that it is desperately seeking much needed comfort. I think euthanasia would be preferable to a miserable existence any day.
Straw is recommended as it doesn't absorb damp, you can get proper fleece liners for cat den plastic houses which might be better as they are more insulated.

Gingerkittykat · 10/04/2024 22:18

Have you tried SSPCA/RSPCA? They don't normally come for strays but they might do if it is unwell and in pain due to its teeth.

Original poster
mildlyfried · 10/04/2024 22:40

Thank you all for taking the time to answer. I've got lots to consider.

OP posts:
Stickytreacle · 11/04/2024 08:12

I hope you can find a solution, reaching out to rescues that will trap/neuter and treat is worth trying, but I have to say that my most ferocious ferals have all become real softies.
The fact that he is coming into your home suggests that he was once owned and used to comforts, they often become very affectionate once neutered and trusting. If he is in pain it will affect his behaviour too.

BananaNutPancakes · 11/04/2024 08:15

Fix the cat and lock it out at night.

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 11/04/2024 08:24

We had a stray coming round all the time and fighting with our cat, stealing food from everyone.

One rescue locally said they would rehome him as a feral in a field which we thought was a bit sad as he looked quite an unhappy cat.

My daughter volunteered at the time for another rescue. They leant us a trap and we trapped him. They took him on neutered and socialised him.

He got rehomed and there was a lovely pic of him in their end of year roundup stretched out looking the happiest most content cat ever.

The rescue also has a feral enclosure and due to losing premises have been actively trying to integrate some of them and rehome - I think they have been successful in some cases.

I am not sure how they can tell he won't be suitable to being homed without giving him a try - how much of the behaviour is linked to him having to fight for food and survival.

HokiePokie · 11/04/2024 09:16

@Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky what a lovely story, that has made my day 😻
I hope OP finds a similar solution. Don't forget to update us OP 😺

Original poster
mildlyfried · 12/04/2024 16:54

Thanks everyone. I'll let you know how I get on. I appreciate all your thoughts on this.

OP posts:
TamzinGrey · 12/04/2024 17:51

I volunteer at an RSPCA cat rescue and we often take in aggressive uneutered toms who sometimes also have health issues. I've never known one of these cats not to be turned around for rehoming eventually. It usually takes several months of patience, but we get there in the end. Neutering makes a massive difference.

We've got a gorgeous big boy in our care at the moment who has just been advertised as ready for adoption. It's taken us a whole year to get him over his fear aggression. Nobody could go near him for ages because he would hiss and lash out. Now he's just a big old softy who's addicted to dreamies.

The saddest thing is that you can tell by the way that these cats behave when they eventually begin to trust people again that they have previously lived with humans and have obviously been abandoned rather than grown up feral.

Please don't get him PTS. There must be a rescue somewhere that will take him.

Original poster
mildlyfried · 24/05/2024 19:22

I thought I'd give you all an update on our stray cat after all your helpful replies. We managed to take the cat to our local vet who said she was a female, about 13 years old with no microchip. The vet said she was is good health apart from her really terrible teeth. We are on waiting lists for animal charities but they were unable to give us a time frame. So we took the plunge and got her teeth removed - 5 in total and she had antibiotics. She's quite a different cat now. She is grooming herself and getting more tame. We've decided to keep her. The vet was very reasonable with the cost and kept her in the 2 nights with no charge. I've posted a photo of before her dental treatment.

Stray cat upsetting everything
OP posts:
Scampuss · 24/05/2024 19:27

Oh well done, she's a beauty 🩷

LongSinceGotUpAndGone · 24/05/2024 19:27

How wonderful! Thanks for cheering me up after a frustrating day!

EachandEveryone · 24/05/2024 19:33

Oh gosh i was dreading getting to the end of this thread but so glad I did.shes lovely

anyoneanyoneanyone · 24/05/2024 20:17

well done you and what a lovely girl 🥺🥺🥺

RandomMess · 24/05/2024 20:23

Such great news 💕

Toddlerteaplease · 24/05/2024 20:55

Aww that is lovely. Thank goodness she found you. You are a hero!

mummymayhem18 · 24/05/2024 21:05

@mildlyfried I'm so pleased that it's working out for you. Thanks so much for caring for it and feeding it etc. it breaks my heart the amount of cats posts come up online. I love cats also. 😊😻

TamzinGrey · 24/05/2024 23:02

Aw that's wonderful news. So very kind of you to get her teeth sorted and offer her a home. She's such a lucky girl to have met you.

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