Cat has just come home with a collar on!

[kirinm]

My cat has just come in with a collar on. She doesn't have a collar. I feel like someone is trying to claim her. What are we meant to do to signal that she has a home?

Bacteria is not a toxin though.

yes cats mouths are a cesspit of bacteria, and their teeth basically hypodermically inject the bacteria deep in the skin, so ideal to set up an infection.

they do not “carry a toxin” in their mouths. This would make them venomous, and cat toxin antidote would be readily available- you wouldn’t need antibiotics you’d need the antidote.

OK, if you want to be pedantic, I should have said in my original post it's a bacteria that's toxic to birds and mice, not a toxin. It's not toxic to humans, just small animals. I'm not making this up, it's written on many wildlife sites.

"Most cats and dogs, have a bacteria found in their mouths called Pasteurella multocida, which even if not directly delivered into the bloodstream of a bird or mammal , can still prove to be fatal. It's extremely toxic, and naturally occurs in all cats. This bacteria will kill the animal within a 24-72 hour period. Therefore the animal MUST see a vet."

https://www.oxfordshirewildliferescue.co.uk/catted-birds

That's interesting.
But I've never heard before of people bringing a mouse to the vet because your cat brought it in.
Who does that ? Do vets even accept that?

Well the owner should have done it!! There were two unneutered toms that would have been in our street from time to time. One got a facial injury and we borrowed a trap from a rescue and tried to capture him but he was too wily! The other one went into the trap at least three times, but always at the weekend or a bank holiday, or he'd have been at the vet's for the snip too!!

First one's injury healed by itself in the end and we haven't seen him for over a year. We see the other one from time to time, but we had to give the trap back to the rescue, and allegedly he does have a home.

Growing up in the countryside in the 60s and 70s, it was commonplace for people to drown kittens! It broke my heart! So barbaric!

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Well she came home wearing a bloody coat today so I don't think the collar and bell was anybody trying to stop her scaring wildlife.

Wtf. Do you have any idea who these people are? Can you ask about on any local groups?

Oh my god I would be fuming!

Sorry but that made me laugh. She doesn't look very impressed. It sounds like they think they have adopted her.

We had a cat that used to visit us regularly. Turned out she lived just round the corner. When her owner died the daughter asked if we wanted to keep her. I would have but our two would have strenuously objected. Strangely about three months after she was rehomed another cat started visiting. He seems to be a stray who visits about three houses in rotation. Apparently he was thrown out by someone in the village who never had her cats neutered and just abandoned the kittens. It was as if he knew there was a vacancy for a bonus cat.

He seems very healthy and I think he does have a full time home somewhere. Our boiler is outside so he likes to lie on top of it. He also occasionally sleeps in the kitchen under the radiator in the winter.

Poor thing. Our cat has a jumper he likes to wear in the house but won't go out in it in case anyone sees.

Can you stick the coat on your front fence with a note?

That's a really good idea @SettlerOfDivan

Flipping heck! I would be keeping her in for a few days whilst trying to find out who is doing this.

This is a good plan, and/or put a picture on local social media/picture of cat in coat on local post office (if you have such a thing!) saying this cat already has a home?

Cat does not look impressed! It does not even match her colouring!

Might sound daft but could you get the Sharpie out and write a message on the coat? Then allow her out wearing coat and the message.

this is what I was going to say.

'Not yours' in bright red

Although putting a dog coat on a random cat is pretty erm eccentric, so good luck

No! The nerve. Lucky that it didn’t get caught on anything before she got home.

Has she had vet treatment? Take the coat off and see if it’s protecting a wound

Good thought. My vet will scan the chip before doing anything, but perhaps not all do.

It's half term in a lot of places. Are you sure it's not a kid doing this?

Sorry but the coat made me laugh 😅 she looks deeply unimpressed.

That made me literally LOL. 😂

I have a cat because he chose me, not because he's an easy pet. The vet's bills alone prove that he isn't an easy pet.

CatOfAle has one of these with my phone number on it. https://www.kittycollars.co.uk/personalised-cat-collars/