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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.

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Original poster

Somebody else's cat

18 replies

UnluckyFriedKitten7777 · 20/12/2024 22:21

Hi all - just looking for some hive mind opinions as I'm ethically torn...

Recently a little cat moved in nearby. When I say little I mean really little, when I first saw her I thought she was only 2-3 months old so I took her in and canvassed the neighbours trying to find out where she lived. I found her owner and took her home.

Every now and then she still comes round to visit. My two cats gets on well with her so I've never discouraged it, and I will often find her asleep in my house when I get home from work. I know she's eating the food I leave out for my two as well (I did try moving it around the house but she finds it and they just sit there and watch her eat so...)

She just went into heat. I had 4 different toms from around the neighbourhood following her in through my cat flap trying to shoot their shot that evening. Eventually I just blocked up the flap with my two inside and her outside so she would go home. When I popped out later on for a smoke she was fighting one of the toms and desperate to get into the house so I let her in.

I popped round to the neighbours house who owns her to fill them in and see if I could bring her home but they weren't in and the window they leave slightly open for her to come and go into her own house was closed. I've popped round several times whenever I'm out for a smoke and haven't seen any signs of life or ways for her to get back inside out of the cold and rain.

I took her to the vets to check it was heat and not an illness or whatever and they scanned her for a chip and couldn't find one.

So she's not spayed, not chipped, very likely not vaxxed if the other two haven't been done. She's around a year or so old.

I've also had some concerns about that neighbour as they have another female cat who was not spayed and got pregnant who ran away from home to have the kittens. They were asking around on Facebook for people to check sheds etc. I know it's not hard evidence but surely if their other cat felt safe at home they would have had the kittens there?

So now I'm torn. I've started giving her her own food bowl because her owner is completely awol, and if she was my cat she'd be down the vet tomorrow for spaying, chipping, and vaxxing, but I don't really want to spend £300 on getting that sort of thing done to somebody else's cat (partly because it's a lot of money, partly for the fact I'm not sure where I stand legally in all this)

WWYD in this situation?

Edit - LOL as I was typing this I heard her chirping away on the landing and walked out and one of my boys is giving her some "attention" - he's been snipped so it's safe sex and hopefully it releases some tension for her - they both seem to be enjoying it...

OP posts:

JoanOgden · 20/12/2024 22:23

Aargh how difficult. But I think you should get her neutered, at least - since she doesn't have a chip no one can stop you, and it will save her and her putative kittens an awful lot of misery.

XxSideshowAuntSallyx · 21/12/2024 05:57

She's not your cat, why are you feeding her and taking her to the vet? Don't even considering neutering her. If you're that concerned call Cats Protection, they have a process for stray and abandoned cats if they can't find a microchip. But because you're feeding her and letting her in she's going to keep coming back so stop feeding her and put back out every time she comes in.

My cat is currently missing, and if someone has taken her in, feeding her etc I will go absolutely ballistic, I pay the insurance, buy the food, pay the vet bills. My cat didn't run away because she's neglected or feels unsafe I can guarantee that.

Original poster

UnluckyFriedKitten7777 · 21/12/2024 09:07

So you totally disregarded the bit where I'm trying to contact her owner (still doing that multiple times per day) and trying to return her to her home? I'm sorry your cat is missing, but don't start having a go at me for a totally different situation...

I took her to the vet AFTER I tried to return her home and because I was worried she was ill (I'd never seen a cat in heat before I didn't know what that looked like). I'm feeding her because from everything I can tell it's the only food she's being given. I'm not going to let a cat starve or get seriously ill just because it's not my cat. Both of mine are rescues, and if someone hadn't done the same for them once neither would be with us right now.

OP posts:

biscuitsandbooks · 21/12/2024 09:19

If she's not chipped and there's no proof of ownership anywhere, I would be tempted to just keep her.

I don't normally encourage that on threads like this but she's clearly not being looked after.

EmpressaurusKitty · 21/12/2024 09:32

Can you put a dated note through the owner’s door saying that if you don’t hear back in the next week you’re going to take her to a rescue, and keep her inside in the meantime?
And thank you for what you’re doing.

AlisonDonut · 21/12/2024 09:35

If she isn't chipped I'd have her neutered otherwise you'll end up with 4 more cats.

Whyherewego · 21/12/2024 09:39

Yes I'd pop a note through door as PP suggested. Could you contact vet to see if they have a record of her at least? This neighbours seems very irresponsible cat owner and I'd be tempted to get her spayed either way ! But ofc that's a cost

ElangaScores · 21/12/2024 09:40

I was in your shoes a year ago. Ethically I was uncomfortable giving shelter to someone else’s cat but it was very clear the cat was being neglected.
Long story short, we had him vaccinated and neutered, we regularly flea treat him, and he spends 80% of his time here and 20% at his original home. We don’t feel we own him, but we feel we did the right thing when it was clear the neighbours didn’t give a shit about his welfare.

Toddlerteaplease · 21/12/2024 09:50

She's probably already pregnant. I think I'd pay for spaying but not vaccinations. If you can't contact the owner after multiple attempts I'd keep her.

whatcanthematterbe81 · 21/12/2024 09:54

XxSideshowAuntSallyx · 21/12/2024 05:57

Didn't bother to read the OP no?

EmpressaurusKitty · 21/12/2024 09:58

I’m normally very about the ‘Cat Distribution System’ and people who rush cats off to the vet or to a rescue just because the cat happens to be outside, but this is different.

My girl was five and heavily pregnant when she was rescued about a year ago - fuck knows how many litters she’d had before that. She was chipped but the address was long out of date.

Her kittens are all happily rehomed & she’s currently fast asleep on my clean washing. I hate to think where she’d be & where they’d be without that person who gave enough of a shit to alert the rescue.

CatChant · 21/12/2024 09:58

Poor neglected cat. I’m very glad she has you to watch out for her.

So she’s very young, not spayed, not chipped, almost certainly not vaccinated, shut outside with no access to food or shelter, and very likely already pregnant.

Her owners don’t deserve her. I’d keep her or try to find her a place in a rescue. Her life is likely to be a short, hard one otherwise. And so will the lives of all the unwanted kittens she will have.

Allergictoironing · 21/12/2024 10:09

XxSideshowAuntSallyx · 21/12/2024 05:57

I'm assuming however that your cat is neutered, chipped and vaccinated and has access to your home and food.

This little one has not been neutered, chipped or vaccinated (which is now illegal by the way) and will be getting chased and mated constantly all the time while she is outside (which the OP has seen herself happening), and has no way of getting in to her own home. Her "owners" appear to have gone away and just left her to survive on her own, and have previous for letting their cats get pregnant.

But you be all moralising and apply your specific situation to a completely and utterly different one why don't you?😡

Allergictoironing · 21/12/2024 10:12

Oops bracketed comment placing fail - obviously the "illegal now" comment should have been after the "chipped" not the vaccinated!

Original poster

UnluckyFriedKitten7777 · 21/12/2024 10:13

Thanks to those who have suggested the note. I did that on day 2 (this is now day 4) and so far no response, and still no signs of life at her actual home.

My primary concern is my current 2 - if she brings the unfixed toms into the house with her scent they end up fighting my boys hence why I blocked up the cat flap and nobody gets to go in or out.

I'm at home all day today so I have let them wander again but sitting in my kitchen working on my laptop near the cat flap until they come home for their lunch, and then I will call them in with cat crack (dreamies) and block it up again while I'm out later.

I'll think I'll give the owner until day 7 to actually turn up and take responsibility (and may well report them to CPL or RSPCA if they don't treat it seriously regardless) and if she appears homeless at that point she gets adopted officially by me and I will take care of chip and vaxx and spay (plus likely abortion).

OP posts:

biscuitsandbooks · 21/12/2024 11:44

Giving them a week sounds like a sensible plan - congratulations in advance on your new cat

Pudmyboy · 21/12/2024 16:24

Thank you @UnluckyFriedKitten7777 for doing all this for that little cat, does sound very much like she will be yours soon. Given how close we are to Christmas I wonder if they have gone away for the holiday period? Or moved out? Anyway thank you for caring for her 😻

Bjorkdidit · 21/12/2024 16:47

I agree with this plan. If you struggle with the cost, rescues might be able to help you. If she's only just pregnant a spay abort is the kindest solution.

I foster for a small local organisation and we've had some distressing experience of very young cats having kittens. One started to eat them and only one could be saved and it needed to be hand reared because mum was unable to safely nurse him. Another was found in great distress due to complications while giving birth.

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