Neglected? cat

[cadburyegg]

There is a cat that has been hanging around my house recently, with some fur patches missing and what fur he has left is really matted.

I posted on 2 Facebook groups yesterday about him and 4 people contacted me, 1 person saying they’d also noticed him hanging around and thinks he needs a vet, and 3 other people said that the owner isn’t interested.

I am going to try to get him to a vet to be scanned for a microchip. Just wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience and what they’d do next?

If the cat doesn’t have a chip you can adopt it, if that’s what you want. If it does it’s more complicated. Do you have a local Cat Protection branch? They may be able to help. Ours has a couple of quite persuasive people who are very good at encouraging bad owners to surrender their cats. Then they can be fostered and rehomed, if they have space. They also help struggling owners with vet care and food if that’s what’s needed. Not all CP branches would do this though, IME.

Thank you. Cat has been to vet and is not microchipped or neutered. Now deciding if I should keep him or find him another home!

aww keep him!

Presumably you've fed him? And he now loves you? In which case, is the decision not made? And is there a pic of the poor boy? Is it time to name him yet? 😍

Aww thanks for the replies! Here’s a photo, excuse the mess this is under my 11yo’s bed 😆

I had decided I am going to make an appt for a proper vet check next week with the aim of getting him in for neutering and de-matting asap. (They will do both at the same time).

I have 2 cats already so keeping him away from them for the time being.

My kids are very excited but to try and avoid disappointment if our current cats hate him or it doesn’t work out, I have said we will play it by ear

I only read your first two lines:

There is a cat that has been hanging around my house recently, with some fur patches missing and what fur he has left is really matted

before scrolling down to say "Congratulations on your new family member"

Your update confirms it. You've formally been adopted.

I could have written this post pretty much word for word a few months ago.

We asked a Scan Angel to come and check the apparent stray that had been living in our garden for some months.
He wasn’t chipped so we took him to the vets after checking Facebook to see if anyone was looking for him.

No result so he’s now chipped to us and we couldn’t be happier. Cat seems quite chuffed too.

I should say - I could have written the OP’s post a few months ago.

He looks quite young and vulnerable! Poor wee scrap. But he looks as though he's feeling safe with you. 💞

Aww what will you name him?

Update!!

he saw the vet today, who were so lovely, and managed to shave some of his matted fur while he was awake. I gave him some OTC flea meds the other day, he was wormed & vaccinated too today.

Cats protection have agreed to subsidise the cost of neutering him, so waiting for that voucher to come through, then can book him in for that and a proper de-mat. His fur is in such a state :( here is a photo of him after today.

We have called him Teddy!!

Does anyone have any experience of having an unneutered tom in the house for any length of time?! He is absolutely desperate to get out and sprays a lot. Also he in general smells very musky. Can someone reassure me neutering will help this please?!

I’ve had intact male foster cats. The spraying and the smell will subside when he’s neutered. He has such a pretty face, he’s going to be a beautiful cat.

What a handsome boy he is!
Teddy is a great name for him.
Has he met your other cats yet? Well done @cadburyegg , you have a wonderful new addition to your family. 🖤

I would like to say a big thank you for helping Teddy.

The smell will almost definitely go once he's been neutered - Tobias was nearly 3 when he was done by the rescue & there's no "tom cat" smell about him at all. The spraying should stop as well, and that's probably partly down to him marking his new territory so once he's settled in that should help.

He's a very handsome boy indeed.

That's the face of the gentleman thinking "Bingo, found my servants for life. How can I take the total piss.... let me count the ways!"

Congratulations to you all and thanks for helping him.

He's absolutely gorgeous. 😻.
You may find that Teddy's general smell reduces anyway as he gets cleaned up, now he's not living rough. As others have said I'd expect the spraying to reduce/stop post neutering but it may take a bit of time.

As an aside years ago I had an unneutered Tom move in with me and he didn't spray or smell. I realise he was an exception. - Best cat I ever had.

How long will it take for the voucher to come through?

I missed your original post, @cadburyegg but want to thank you for giving Teddy the forever home all cats deserve.
He’s absolutely gorgeous ! 🐈‍⬛ 💙
Bless you xx

Another thank you for taking on Teddy, brilliant name for him, also agree he is very handsome!
Please update when you can, I love these threads where a cat is in dire straits then due to a wonderful human, they get their forever home and blossom into magnificent moggies😻

@cadburyegg Thank you for taking him on. I am sure you will be rewarded. You have already cared for him more than anyone else. How are the other cats dealing with it

I posted earlier about the stray that we adopted.
He was also an intact tom and there was a definite smell about him. That’s completely gone since he was neutered. He wasn't spraying in the house - I wonder if Teddy might be spraying because of your other cats? Either way, I’d expect it to resolve itself once he’s neutered.
Other changes we’ve noticed with ours are that he’s happier to be in and he’s very comfortable and affectionate with us. Like Teddy, he’s a beautiful cat.

So I am finding the peeing everywhere really stressful.

But he is a lovely cat. He has met my 2 others and other than a perfunctory hiss one of mine gave to him when he got too close to her, all ok.

I feel really guilty also because Teddy is shut up in one room for most of the day, as I can’t risk him getting out and due to the layout of my house (open plan, very few doors) he either has access to one room or the whole house, and the kids are in and out of the garden with the nice weather.

Neutering voucher should arrive in the next few days hopefully then I can get him booked in.

The non matted areas of his coat already feel less greasy/gross, assuming it’s cos he’s no longer living rough/cleaning himself better.

can’t seem to upload photos today for some reason! Will try again later

Disaster. Teddy got out tonight and hasn’t returned. His neutering was booked for tomorrow. I’m so upset and cross with myself 😭😭😭

Don't panic yet - have a wander with some Dreamies and check anywhere he might have secreted himself away. He'd be a fool to leave long term so he may well reappear by morning.. sending homing vibes x