Made a mistake and don’t want a cat!

[DontWantACat]

About a month ago, a young cat turned up in my garden (live rural, lots of farms, horses/livery places, therefore always lots of cats), very skinny and obviously been in some difficulty as its neck was missing loads of hair, had healing cuts on it. Definitely not someone’s pet. I put out water and food for it, it wasn’t in great shape and while I’m really not a cat person, I couldn’t see an animal in difficulty without trying to help. Fed it for a week or so and it hung around, got its strength back.

Went on holiday for 10 days and thought it would break the cycle and the cat would move on again. Nope. The minute I got home it was there. Had lost weight again so I fed it again. And I’ve now been feeding it for 2 weeks.

It’s become completely obsessed with me. If it sees me in the kitchen it’s staring in the window/door, it’s sleeping outside the door every night, if I walk outside it’s walking around my feet. If it sit outside it’s rubbing off me and wrapping its tail round me. Or talking to me and doing the blinky eye thing.

But I don’t want a cat! I lost my last 2 pets about 6 weeks ago and I don’t want the responsibility again for a while. I’m also not really gone on cats, and definitely don’t want one in my house. I also don’t want to be responsible for vet bills and such.

I’ve rang the local rescues, they’re full. Shared in groups I’m part of, no takers.

What do I do? Do I stop feeding it? Will it move on?

Oh poor kitty. Thank you for potentially saving their life. No practical advice sorry other than whether a friend or relative would take it in?

My heart breaks a little as the cats actions mean it loves you and feels safe with you 😢

I’ve tried friends and no one is in the market for a cat. Maybe I’ll ask my mother to put it in her siblings chat group, someone there might be able to take it.

I know, it’s genuinely a nice cat, as cats go, but it’s just so obsessed with me, needy, constantly there now, and I just don’t want a cat! It’s tried to get in the house, I can’t leave the back door open anymore for fear it’ll come in and get on the counters or furniture (happened already)… I feel under siege! And it brought a dead mouse to my door a few days ago. I just can’t!

I genuinely don’t mind feeding it, but I don’t want to be responsible for it, but equally I know if it gets hurt or sick I’ll be bringing it to the vet and I just don’t want that.

Can I get the cat to just move on again do you think?

This cat is a lost or abandoned pet. A feral cat doesn't behave like this, and will be wary of humans no matter how hungry he is- so will hang around and watch you, but not let you touch him. I would take the cat to a vet to check for a microchip.

Thank you for your kindness in helping the poor cat.

The cat obviously isn’t feral, have you had it checked for a microchip? I don’t think it will move on unless someone else starts feeding it. I’d keep feeding it and if it starts to look ill speak to a cat rescue then

Agree it sounds like an ex pet and worth checking for a microchip. And there’s various lost cats websites you could check.

If the local rescues are full you could try further away…or, and I know this is a big ask, but might you be willing to foster it while the rescue advertises for a permanent home? Sounds like a very friendly cat so hopefully would be snapped up (once looking more fed and groomed) But no pressure, if you don’t want to that’s entirely fair enough.

It didn’t actually occur to me to have it checked for a microchip, maybe I should do that. But again, I don’t want to be the one taking this cat to a vet, that’s £50 just for the appointment to check for a microchip, where no doubt they’ll tell me it needs a worm and flea dose and whatever else, and I won’t be able to say no.

For context, I’ve spent £££ recently on my own pets and had to have one PTS 6 weeks ago, still raw and don’t want to be responsible for another living being in that way for a while.

Genuinely don’t think it’s a pet, think it’s a farm/barn cat that’s not been as strong as the others I see around.

I’ve put an ad in the online marketplace locally but no takers so far. Maybe I could put a poster in my vets as well and see if anything comes of that.

the cat was really wary the first few days, hissing etc. when I was just walking past it (like it wasn’t my garden!), but I think it was so hungry, the fact that I was giving it food made it loosen up a bit.

I took a visiting cat to my local Cats Protection shelter. He'd come to my back garden EVERY DAY. Sometimes I'd feed him. I have my own female neutered cat.. so used her cat carrier. Found out he was chipped. CP rescue lady wouldn't tell us any details due to data protection act or let us take him back.

His owners collected him from them.

Not all visiting cats are strays even if they appear so 🤷🏼‍♀️ Months later, I found he belonged to a family who had multiple cats a few doors away. Cats are con artists as well lol

Vets generally don’t charge to check if a stray has a chip. And I’d hope they wouldn’t pressure you into paying for anything else!

I don’t think you should feel any obligation to take the cat on or spend money on it but the chip scan is worth it I’d have thought.

I’m very sorry you lost your own pet.

The vets should scan for a chip for free. My local one did when i found a stray cat

My vet wouldn't charge for checking a microchip. It's a professional responsibility. You could phone them first to double check or phone Cats Protection. They will send out a volunteer with a scanner.

Be careful trying to get rid of cats on social media as dog fighters send their Mrs with kids in tow to get bait.

Have a look who your local Scan Angel is.
These are volunteers that will come to your house to check for a chip.

Oh don’t worry, I’m familiar with the horrors of online animal adverts and would take all precautions. I used to be an avid guinea pig keeper and had to rehome a few, the amount of messages that were obviously looking for snake bait was sickening 😡

Okay, good to hear there may be no charge for the microchip check, will give my vet a call next week and enquire 🙏

Ask your vet if they can help. When I found a very skinny stray cat, a vet checked it over for free and said they would pass it on to an animal shelter. That was a few years ago though.

I do quite. lot with feral, and have never met one that would let me near, even when hungry and given all sorts of encouragement... Of course I don't know, but this does sound. more like an abandoned or lost pet to me

Some rescues will also come out and scan for microchip too so if your vet doesn't then they may. Our vets definitely would just do microchip scan free of charge.
It does sound like a pet. Maybe you could ask the rescues if they would put kitty on their Web page even if even they don't pick up for fostering?

Aw thank you for helping the poor kitty OP, you’re a good person. Hope you manage to find an organisation to scan for free.

What a world we live in 😭
hope you find a home for him OP and thank you for doing is so responsibly

Please take him to be scanned. Someone might be missing him.

This definitely won't be a feral cat, they usually only appear at night when nobody is about. Hissing will have been a fear response, it will probably have been chased by people or just plain scared.
Definitely take it to a vet who will scan for frée and may be able to take the cat in. If not then ask to be put on rescues waiting lists, it does mean that you will have to feed, water and provide shelter in the interim, but hopefully a suitable home will turn up.

Please don't just stop feeding it in the hope that it will move on, they can suffer terribly from neglect.

@DontWantACat "Oh don’t worry, I’m familiar with the horrors of online animal adverts and would take all precautions."

You really can't take any proper precautions OP. There are some incredibly convincing people out there. Please don't advertise any animal online.

You can though, I’ve rehomed via online methods 3 times, twice I’ve insisted on video calls before meeting where I’m given a virtual tour of the cage set up and see the other pigs, third time was more local to me so I paid a home visit to the adopter. Still in touch with all 3 homes now and get regular pictures and updates.