Does our stray cat need a friend?!

Ho_hum

We've been looking after a stray cat the last couple of years, it used to belong to neighbours who moved away and left her behind.

I think it's a she - - but if she is I'm guessing she was spayed (is that the word?), the boy cats don't seem too interested, and there's never been any sign of kittens.

She's friendly and playful, not sure what age - I'd guess at least five or six. She lives in the back garden, sleeps in a small kennel.

Another cat, belonging to another neighbour, used to come to the garden every day, mainly to eat our cat's food. But he (I think!) became best mates with our cat, to the point where they actually cuddled up when he arrived. Seriously! They spent each day together, before he went home.

But he disappeared a few months ago, I'm guessing the worst.

So our cat is now on her own. Am I daft, or does that cat seem lonely?

Should I consider getting a kitten as a companion for her? Does that make any sense? Is it impossible to know if our cat would take to the new arrival?

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

iseethelight

Hi
You need to think about the following before deciding on another cat.
Do you take the one you own now to the vets for regular boosters?
Do you treat it for fleas and worms regularly?
If not you really should take it to a vet for a check.

Is all you can offer a new cat a place in the back garden?
If so I don't think getting another cat is a good idea for you.

Ho_hum

iseethelight wrote: »

Hi
You need to think about the following before deciding on another cat.
Do you take the one you own now to the vets for regular boosters?
Do you treat it for fleas and worms regularly?
If not you really should take it to a vet for a check.

Is all you can offer a new cat a place in the back garden?
If so I don't think getting another cat is a good idea for you.

Hi iseethelight, thank you for the reply, appreciated.

No, I haven't taken the stray cat to the vet at all. Since she 'moved in' - I'm guessing she was three or four, at least, at that stage - she has seemed very healthy, a shining coat, full of energy, etc, so I took it that she started out life well looked after. Should I take her to the vet now? Will do if it's for the best.

To be fair we offer much more than a place in the back garden! We bought a kennel for the cat, with a cosy cocoon-like bed inside, we feed it exceptionally well (and arrange for it to be fed when we're away), and we give it love and affection.

iseethelight

It would certainly do no harm to have it checked at the vet. At the very least you'll know what sex it is and whether its been neutered. You will also be able to get its vaccines.

Instead of getting another could you offer it a little more human interaction. Perhaps let it in the house a little after the vets trip. Or get it some toys.

I personally wouldn't get another and have outdoor cats only. I think cats are happier when they can be inside with human company aswell. Other people may well have different opinions, I'm no expert I only know what I like.
You should get the first vet checked first though.

The Sweeper

Ho Hum

This is not a criticism because to be fair, you have taken on an animal that wasn't yours and done more for it than most people would, but you need to change your mindset a little.

Either that animal is a stray cat and therefore needs to be caught and rehomed or euthanised, or it's your cat. You may think "What? Are you insane? Why would I put a healthy cat to sleep??"

But there are many factors.

Is the cat male or female? Has it been neutered? Does it get a worm tablet every three months? Since it's an outside cat, does it get an annual booster vaccination to protect it from the myriad of diseases it could catch?

If it goes missing, will you put posters up to find it? If it gets sick or injured, will you take it to the vet the first moment you notice an illness or injury, or will you adopt a 'wait and see' approach that could result in the animal's death? See, it's hard to get your head around "missing" posters and vets bills when you still think of the animal as not being your cat.

Here's the thing - you think she's six years old now, and if it lives another three or four years you'll think "That cat had a good innings" - but a well cared for cat can easily last 16, 17, 18 years, even up and over 20 years. And they don't spend the latter decade of those 20 years as a geriatric basket-ridden ball of misery either - they can still jump and play and run, even if they prefer a heat-pad in their bed on a winter's night and it takes them a while to get started in the mornings.

So either it's your cat or it's not, and if it's your cat you should take it on a routine vet's visit to have a jab and find out what sex it is and see if it's been neutered, and then you need to commit to quarterly worm tablets and annual vaccination boosters.

And yes, if you can get your head around that, you COULD get another cat - but be warned, outside cats are prone to injury and death because of how they roam. Your adopted current animal has gotten some street smarts which may reduce her risk of trauma through being hit by a car or attacked by a dog, but it doesn't reduce her risk of injury or infection or disease transmission through a cat fight, or injury through intervention of a human who doesn't like cats. Plus - she WILL NOT teach the new cat anything in terms of how to survive. Cats aren't like dogs - they don't easily pick up learned behaviours from each other because they're not a natural pack animal.

Lots of farmers will take new pup out with their existing sheepdog, because the pup will learn a lot watching the dog. Cats don't act the same way - your existing cat won't teach the new one to cross the road safely, for instance, and in fact that's more likely to get the new cat killed because while it will bond with and follow your existing cat, it won't stop at the edge of the road and go around the garden with the dog because it doesn't understand there's a danger until it experiences it directly itself.

To answer your initial question: could your cat be lonely? Yes. It could be missing the companionship of the other cat.

BlackCat2008

It was good of you to look after her, she hasn't stuck around for nothing

A trip to the vet at least once a year for vac's is always best, if she's up and around 5-6-7 yrs thati s a time when you begin to see problems with the teeth and problems with the teeth can tell you more about her health than you'd think. She sounds healthy and well but that one trip can provent or even catch on coming problems and save you alot of money in the long run to prevent rather than cure.

If the other cat is gone missing I would worry about her being out at night, I look after alot of ferrel cats and find I have no probloms with them using a litter try when they have to stay in for a while, I have five in at the minute and they all use it, most cats go missing or meet with a car at night so maybe have a little think over it. They will also get use to a new routin of sleeping at night when you do.

As regards another cat their are always strays looking for a new home and I'm sure they'll find your good food soon enough now that the male is gone so maybe hang on a while and see what comes by you first.

Lonely cats will seek out other cats and normally bring them home with them, I've had a few of these, one ferrel I have at the minute was brought home by a cat that passed away about two years ago, he's brought in at holloween and releast again in spring, he dosen't stick around now the other cats gone but he has made new friends around the corner were a friend of mine looks after him for the spring and summer, I'm sure she'll find a new friend all on her own.

Ho_hum

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

Ho Hum

This is not a criticism because to be fair, you have taken on an animal that wasn't yours ......

Hi Minesajackdaniels, thank you so much for your reply, no offence taken at all – I want to do the right thing here so I’m more than grateful for any good advice.

You’re absolutely right, because the cat is a stray that has wandered in to my life (!) I feel protective towards it, without feeling fully responsible for it. So, no, I haven’t taken it to the vet, as I would have done, on many, many occasions with the dog I had for 15 years. And yes, many a ‘missing’ poster I stuck around my home town when he once disappeared, and no vet’s bill was too much if it made him healthier. I adore animals, that’s why I’ve taken on this cat and do my best to give it a good life.

I would, possibly, have it euthanised if I thought I couldn’t give it a good life, but I think I can – when she first appeared she was jumpy and nervous, now she is largely chilled out and playful – she’s happy, and that’s good enough for me.

Yes, if she goes missing I will most certainly search for her, but it’s unlikely – she never roams, she never, ever leaves the garden! She has regular company through the day - me, neighbouring kids (who she adores, after initial nervousness), family members of mine, and so on. She’s quite the star!

She is fed so well she now turns up her nose at Whiskas and the like, she prefers home-made lasagne, fillet steak and breast of chicken. I kid you not.

If she gets sick I would sell my body to pay for her vet’s bills, although I suspect my body wouldn’t yield enough to cover 10% of the fee.

Despite my admitted ambiguity towards feeling a sense of ‘ownership’ of this lovely animal I am absolutely committed to looking after it the best I can – over my dead body will she experience cruelty or neglect.

Whether she lives another 1 or 15 years I will look after her, there is no question of her having had a “good innings”. While she breathes I will look after her.

My heart’s in the right place here, Minesajackdaniels, I want to look after this cat and I want it to be happy, that’s why I sought advice on a ‘companion’. I’m not the Madonna of animals, I don’t collect babies for fun!

Any way, thanks for the advice, I particularly appreciate your point about the importance of taking her to the vet, which I will do.

Thanks again.