What To Do With This Cat?

Big Nasty

Hey people!

I've got a bit of a dilema and welcome your opinions. We've got two cats and don't let them out during the day while we're in work but they go out to play for a couple of hours every evening as soon as we get home . In good weather we leave the door open to let them wander in and out as they please. About three months back a little tabby turned up on our doorstep and we began giving him some food as he seemed hungry. He didn't appear to be a stray but his coat was not in the best of condition either.

As the weeks went by he would appear more often and would come in and eat from our own cats bowls like he was starved. He's a skinny cat but far from deaths door. Normally come about 9pm he would wander off and sometimes we wouldn't see him for a few days. Therefore we always thought he belonged to someone else but was maybe neglected a little due to other obligations, e.g. kids or whatever. Also if he wasn't getting any food bar with us why would he disappear for days at a time?

Anyhow, the longer this has gone on the more time he spends with us. I sometimes put him out at night and he will sit outside the door for a while then wander off. Other evenings he will sit and look in at us so we let him back in. I'm often torn between wondering are his owners missing him or if he needs a bit of heat, food and a bed for the night.

On more than one occasion he has stayed with us for a couple of days and then goes missing for 3/4 days like he's been grounded or something. He spent most of last weekend with us and then we didn't see him from Tuesday up until Saturday morning when he came in starved and ate two full bowls of food in a short space of time.

As I said when he began coming in his coat wasn't in the best of condition but not what you would expect from a stray. That said he did have a bit of a dirty look to his face. Since he's been spending more time with us his coat has improved and he is noticeably grooming himself more regularly. Our own guys love being out to play but he is content once he his inside with us and has access to food!

My OH has posted pics and info about him on many pet websites plus we printed up posters and posted them in local shops. We also brought him to the loacal vet to see if he is chipped and he isn't.

We're happy to keep him but we still don't know for sure if he actually belongs to another family. What do you think we should do?

doctor evil

He could be a six dinner Sid. If he has worms that could count for his ravenous behaviour.

Cherry Blossom

Keep it, I assume he got the once over, vaccinations etc when taken to get scanned? Take him back to the vets get him micro-chipped, neutered when old enough and keep him.

Big Nasty

doctor evil wrote: »

He could be a six dinner Sid. If he has worms that could count for his ravenous behaviour.

We have given him worm treatment twice now in the time he's been coming here.

angeline

I was in a similiar situation where a cat called around most days and feeling sorry for him I fed him. I was certain he was a stray as he just wanted to be inside and was very friendly. Anyway, I ended up 'rescuing' him by bringing him to a lady who takes in cats. A week later, an ad appeared from a distraught owner looking for her cat so I had to tell her the story. So, it could well be the case the cat does have an owner. But, if you are unsure and feel attached to the cat, perhaps bring him to the vet and have the vet check him out to see what his general health is. Should be an indication as to whether he is stray or not. For example, if he is neutered, he's prob not a stray but could be lost. Maybe he just prefers ye

Big Nasty

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Keep it, I assume he got the once over, vaccinations etc when taken to get scanned? Take him back to the vets get him micro-chipped, neutered when old enough and keep him.

They gave him a brief once over and said he's generally healthy enough which would again indicate that he's not a stray but may be a little neglected. If we do keep him and he needs to be neutered, get shots, etc. it would be cheaper to bring him to DSPCA and let them do all that then pay them the €80 to adopt.

angeline wrote: »

I was in a similiar situation where a cat called around most days and feeling sorry for him I fed him. I was certain he was a stray as he just wanted to be inside and was very friendly. Anyway, I ended up 'rescuing' him by bringing him to a lady who takes in cats. A week later, an ad appeared from a distraught owner looking for her cat so I had to tell her the story. So, it could well be the case the cat does have an owner. But, if you are unsure and feel attached to the cat, perhaps bring him to the vet and have the vet check him out to see what his general health is. Should be an indication as to whether he is stray or not. For example, if he is neutered, he's prob not a stray but could be lost. Maybe he just prefers ye

I strongly suspect that he does have a family but that they neglect him and he prefers being with us. Originally his coat was a little rough and he was very nervy. Also the pads on his paws look like he's walked 1,000 miles. His coat is now in much better condition and he's very relaxed and friendly with us. To be honest if someone does own him they don't take good care of him at all.

anniehoo

Id put a collar on him with a little name tag barrel. Put a note in the barrel and see if anyone calls. If he continues to go in and out and comes back with the collar on you'd be pretty sure he didnt have an owner.

Zapperzy

MCMLXXV wrote: »

They gave him a brief once over and said he's generally healthy enough which would again indicate that he's not a stray but may be a little neglected. If we do keep him and he needs to be neutered, get shots, etc. it would be cheaper to bring him to DSPCA and let them do all that then pay them the €80 to adopt.


I strongly suspect that he does have a family but that they neglect him and he prefers being with us. Originally his coat was a little rough and he was very nervy. Also the pads on his paws look like he's walked 1,000 miles. His coat is now in much better condition and he's very relaxed and friendly with us. To be honest if someone does own him they don't take good care of him at all.

Do you mean surrender him to the dspca and then adopt him once they've footed the bill for vaccinations, neutering etc.? Not really very fair as they are a charity and depend on donations to help animals in genuine need of care, if you genuinely cannot afford it then some charities give out neutering vouchers but not fair to really 'con' a charity (well that's the way I'd view it anyways, apologies if I'm wrong).

I'd second Anniehoo's suggestion of putting a collar on him with a note attached with your phone number asking them to ring you. If you get no reply within say a week then it's safe to presume that either he's a stray, lost or his owner's no longer want him.

Big Nasty

Zapperzy wrote: »

Do you mean surrender him to the dspca and then adopt him once they've footed the bill for vaccinations, neutering etc.? Not really very fair as they are a charity and depend on donations to help animals in genuine need of care, if you genuinely cannot afford it then some charities give out neutering vouchers but not fair to really 'con' a charity (well that's the way I'd view it anyways, apologies if I'm wrong).

We've taken three cats and a dog from them in the last 18 months totalling €360 to be fair.

Zapperzy wrote: »

I'd second Anniehoo's suggestion of putting a collar on him with a note attached with your phone number asking them to ring you. If you get no reply within say a week then it's safe to presume that either he's a stray, lost or his owner's no longer want him.

I think that's the best route to go.

Thanks for all your replies.

The Sweeper

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Keep it, I assume he got the once over, vaccinations etc when taken to get scanned? Take him back to the vets get him micro-chipped, neutered when old enough and keep him.

Ah, now that's not kosher.

You can't steal someone else's pet. Pets can have poor condition for many perfectly valid reasons. Whether or not that applies to this situation, advising someone to keep an animal is unfair.

If you find an animal that you believe is not owned, you need to take it to the vet for microchipping, and then contact your local pound. Make it very clear to the pound that you will be taking the animal if unclaimed at the end of seven days - they may even tell you to hold onto the animal and if an owner calls up looking for it they'll contact you.

Leaflet local letterboxes and put up 'found' posters. Contact local vets and let them know you have the found animal.

It doesn't take long living rough for a straying animal to start looking shabby. Microchips can shift and might not show up on a first scan.

If one of my pets were to escape, wander a few days, and get picked up by someone who then kept the pet because they presumed I neglected it because of the state of it when it turned up on their doorstep, where's my recourse? I end up with no closure and no pet.

Plus my pet-hunting routine would be to call the vets, leaflet the locality and call the pound - if you have my pet and you haven't called the pound or the vets, I'll never find my pet.

Whatever about the likelihood of the cat in this post being owned or neglected, it's always best to conduct yourself so if an owner were to turn up in six months, your behaviour would be beyond question.

Cherry Blossom

Pounds in Ireland don't accept cats, there are no laws relating to their control or ownership. The OP had stated that they had already had the cat scanned and it didn't have a chip. In legal terms cats are equal to wildlife in this country. If you have had the cat scanned and have put up posters everywhere and made every effort you can to find the owner you are now at a dead end. There is no legal process for transferring ownership of a stray like there is with dogs. How long should you wait before you claim responsibility for it?

The kitten I found in my garden I got chipped, vaccinated, wormed and de-flead, put a lot of effort into getting it used to my dog . . . . and handed it back when the owner eventually came looking for it, apparently knowing we had it for a week before they did so. I asked them to cover the costs I paid out which they reluctantly did (and no they hadn't got it vaccinated before hand). They have come back looking for it again as it has now disappeared off the face of the earth . . . great!! *sigh*

Delancey

doctor evil wrote: »

He could be a six dinner Sid.

Haven't heard that title before - love it !