Stray Cat, Student flat, please help

Chance The Fapper

Hi,

A stray cat has been coming to my gf's flat for the last few evenings. They've been feeding it and giving it a bit of milk and water, but are unsure about letting it inside due to possibilities of fleas or mange.

It's always after 7pm or later when it comes round, so it's too late to ring <snip>. We tried to keep it in the hallway for a night but it kept scratching at the door and meowing so we let it out.

It meows quite loudly and repetitively (maybe aggressively?). It lets me pet it but is a bit more scared of the women. It tends to headbutt my hand and scratches itself off me and walls too. It has big teeth and has its claws out most of the time when it's walking around (anxious?)

Any advice? We can't afford to bring it to a vet or anything, so we're not sure what to do. The flat is in D4.

Cheers

salmocab

Are you sure its a stray? Cats are fantastic at being fed in various houses. Why do you think it needs to go to the vet? If its in good condition its probably somebody else's.

VonVix

It'll keep coming back as long as it's being fed. Cats are like that and that's often how people end up 'adopting' a stray, because in reality the cat adopts the human. Can you catch it and take it to the vet to be checked for a microchip?

Chance The Fapper

salmocab wrote: »

Are you sure its a stray? Cats are fantastic at being fed in various houses. Why do you think it needs to go to the vet? If its in good condition its probably somebody else's.

It's not in the best condition, missing a bit of fur over its nose. Its meowing doesn't seem normal (from my zero knowledge :P ) It possibly is pregnant or fat?

Chance The Fapper

GF says it's more like a crying meow. Definitely could be pregnant.

Full sized picture is attached, couldn't get it to stay still for a closer one



Will take it to the vet to check for microchip if it's around in the morning, but I don't know if it will let me pick it up.

ferretone

Firstly, please stop feeding the cat milk! Secondly, that cat does look well-cared-for, certainly in comparison to one that would be scavenging for itself, unless attached to a well-managed colony. The missing fur just indicates that it's been fighting over territory, which could well explain why it's scouting around for a new, or possibly "holiday", home.

Apart from checking for a chip, which is probably a fool's errand to be honest, as so few cats are chipped, I'd also suggest buying a cat collar, with one of those twisty brass barrels that you can put a message inside. Write something like "We've been feeding this cat. If you own this cat, please either keep it in, or reply to this message". You could either give your own phone number, request theirs, or both.

If nothing happens from that within a few days, and the cat is still coming back, then it would be time to make a further decision.

Edited to add: About the milk, I forgot to explain - cats are lactose intolerant, so milk will give them a dodgy tummy.

shruikan2553

It is probably someones outdoor cat. They have a habit of wandering around getting fed in multiple places. You'll probably get another one soon!

I would just leave it alone or at most do the collar thing mentioned above asking for a reply if someone owns it.