Advice please! Found cat.

Choochtown

I could do with a bit of advice please.

We live in a rural area and have had a cat from when she was a kitten. The cat is an outdoor cat who sleeps either in the shed or in a little wooden kennel beside the house. Occasionally other cats will come near to the house but she is very much a loner and backs away from them.

Yesterday a very young female cat that I haven't seen before arrived at the house. This little ginger cat has been neutered fairly recently as the scar is still visible. It seemed fairly lost and desperate so we fed it. It was very hungry so we fed it again and fixed it a place to rest at the other side of the house from the family cat. It rested there and ate some more food last night.

Meanwhile we telephoned neighbours and tried to find out had anyone in the area lost a ginger cat. We were unable to find the owners.

Last night, the family cat "discovered" the visitor and attacked her. This is very out of character as she would generally back away from other cats. Perhaps she realised that we were also feeding the visiting cat and reacted to this. However it appears that it's the family cat that is injured now as she has a sore paw and the visiting cat seems fine with no damage to her scar and no visible damage elsewhere.

We don't particularly want another cat around the place but at the same time we won't leave the ginger cat to starve and she continues to hang around the house. Obviously we also don't want the family cat to get into another scrap and maybe receive a serious injury.

Advice please!
Is there such thing as a cat warden?
In the event that the owners of the ginger cat are not found, is there a chance that the 2 cats may eventually get along?

intheclouds

There isnt such a thing as the cat warden and there is a chance the two cats will get along but you have to manage introductions carefully and it can take a long time for 2 cats to get along - if at all.

Apparently its harder for same sex adult cats to meet and become friends and females are the hardest of all.

You could try a rescue for the new cat. You could also ring round local vets and find out if whoever neutered it recently has contact details for anyone.

If its been neutered it may be chipped so it is worth getting a vet to check that too.

Angel2016

There is no such thing as a cat warden I'm afraid, some cats at first meeting will always have a bit of a scrap I have two cats so have seen that time and time again but they do iron out their differences it can take a few weeks so don't panic but as you say it has been spayed so most definitely belongs to someone.
Go onto social media and post to lost and found pages, you can also contact your local vets and spca and ask them to post on their site and social media.
What area are you in I maybe able to tell you some rescues down there who can also help?

baby and crumble

If she's been neutered recently likely chances are a local vets did the op. Why not ring around vets in your area and see if they know who might be the owners? If no luck they may be able to help rehome.

Nody

No and yes respectively; bring in the ginger to the vet to scan for a chip and you may get lucky and find out who's the owner of her. The vet might also be of help finding out who's recently neutered a ginger female in the area and get you in contact with the owners.

As for getting them to get along your best bet is feeding about 20m apart at the same time to start creating positive associations and if possible keep them out of sight in between that.

Choochtown

Thanks all for great advice and speedy replies.

I'll phone local vets straight away.

Choochtown

No luck at the vets.

Neighbours telling me of other cats mysteriously appearing in the area. One has said that they are being driven away from their homes and dumped so that they can "find" new homes!!

Angel2016

Choochtown wrote: »

No luck at the vets.

Neighbours telling me of other cats mysteriously appearing in the area. One has said that they are being driven away from their homes and dumped so that they can "find" new homes!!

Yes this is common practice, have you pix contact your local rescue for help what area are you in

taytobreath

I doubt it, someone cared enough to neuter the cat, unless they got sick of it themselves and dumped her.

op the two cats will get on eventually, there will be the odd fight if one of them comes too close to the other. Fair play to u for taking on a new member of your family.

Choochtown

Turns out now that she's not neutered! The scar/wound is on her right side and all of the vets that I spoke to told me if it was a scar from a neuter operation it would be underneath or on the left side.
Obviously another scrap with the family cat will leave the visitor with a potentially dangerous injury.

Animal welfare groups have been no help whatsoever. The ISPCA head office told me to take the cat to the vets and they would take her.
The vets refused and said it was not their responsibility.
The local ISPCA (Athlone) refused point blank to take her saying that they had no space.

Don't know what to do. She's trapped in a little room for her own safety at the minute.

I've been told I should have just chased her away as soon as she came near the house.

Anyone know of any charities that would take her? I'm in the Athlone area but will drive her some distance rather than leave her to fend for herself in the wild.

Angel2016

Choochtown wrote: »

Turns out now that she's not neutered! The scar/wound is on her right side and all of the vets that I spoke to told me if it was a scar from a neuter operation it would be underneath or on the left side.
Obviously another scrap with the family cat will leave the visitor with a potentially dangerous injury.

Animal welfare groups have been no help whatsoever. The ISPCA head office told me to take the cat to the vets and they would take her.
The vets refused and said it was not their responsibility.
The local ISPCA (Athlone) refused point blank to take her saying that they had no space.

Don't know what to do. She's trapped in a little room for her own safety at the minute.

I've been told I should have just chased her away as soon as she came near the house.

Anyone know of any charities that would take her? I'm in the Athlone area but will drive her some distance rather than leave her to fend for herself in the wild.

I will PM you some options

Choochtown

Angel2016 wrote: »

I will PM you some options

Thanks Angel. I'm awaiting a couple of call backs but after that my options are exhausted.

Last resorts are now:

1. Let her out of confinement and let her chance her luck with our cat. Judging on what happened before I don't think she would last a day.

2. Abandon her somewhere a few miles from here.

3. Have her put down

None of those options are at all desirable.

Ms Doubtfire1

will pm you.

Angel2016

Choochtown wrote: »

Thanks Angel. I'm awaiting a couple of call backs but after that my options are exhausted.

Last resorts are now:

1. Let her out of confinement and let her chance her luck with our cat. Judging on what happened before I don't think she would last a day.

2. Abandon her somewhere a few miles from here.

3. Have her put down

None of those options are at all desirable.

Let's go over your options here.

1... If you were to do this I would suggest getting her spayed so no new babies arrive it can take a good few weeks for cats to decided on who is boss or if they like each other personally or not they will work it out for themselves the sound of them growling and maybe the odd scrap sometimes can sound worse then it actually is, if after 6 weeks or so they are killing each other you need plan B, take it from me I own 8 cats and do have fosters in and out and only once did I have to move one to another foster home. You will need patience.

2....This is not a good option you are her source of food in her eyes she will find her way back I have seen this happen plenty of times and this really would be unfair to do to her.

3...Have her put down is an absolute no go, why would you do that to a healthy cat ? I think if this was the choice you made I would be very disappointed in you and also whatever vet did that I am not judging you I don't know you at all but this would be the last thing anyone should think about for a healthy cat.

Have you asked any stables or farms would they take her on if you got her spayed?

taytobreath

go with option 1, cat fights are very loud and sound more gruesome than they look.

you wont get rescues that will take in a cat at this time of year. Its kitten season and everywhere is swamped.

Choochtown

Great news!

A very kind reader of this forum sent me a pm offering a home for the cat. We met up and she's gone to a great home where I know she'll be very well cared for.

Angel2016

Choochtown wrote: »

Great news!

A very kind reader of this forum sent me a pm offering a home for the cat. We met up and she's gone to a great home where I know she'll be very well cared for.

That's good news

Merrion

Choochtown wrote: »

Great news!

A very kind reader of this forum sent me a pm offering a home for the cat. We met up and she's gone to a great home where I know she'll be very well cared for.

Faith in humanity restored :-)

Ms Doubtfire1

Kitty is with me. and It's a HE (OP can't believe you're still saying she after I ehm..pointed out the crown jewels?? lol).He's actually neutered and very affectionate. Bit on the skinny side, the old wound looks like a dog attack.Will get him (now called Garion) to the vet on Saturday to scan for chip on the off chance. Deworming tablet given this morning. Staying inside for the next 3 weeks as needs full vax cover first..:-).He's a lovely fella, I'm a lucky person..OP, thanks again for caring. :-).will post some pics in the next few days.:-)

intheclouds

Aw - someone loved him enough to neuter him in the first place.

Poor fella, its great to hear he has a happy outcome. Please update if it turns out he is chipped and has a family missing him.

Kudos to OP for going above and beyond to be a friend to an animal.

Its lovely to hear of two such good people in the world.

michelleryan86

It takes time but it is possible for cats to co-exist, I have 6 and 4 of them are bossy females, there are plenty of tips online you can research for this. Rehoming is tough especially during kitten season but if you ask your vet they can at least keep the cat in mind in case they hear of a possible new home for the cat.

Best of luck

Ms Doubtfire1

if it lets me

Ms Doubtfire1

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

if it lets me

it doesn't so. no idea why

michelleryan86

Choochtown wrote: »

Great news!

A very kind reader of this forum sent me a pm offering a home for the cat. We met up and she's gone to a great home where I know she'll be very well cared for.

That's wonderful to hear!!