Evening visitor.

[kittywhiskers]

For the past month or so we have had a stray cat wandering around our village and nobody knows where he has come from. He won't let anyone approach him and will run if they try.
My cats have an enclosure which covers almost the whole of my garden apart from an area at the bottom where our storage shed is. The thing is that for about a week now this cat comes over the fence and sits at the enclosure looking in. My cats don't seem to mind his visits, in fact they actually run to him when he arrives and touch noses. I have slowly built his trust by talking to him through the fence and he will now allow me to feed him and even give him a stroke. We have put a little kennel at the bottom of the garden where he comes in for shelter. (He is very dirty and sometimes soaking wet). As far as I can tell by asking around and looking through lost and found, nobody has lost this cat.
Do you think I should be encouraging him into our garden or should I call someone to take him away??
We really don't mind him being around but will he stress my cats? We just don't know what's best for him.
Thanks for listening, I have gone on a bit.:-)

 

[ondine]

Is there a way you could adopt him?  If you can't adopt him, is there an organization near you that might be able to help him?

He sounds truly lost, so any help you give him will make a difference in his life.

 

[kittywhiskers]

I have thought about taking him in but I don't think we have the right home for him. My cats have never roamed so don't know any different but I think he would be best suited somewhere he is allowed out. I am going to call the cats protection and see what they say. He really is a sweet cat and deserves to have a home. I will keep you posted.

 

[di and bob]

If he allowed you to stroke him he is a stray and not a feral cat. I would think he would be able to be tamed enough to get along with your cats with a little bit of patience and time. I would bet he really doesn't want to roam, he has no choice. If you don't want to take him in, can you treat him as a feral and provide food and shelter? I've been caring for a feral for 6 years now, he comes to eat and then leaves for the day. Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[kittywhiskers]

I have left a message with the cats protection lost and found co ordinator so I should be getting a call back at some point.
I will happily provide him with food and shelter. We have set up a little kennel for him filled with straw and we feed him when he visits in the evening.
We only seem to see him in the evenings from about 8pm onwards and am wondering weather he does belong to somebody. Not sure how far cats will roam as we have a small town about a mile away and from what I can see I don't think he's been fixed. He's quite chunky and I noticed that when he yawned his teeth are lovely. He has a few patches of fur missing but the skin is not red or sore like he had a fight or has a skin condition.
It's strange that nobody knows where he has come from as I live in a small village where at least someone will know someone's cat.

 

[ondine]

In the states, we have a terrible problem of people "dumping" their cats.  For whatever reason, their owners take them out to the woods or to farms and just leave them.  They don't realize cats can't survive very well on their own when they are used to being fed.

Could this be a case of him being dumped?  It may explain why no one recognizes him, poor thing.  Hope you hear from the cat's protection agency soon!

 

[msaimee]

What will the cat protection agency do? Is it like the Humane Society--will they put him in a cage and try to adopt him out, and if no one adopts him, euthanize him? I'm unfamiliar with that organization.

There is a terrible problem of people dumping their cats on my block. I live in a suburb on a dead end street with a patch of woods around us. For some reason, every few years, a stray cat appears--this in addition to the ferals who come around. My neighbors and I have taken in many of these strays. The landlord of the house next to mine reportedly trapped and released two ferals from his property onto our block last summer. Other people have moved and just left their cats. It's terrible!

If this cat is allowing you to pet him and is rubbing noses with your cats, would you consider taking take him in and giving him a chance? If it doesn't work out, you can look for another home for him. I  took in a stray cat several years ago--a white Siamese cat who was declawed, put outside to fend for himself, and somehow survived for a year before I broke down and took him in. I had only been feeding him for a week when I opened my front door and he happily walked inside and never wanted to leave again.  He was absolutely the best cat I ever had, and I named him "Angel." Stray cats make wonderful pets because they never forget that you rescued them.

 

[kittywhiskers]

Ok so I spoke to the cats protection and they said the first thing was to advertise him as found with our local pet finding service which I have done and the next thing was to put him on the waiting list for a foster family which I haven't done.
I'm thinking that if nobody claims him then I'm going to see how thing's work out with my two. I think I have fallen a little bit in love with him. He has visited already tonight and he was extra friendly. He makes a little churp sort of purr sound when I talk to him and when my two get close.
Hope I'm doing the right thing.:-)

 

[ondine]

You are, you definitely are.  I would have him checked by a vet before introducing him to your two to make sure he's healthy.  It's really great you have the kind of support from the cat's protection agency.  It sounds like a wonderful resource!

 

[kittywhiskers]

You are, you definitely are.  I would have him checked by a vet before introducing him to your two to make sure he's healthy.  It's really great you have the kind of support from the cat's protection agency.  It sounds like a wonderful resource!

I hand fed him tonight and he is so gentle and he even had a little play with some string. The cats protection said they might be able to send someone to my home to scan him for a microchip. They are a wonderful organization, they are volunteer run and all the cats in their care are with foster family's and they never put a healthy cat to sleep. All mine have come from them.
How far will a tom cat roam if they haven't been fixed?

 

[ondine]

Unneutered toms can travel for miles looking for females in heat.  They may then get hurt or in a fight or who know what else?

The Cat's Protection Agency sounds wonderful!  We have many very good shelters here but none would have the resources to send someone out to scan a cat - or even take in a cat.  In my particular area, the only game in town is a high kill "shelter."  Before I knew better, I called them about a stray and was treated as if I was a criminal. They simply don't believe people when they are only trying to help.  It's very sad and has ended up in many of us working underground to rescue and place cats.

 

[rachelinaz]

If I had a pet... there is no way I could just dump a pet or even animal.

I can't even give Louie away.
I have a love/hate with him. If I lived alone he would be perfect. He hates my husband, kids, niece, anyone and everyone who knocks on the door or comes over.
He actually bites my family. He hasn't broken skin.. maybe once on my husband. He got in trouble and was going in his kennel for time out and knew he was going in time out.

HOWEVER...he loves me... and is so protective of me. Has never bitten me...
If he growls I give him the stink eye and he stops. The few times he has nipped dh or the kids for getting "too close" to me.. I can grab his jaw and try to look him in the eye (always looks away)...he never has tried to bite me or scratch or whatever.

I don't know if it is because I was born severely disabled or because I adopted him or...???? But he only defends me.

Today in my hat sleeping. Mew is playing with my cord...

20140503_162938.jpg

• rachelinaz
• May 3, 2014

Ana! So silly! Made me laugh...

20140503_162013.jpg

• rachelinaz
• May 3, 2014

In the states, we have a terrible problem of people "dumping" their cats.  For whatever reason, their owners take them out to the woods or to farms and just leave them.  They don't realize cats can't survive very well on their own when they are used to being fed.

Could this be a case of him being dumped?  It may explain why no one recognizes him, poor thing.  Hope you hear from the cat's protection agency soon!

 

[kittywhiskers]

Well I think my little visitor has had a bad day today! I gave him his bowl of food and stroked him as I usually do and left him to it and went inside. After a little while I checked on him and he had finished so I went out and spoke to him and he made a little noise but as I went to pick up his bowl he attacked my hand and drew blood!! I wasn't even trying to stroke him. I'm sure I didn't do anything different tonight to what I normally do but he just went a bit crazy.!

 

[kittywhiskers]

I've had 15 enquiries so far about this cat but the poor little guy doesn't belong to any of them. After the earlier episode I'm keeping my distance and giving him some space. He actually prefers my husband feeding him. He comes for his breakfast now as well as his dinner and he is using his shelter to sleep in, I think he feels safe enough in our garden to be able to sleep instead of sleeping under cars, he's not so dirty anymore. I feel so sorry for this little fella.

 

[ondine]

Sorry this took me so long to answer. He may have nipped you because he got excited. let you husband feed if, as that seems to be working. If no one claims him, will you be able to take responsibility for him?

 

[kittywhiskers]

We're quite attached to him but him biting me has made me a little nervous, I didn't realise that cats bit (it was definitely no nip) like that when they got exited. Mine have never done anything like that. I've been going over what happened and I'm thinking maybe he didn't like me leaning over him to get the bowl, he might of felt cornered in some way like I was going to pick him up, I dunno. Anyway hubby is feeding him and I still talk to him when I'm in the garden with my two so we're taking things nice and slow and will see where things go from there.

 

[tonyd4life]

We're quite attached to him but him biting me has made me a little nervous, I didn't realise that cats bit (it was definitely no nip) like that when they got exited. Mine have never done anything like that. I've been going over what happened and I'm thinking maybe he didn't like me leaning over him to get the bowl, he might of felt cornered in some way like I was going to pick him up, I dunno. Anyway hubby is feeding him and I still talk to him when I'm in the garden with my two so we're taking things nice and slow and will see where things go from there.

I've been taking care of a feral cat colony for several years. There are two cats that I can pet regularly as I have cared for them since they were kittens. Both of them still attempt to nip at my hand on the rare occasion. I am aware of it so I can see it before it happens usually. I think when it happens they are either nervous or overly excited.

 

[ondine]

I'm thinking maybe he didn't like me leaning over him to get the bowl, he might of felt cornered in some way like I was going to pick him up

You are probably right - who knows what he's been through?  He will soon get used to your gentle ways and begin trusting you.

 

[Norachan]

Cats will sometimes bite if you smell of something they are not used to. Had you been using bleach or washing dishes? They don't like strong detergent or citrus smells.

Glad to hear that you are helping this little guy out. The Cat's Protection League are great, I grew up in the UK and we got a couple of our cats from them.

 

[kittywhiskers]

I had a call from The Cats Protection tonight and they think the next step is to trap him and get him to a vet to be neutered chipped and vaccinated. Someone will be in touch with me soon to bring the trap. Still nobody has come forward claim him.
I was watching him from my bedroom window yesterday and a neighbours cat was after a fight (puffed up fur, walking towards him sideways very very slowly) and I thought ok if they start I'm out there clapping my hands and making some noise like a mad lady to break them up! BUT to my amazement my little friend sat down and was looking anywhere but the other cat. He didn't want to fight!. I thought that after him attacking my hand he was probably a trouble maker, but no.
He eventually backed slowly away from my neighbours cat and disappeared up the road. I was so proud of him.