99% sure this is a stray

pombina

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I moved house in October and was concerned about a cat which seemed to adopt us. Well he comes to visit everyday and I know he has a home (albeit a neglectful one) but I feed him, and he is always around, so we just get on with it.
However....recently I have been seeing this other cat. From a distance a long haired beautiful sandy coloured cat, he's been in my garden more and more.
Tonight Mark and I were looking out of the window in the study and he/she walked through the garden walked through the garden. We saw him in and out of our garden in next doors. He stood in the garden and looked up at us and I nearly cried. He has chunks of fur hanging to the ground, under his chin is supposed to be white but its GRAY and FILTHY and he has bald patches all over him.
I crept downstairs and went outside with some biscuits and he was on his way up the garden so I crouched down beside him in the bushes and talked to him. I could have just cried.
He groomed himself and a big bundle of fur got stuck in his mouth and he spat it out

He wouldnt come to me so I left the biscuits for him but he is nobodys pet, at the moment Im pretty sure of that. I have a gut feeling somebody out there is looking for him and maybe he wandered too far away from home.
He is too beautiful to have never been loved, and also he is not feral because he was comfortably within a few feet of me and grooming himself.
I ever I can catch him he is going straight to the vet.
Any tips on how this can be done? He needs to get used to seeing me and Im sure he'll feel safe enough to come closer each time

You just wouldnt believe the state of him
 

laureen227

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wash yourself well before touching your inside cats - he could have something contagious, like ringworm or mange, that's causing that hair loss, poor baby!
 

lsulover

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Sending hugs and prayers from Mississippi that you are able to catch the kitty and get it to the vet.

Please keep us posted on it.

 
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pombina

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I have looked at Mange on the internet and I suspect thats what this cat has got

He has enormous bald patches and it was the way his fur just came off when he was grooming himself

I am debating about whether to call the RSPCA or not? If I catch him and put him in Sleeves and Nismo's carrier, Im going to have to buy a new carrier, plus I risk passing it onto them myself.
Also I read that medication needs to be administered regularly to get rid of mange and that would be hard for me to do if he's outside, and I cant keep him in my house

I will try everything to get him back to 100% health though, believe me. He's not getting away.
I couldnt stop thinking about him last night, Ive only ever seen anything that bad on the TV
 

sweet72947

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You won't have to get a new carrier, just bleach that carrier. Also, where I live there are stores you can buy a humane trap from. You might try that.
 
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pombina

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I have thought about the trap, but there about 4 cats who regularly pass through my garden, and one who practically lives on my doorstep so Id like to see if theres any other way before I try that
 

jenny82

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Originally Posted by Pombina

I have thought about the trap, but there about 4 cats who regularly pass through my garden, and one who practically lives on my doorstep so Id like to see if theres any other way before I try that
You could only bring out the trap when you see him again and then monitor it near him. I was lucky when I caught my stray, since she was living in my shed I was able to corner her into a carrier. I hope you can catch him and get him some treatment.
 

jaffacake

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Are you in the UK? I ask because you say RSPCA.
As I have learn`t from this site, you would be much better contacting Cats Protection if you are. Apparently the RSPCA doesn`t have no-kill shelters but cats protection won`t put a cat to sleep if it can`t be homed. Also they just deal with cats so they know what their doing
 
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pombina

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I am in Scotland, I thought it was the RSPCA but when I called them on Friday night they redirected me to the SPCA.
Basically, what they have asked me to do is try my hardest to catch this kitty, whether its trapping him with my laundry basket or chasing him into my shed. Then I have to call them and they will send somebody to pick him up.
A vet will check him over and if he can be treated then he will and if in 7 days nobody has claimed him, he will be put up for rehoming, probably by the cats protection league.
They promised me that they do not send a healthy animal to somewhere they may be PTS if they havent been claimed. So thats a relief!
I saw him yesterday so we got the carrier out and I put on my gloves and went out into the garden with some ham
and waited but he didnt come into the garden

I suppose we will just have to keep an eye out for him and try at every opportunity to catch him.
Fingers crossed we can do this soon
 
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pombina

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I forgot to say I knocked on one of my neighbours doos yesterday since I know she has lived in my street a long time and I asked her if she knew whos cat it was and she doesnt think it belongs to anybody in our street.
Had she said yes I was fully prepared to go knocking on their door and give them a piece of my mind! Now I know we can safely get the SPCA to collect this poor animal.
 

booktigger

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Have sent you a PM Pombina. Good luck with this little one.
 
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