Bringing in a stray--current is UTD--is it safe?

The person we got Jack (7 months) from thinks she may have found his brother. We are thinking of taking him in. He has been stuck in a bathroom since Thursday night and if we do choose to take him it will be Sunday afternoon. However, he had fleas (used frontline), probably worms (they wormed him) and has a runny nose which is being treated with antibiotics (went to the vet today).

Our current cat Jack has been neutered is up to date on shots and is FIV/FELV negative.

I am not sure how quickly we can get this new potential kitten to a vet. We both work very long weeks right now and it may be at least a week. I hate to see him confined to a small bathroom while he waits.

How "dangerous" is it to introduce them now?

Leslie

Until the kitten is FeLV/FIV tested, I wouldn't introduce them. If you've got a room to keep him seperate, I say go fot it!

A bathroom isnt that bad. A common quarantene-solution for cat rescuers.

It could be a dog cage, it would make do it too.

I wouldn't let them meet until the stray is tested negative for FeLV and FIV, and is over his cold. It's just too risky otherwise. He'll be fine in the bathroom. I would normally recommend 2 weeks quarantine for a cat coming in from the outside anyway, to be on the safe side. He'll be fine for another week until you can get him tested and the vet gives him a clean bill of health

Thanks guys!

We decided not to take him on. We are in the process of moving and aren't really prepared for another just yet. Although we do still want to add another. Also the cost of taking on a stray again would be alittle rough for us. It took $300 to get started with Jack and with moving don't really have the money to do all that.

There is someone else interested in this kitten so we are going to let them take him. And then in a few weeks head to our local shelter and pick a cat that is right for us and Jack--slightly older than Jack 1-2 years old. This way all the shots and spay/neuter will be taken care of.

We didn't think it was right to take on another cat just because it may or may not be Jack's sibling.

Leslie

Good decision. We've found that cats have no particular affinity for siblings specifically - the only time it makes a difference is if they were raised together, homed together, and friends already. And that is just as likely to happen with non-siblings, if they were raised together in a home and became friends.

That next kitty will find you when the time is right.

Laurie