TheCatSite.com › Forums › Ferals and Rescue › Cats S.O.S › Help! Apparent Stray Cat: Suggestions?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Help! Apparent Stray Cat: Suggestions?

post #1 of 11
10/8/09 at 1:42pm
Thread Starter 
Hi everyone,

I'm new to this, but this forum seemed like a good place to post my problem.

There is a little grey cat that comes into my yard whenever I put my cat, Pekoe, outside. The grey cat seems friendly enough (he doesn't try to aggravate my pet) but I am having trouble getting close to him. I want to see if he has a collar or a tattoo and I really would like to know if he is just lost or actually a stray (so I can take him to the shelter). I don't see the grey cat around my neighborhood unless my cat is outside.

What should I do!?


Thanks.

lvh
Please visit my personal website!
Reply
post #2 of 11
10/9/09 at 3:59am
Well, since you can't really get close to him, it will be a little more difficult.

Does he look healthy/well-fed? That's not a for sure sign, but might give you an idea of the urgency of his situation. If he's not in good shape, it might be a good idea just to get him into a no-kill shelter - if he's someone's pet, they can go looking for him when he stops coming home.

If you can get a picture of him, you could post an ad on Craigslist, etc. seeing if anyone knows him. This actually worked for me, which really surprised me. Also, ask around the neighbourhood.

If you are able to gain his trust and get close, you could put a breakaway collar with a note on him. This also worked for me. Probably not a great idea to feed him until you know if he has a home, but if you can spend more time around where his is, it might help. A couple treats are probably OK too...although beware this might make you a regular buddy/visiting place for this little guy.
Reply
post #3 of 11
10/9/09 at 6:04am
Hello and welcome to the forum!It's good of you to care about this cat.

Someone may be looking for him. Check ads in the paper, call local vets and shelters, to see. If you are able to capture him, have him scanned for a microchip.

I don't advise advertising on craig's list, sick people cull that place and take animals advertised "free" to abuse and torture or use in laboratories.

If you do advertise a "found" ad, be sure to leave out some distinguishing feature that only his owner would know, to avoid giving him to someone with evil designs.
Reply
post #4 of 11
10/12/09 at 5:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoeysmom View Post
Well, since you can't really get close to him, it will be a little more difficult.

Does he look healthy/well-fed? That's not a for sure sign, but might give you an idea of the urgency of his situation. If he's not in good shape, it might be a good idea just to get him into a no-kill shelter - if he's someone's pet, they can go looking for him when he stops coming home.

If you can get a picture of him, you could post an ad on Craigslist, etc. seeing if anyone knows him. This actually worked for me, which really surprised me. Also, ask around the neighbourhood.

If you are able to gain his trust and get close, you could put a breakaway collar with a note on him. This also worked for me. Probably not a great idea to feed him until you know if he has a home, but if you can spend more time around where his is, it might help. A couple treats are probably OK too...although beware this might make you a regular buddy/visiting place for this little guy.
I spend two days going around my neighbourhood asking if anyone is missing a cat. No one on my street says they're missing a pet, but I am beginning to suspect that he lives behind my house (across a walkway) with a family who moved in just last month. He does look a little bit scraggly and dirty, so my husband and I have decided to make a little shelter for him (or any other stray/lost animals) to use. We live in Canada and it's already starting to snow outside so we're very concerned that he might get frostbite. We are trying to get him to trust us so we can get a better look at him, though he is very flighty. I'm more concerned about looking for tattoos, etc. before bringing him into the shelter.


Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Hello and welcome to the forum!It's good of you to care about this cat.

Someone may be looking for him. Check ads in the paper, call local vets and shelters, to see. If you are able to capture him, have him scanned for a microchip.

I don't advise advertising on craig's list, sick people cull that place and take animals advertised "free" to abuse and torture or use in laboratories.

If you do advertise a "found" ad, be sure to leave out some distinguishing feature that only his owner would know, to avoid giving him to someone with evil designs.
Thank you for the welcome! I have been keeping an eye on the paper, though nothing matching description has shown up (yet...). I am going to keep asking around and trying to get him to come near me before taking things too far (I don't want to unintentionally "steal" someone's pet!).



Thank you both for the useful suggestions!
Reply
post #5 of 11
10/12/09 at 7:24pm
Awesome that you are helping this cat through the winter. This may help with ideas for shelter. http://www.spayandstay.org/wintershelter.htm

Can you visit the new neighbors to ask if they have a cat? If the cat does not have a home, you may want to consider trapping and getting it to the vet for spay/neuter.

You are doing a wonderful thing. There are many here with experience to offer help along the way. Best of luck to you.
Reply
post #6 of 11
10/13/09 at 10:15am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skimble View Post
Awesome that you are helping this cat through the winter. This may help with ideas for shelter. http://www.spayandstay.org/wintershelter.htm

Can you visit the new neighbors to ask if they have a cat? If the cat does not have a home, you may want to consider trapping and getting it to the vet for spay/neuter.

You are doing a wonderful thing. There are many here with experience to offer help along the way. Best of luck to you.
I've continued asking around the neighbourhood (on the street behind our home) and it looks like he does belong to the family that just moved to the city a month or so ago (as I suspected). They don't seem worried about him (which I find is kind of cruel...) but I will continue to keep some food and a shelter out for him.

Thank you all for they help and useful tips!
Reply
post #7 of 11
10/13/09 at 11:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lvh01 View Post
it looks like he does belong to the family that just moved to the city a month or so ago (as I suspected). They don't seem worried about him (which I find is kind of cruel...) but I will continue to keep some food and a shelter out for him.
Oh, he is an abandoned pet. He is probably afraid and confused. Maybe consider trapping him and taking him to a shelter or a rescue organization. That will be much better for him rather than staying outside in the elements. Also, the longer he is left on his own, the more difficult it will be for him. From what I understand it is stressful for a cat to live own their own and alone. They have to take care of themselves from predators and count on you for food. Their fear of humans will grow as well.

He has a chance to a family by being rescued now rather than later. Unless you can bring him in with your Pekoe since they seem to like each other. Wishing you the best of luck helping him.
Reply
post #8 of 11
10/13/09 at 1:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skimble View Post
Oh, he is an abandoned pet. He is probably afraid and confused. Maybe consider trapping him and taking him to a shelter or a rescue organization. That will be much better for him rather than staying outside in the elements. Also, the longer he is left on his own, the more difficult it will be for him. From what I understand it is stressful for a cat to live own their own and alone. They have to take care of themselves from predators and count on you for food. Their fear of humans will grow as well.

He has a chance to a family by being rescued now rather than later. Unless you can bring him in with your Pekoe since they seem to like each other. Wishing you the best of luck helping him.
I think the OP was saying that the family have moved INTO the neighbourhood, not out of it, but that they don't seem very concerned that their pet is out in all weathers and finding food etc elsewhere. It is hard to know what do do unless there is outright abuse and cruelty, but by giving him a shelter you are probably doing all you can for now. WElcome to TCS and keep us posted of progress.
Reply
post #9 of 11
10/14/09 at 5:14am
You could perhaps talk again with these newcomers, and ask them you take this little grey as your own?
They apparently dont care about him, so they will prob agree.

As he is already friends with your resident cat, half of the problem with a new cat is done. More, because as they HAD already met, you dont need to overdo the quarantene part...


Good luck!
Reply
post #10 of 11
10/14/09 at 7:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennyranson View Post
I think the OP was saying that the family have moved INTO the neighbourhood, not out of it, but that they don't seem very concerned that their pet is out in all weathers and finding food etc elsewhere. It is hard to know what do do unless there is outright abuse and cruelty, but by giving him a shelter you are probably doing all you can for now. WElcome to TCS and keep us posted of progress.
Yes, I did mean that they moved into the neighbourhood. I will continue to leave food and shelter out for him until I can come to a concrete decision on what to do. Thank you for the welcome!



Quote:
Originally Posted by StefanZ View Post
You could perhaps talk again with these newcomers, and ask them you take this little grey as your own?
They apparently dont care about him, so they will prob agree.

As he is already friends with your resident cat, half of the problem with a new cat is done. More, because as they HAD already met, you dont need to overdo the quarantene part...


Good luck!
I am going to go talk to the family again today. I'm very sad that they don't seem to care about their pet and, yes, I will consider taking the little grey boy on as my own (we already have two cats and foster often so this might not be the best option). If all else fails, I will try to catch him so I can take him into the SPCA so he can be adopted by another loving, caring family.
Reply
post #11 of 11
10/14/09 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lvh01 View Post
I am going to go talk to the family again today. I'm very sad that they don't seem to care about their pet and, yes, I will consider taking the little grey boy on as my own (we already have two cats and foster often so this might not be the best option). If all else fails, I will try to catch him so I can take him into the SPCA so he can be adopted by another loving, caring family.

Quite. Offering them to find this little grey another good home is of course also an useful option.

In your case the best. I wasnt aware you ARE already a fosterer and use to do it.
The biggest danger for good fosterers is if they themselves adopt their fosterlings.
In this way they soon cant be fosterers any more...
A good home is important, but a good fosterer is, in a way, more important as one good home.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cats S.O.S
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Ferals and Rescue › Cats S.O.S › Help! Apparent Stray Cat: Suggestions?