Need Some Advice

I would take him to the vet to check for a chip, and check if he's neutered. If you put him back outside and he got hit by a car (very easy in bad weather), you'd really feel bad, I'm sure.

Do the poster thing and ask around. If everything is negative, keep him if you want to. Whoever "owns" him right now is apparently not taking care of him, especially if he has eye infections.

I agree.

The standard procedure in cases like this is working on double traces:
Helping this stray(?) cat if you can and want - by taking him in etc,

AND simulaneously seek after the owner, which you also are doing. Dont forget to write him up at all message boards you do have in your town. Hang him up at places where Found are usually announced, like The Animal Friend Society /whatever....

Him having mites and the goof in the eyes is probably he was astray a longer time. Observe he may also have other parasites like some worms. Otherwise he is prob rather healthy, if not he would have great difficulties now during the winter.
Him friendly and purring is not necessary he is someones homecat: many homeless cats do have an ability to please themselves in.

My advice is if you dont find a sure and good owner, - take it he is a gift from Pickles´ soul to you.
Do thank God and Pickles memory and keep him.


I have seen several such examples on this forum during my years here.

Tx for helping this fellow and Good luck!

Bless you! But bummer his people aren't properly caring for him.

The fact that he is so hungry and other neighbors are feeding him, he has ear mites and probably an eye infection, shows me that even if he does have a home, he is certainly not properly cared for.

I would keep him inside, especially in this weather, and then ask around the neighborhood if he is not chipped.

Maybe he is looking for a new home.

Awww..... I hope he comes back to you!!

Here is my opinion on outside cats without ID: They do not have an owner, and if they do they are better off elsewhere. Just my opinion...
IMO at the very least an outside cat should have identification, I believe they are better off inside only no matter what so....
Vibes for him to come back!!

Carolinalima,

I agree cats that go outside should have ID. My Chloe has a tag on, she can't be prevented from escaping outside really quickly while people come and go... she loves to go outside for a few hours at a time. Under no circumstances is she allowed to stay out for the night though.

But I disagree with the opinion that they're better off elsewhere just because they don't have ID... if the cat looks like it's taken care of it would be terrible to keep it without trying to get it back to its owner... what if Chloe got caught in the bushes and pulled her safety collar off?

Then put a microchip on...
IMO it is far more horrible to have that cat hit by car, bitten by a dog, caught in a fight with a sick Tom cat, caught by a wild animal, kicked by a mean human being..... all horrible things that can happen on the outside. I might seen dramatic, but just a matter of statistics. Outside cats live far less than inside only cats... So... That is my opinion... If you chose to have your cat outside, in my opinion, at least provide identification... otherwise when the cat is caught wondering off around other peoples' house like the above cat, it doesn't have an owner as I see it.
And you know what? If someone catches it and take him to the pound, the mentality will be no different.
That is my opinion...

It all depends on where you are. We're at the end of a subdivision half a mile from any road that people travel over 20 on, separated more so from it by a stream so Chloe would have to take the road.. She never goes far enough to where we can't get her in instantly by shaking a can of treats out the door.

The ID tag is just a precaution. All of our neighbors know her and she doesn't bother anyone and isn't bothered by anyone.

We've seen 2 wild cats outside in the 8 years of living in this house. All dogs around us are required to be at least invisible fenced in.

She never stays outside overnight so she doesn't really have much chance of encountering a dangerous wild animal, raccoons are the biggest threat here.

All circumstances considered, it's not unsafe for her at all to be outside for a few hours at a time during the daytime, especially when she's always within a couple hundred feet of our house.

Yeah, I understand a lot of people don't have ideal conditions like ours.. but for us it works.

I'm just saying that in the off off off-chance that Chloe got her collar off, wandered far away, and couldn't find her way back, then it would be very upsetting to know that people have the viewpoint that they could just take the cat without even trying to get her back. Especially since she so obviously acts like an indoor cat.

But when it comes to the topic of this thread, the cat isn't being particularly well cared for. He has ear mites and runny eyes (signs of a upper respiratory infection).

No - Carolina can speak for herself, but I doubt she's suggesting that an outdoor cat without ID should just be kept.

I also agree that cats should be kept indoors only - or, if allowed outside, it should be into an enclosure built for them, or a cat-fenced back yard or something. But if a stray cat is found and someone posts "what do I do" about it here - we always encourage them to take in kitty but try to find his home. You never know - maybe they just moved, kitty escaped - and has been on his own for some time.

But in this particular case, if kitty has a home just up the block and isn't being cared for... then to live in a caring home is better for the cat.

In the end, it's about what is best for the cat, though legalities and neighborhood "politics" have to be considered.

My apologies, I know I got a little cranky there ;o.

I agree about the indoor cat argument, but we tried our hardest for a long time to keep Chloe inside but she just wasn't having any of it... so we just came to terms with it and made sure she has a tag. As far as the microchip goes, I wish... I'm still not entirely sure how I'm gonna pay for my kittens to get spayed/neutered next week.

Sorry for getting out of line, it's just a touchy subject to me. I went off-topic. I would love it if Chloe would never go outside again!

I don't think you were out of line - you spoke your mind politely.

...and it's a touchy subject for a lot of us. It's something people tend to get passionate about on both sides.

Hi there - you did not get cranky, and this thread was also not about your Chloe, who DOES have ID, lives in the country (sounds like??), and is well taken care off... A whole different story, as LDG well put it...
I do however, still believe any cat is still better off inside only... but I respect your position, and it sounds like you found what works for you.
As far a microchip, check with your local shelter - they usually do for very cheap, or have Microchip monthly events, with low promotional pricing... My local Shelter just did one event for $15...
Just something to keep in mind.

Precisely, I agree with this 100%. This thread is so timely for me, as I took in to my house on New Year's eve a stray male tuxedo I had been seeing without ID around my house since at least September. He and I took a liking to each other right away, I had been seeing him every few days since at least September. He would run to me when he saw me, we liked each other alot. I was getting really worried about him when the weather started getting colder, and when last week it was snowing, and I went out to my car at 7 am, and there he was waiting for me standing on top of my car. I said, screw this, when I see him next, I'm taking him inside. So on New year's eve at 11:45 PM, I opened my side door, and there he was again, so I grabbed the fuzz-butt, and kept him alone in the closed bedroom, away from David and Lilly. On Sat. I took him to the vets, he got a clean bill of health, except that he has roundworms! (ewww...). But they said that is SO common, and they treated him, but I have to give him another dose of de-wormer in 2 weeks. He is neutered, about 2-3yrs. old..

The vets agreed I did the right thing, even if he has "an owner". I thought about it, and came to the conclusion that, I don't care if he has an "owner" that would let him roam for at least 4 months without a visable nametag or collar. MY loyalties were with this outside cat, NOT folks who were not keeping him safe from the dangerous streets at 20 degrees outside.. HIS best interests were what I cared/care about, not negligent caregivers..