Please pray for stray kitty

A little red and white neutered male showed up in my yard today. He has a tatto in his ear. He's painfully thin so has been lost for some time but I would think if someone goes to the trouble to neuter and tattoo, they would be looking for him. I've checked the paper and craigslist for lost cat ads, nothing. I've called my vet, nothing on their list either. I'll call the shelters and the other local vets tomorrow (all are closed now).

I fed and watered him, and he's very very sweet. And very sad. It breaks my heart leaving him out there, but of course I can't bring him in here. I say he is young because his teeth are white and shining. He's obviously been lost for some time. I put a rug out under the wood pile where he's hanging out, with his food and water, as long as we have dry weather tonight at least he will have a protected soft bed.

I printed up some flyers and stuck them in mail boxes up and down my road. That was before I'd gotten close enough to see the tattoo in his ear. If I can get one of the shelters to agree to take him I will not leave him out there very long, I can't bear it. The shelters around here are 'no kill' so he will be okay if I can get him in. I won't have any trouble getting him, he is starved for affection.

Please say a prayer for him. I can hardly rest easy knowing he's out there.

Oh he looks like a sweetie. Of course, many many prayers and vibes you're able to reunite him quickly!

If you can't, I do hope you're able to get him in a shelter. It's a hard time of year for that.

You're wonderful for caring and researching. Yes, he looks young. I hope he will reunite with his old owner or some other outcome as long as it's good

What a precious little cat. I do hope you find his owner. Thing is you never know if they are lost or just left alone to die. I am glad he is your yard because that let's us know he will be okay.

Originally Posted by LDG

Oh he looks like a sweetie.

Of course, many many prayers and vibes you're able to reunite him quickly!

If you can't, I do hope you're able to get him in a shelter. It's a hard time of year for that.

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Thank you.

I know the timing is bad. But I am willing to provide a nice donation to help with his upkeep and tests.

Originally Posted by c1atsite

You're wonderful for caring and researching. Yes, he looks young. I hope he will reunite with his old owner or some other outcome as long as it's good

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Thank you. It's breaking my heart knowing he's out there and all he wants is some love. I'm afraid to give him too much, I've already had to strip and shower twice after being out there, I am that paranoid about passing anything on to my cats.

I'm half tempted to just scoop him up and bring him to the vet in the morning, ask them to test him, deflea and deworm him and scan him for a chip. Then, if I can't get anyplace to take him right away, at least I will know whether I can safely pet him or not.

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

What a precious little cat. I do hope you find his owner. Thing is you never know if they are lost or just left alone to die. I am glad he is your yard because that let's us know he will be okay.

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Thank you. I am trying hard to remind myself that he's been alone a long time, so it won't hurt him to be alone one more night.

I am not cut out for rescue.

Someone tell me, was it wrong to offer him a little love and petting? Will it make it worse for him out there all alone, by contrast, or will it give him hope that if he stays out there, tomorrow will be better?

All I can do is sit here and bawl. I'm just not made for this.

By the way: It is pure chance that I was out in my yard with my cats when I saw him today (he was across the way) Normally I am not even home that time of day.

But no....I don't believe in chance. He was put in my path for a reason.....so I will do what I can for him.

In my humble opinion, a little love/petting means hope for a better tomorrow.

Originally Posted by c1atsite

In my humble opinion, a little love/petting means hope for a better tomorrow.

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Thanks for your support. I am going to bring him in to my vet in the morning to be scanned for a chip, and to be tested for disease. Then at least I will know if I can pet him without fear of infecting my cats. I'll ask them to deflea and deworm, too.

I totally agree, petting him, giving him a place to sleep, and some food is the right thing to do. You can't bring him inside, but you can let him know he's got a friend to help him - either find his way home, or to a new one.

Thank you Laurie! I known you've done some rescue work so I value you opinion.

This little kitty has proven my belief that a cat will starve rather than eat something he doesn't like. I left some Blue kibble out for him earlier. He ate some of it but not very much, I was surprised to see.

A friend who works in rescue advised me to not leave the food out overnight because of the danger of drawing other animals. Since he hadn't eaten much of the kibble I gave him some canned which he devoured, and asked for more

I only let him have three ounces, I was afraid he would bring it all back up.

He is staying perched on top of the woodpile for now, I know cats prefer to be up high, but I had to put his bed under the logs, on the ground. I put a plastic bag under the rug to protect him from the damp ground, if he uses it.

Aw, your wonderful for caring for him.

I know nothing about tattooing pets. Will the vet have a way to look up the owner?


Robin

Robin, I don't know. I don't know a lot about tattoos either. If it was done at my vet, maybe they will be able to identify it.

When I went out this morning he wasn't around, but five minutes later I looked out the window and saw him trying to hunt something in the grass.

It appears as if he is hard of hearing or deaf. He doesn't respond to voice, but when I stomped my food he looked up and then followed me, with the dish of food, back over to the wood pile where I fed him. I also put a frontline plus application on him as he ate, since I had one in the house.

I'll be calling the vet shortly to see if I need an appointment or can just run him in (for the chip scan and FeLV/FIV test)

He's very loud and talky, and would almost rather have love than food, but I am afraid to touch him too much. He's got a redness at the 'bald spot' in front of his ears, it could be sunburn I suppose but I am very paranoid about bringing anything in to my cats.

Tolly was watching him hunt from the downstairs window and thinks I should adopt him. I told him four cats is our limit.

Awwww what a precious boy

He sounds like such a sweetheart, hopefully he is nice and healthy and can find his home or a new home soon

Thank you Brandy.

I've been calling vets this morning. One of them suggested I call the radio stations, they plug lost pet ads free of charge on the air and on their website, so I have done that too.

I have an appointment for him at 1:00 this afternoon to be vetted. I just went out to put him in the carrier, to keep him contained, but he's wandered off again. Fortunately I can be home this morning so I can keep watching for him.

More food or the prospect of more loving should keep him around I hope.

Wow, that is great news about the radio service!

I wonder if he's deaf, or if his ears are plugged up? I guess you'll find out!

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I've got him!!!! He's in the carrier now, eating another can of food. He's not thrilled about being in there, and he will have to just stay in there until his appointment, but I can't risk not finding him when I need him.

He is so unbelievably sweet. He would rather be loved than eat. This next hour is going to be agony.

I have called all the shelters and vets in a wide area, and the ad on craigslist and the radio stations. No one seems to be looking for him, but I did have to leave messages at two of the shelters. I hope one will take him, I can't bear to leave him out there. I just can't bear it.

Originally Posted by LDG

Wow, that is great news about the radio service!

I wonder if he's deaf, or if his ears are plugged up? I guess you'll find out!

More !!!!!!!!!

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I think I was wrong about that, Laurie, when I didn't seem him I called very loudly "kitty kitty kitty" and he came running from somewhere. I'm sure he thinks I've betrayed him by stuffing him in a box, poor little thing.

I am just like you and cannot handle the emotions of rescue. It is just so heartbreaking, but he came to you and you are absolutely doing the right thing for him.

You can also go onto petfinder.org and put your zip code in and a list of rescue groups will come up. You can start contacting them one by one and seeing if any of them can help, even if to post an ad on petfinder for you.

Some may even offer to spay and neuter.

Also, an idea would be to do a fundraiser, like Carolina does with auctions for kitties. Maybe you can get enough donations to be able to keep him at the vets office (if they have a section for sweet free roaming kitties at the vet) and have his boarding paid for while you search for a home for him.

Trust me I know how hard this must be emotionally, Thank you for being an angel to this little baby

thanks for helping the little guy! it can be pretty hard for cats that have been socialized to end up on the street (or woodpile as it were). Regular feral cats don't know what it's like to be cared for by people so they don't miss it, but cats like this guy definitely know it and want it! I'm sure he's very appreciative of your attention.

what is the tattoo in his ear? here, the ASPCA has started tattooing a green dot on the bellies of cats who are fixed, it doesn't provide any real info beyond that.

Good luck at the vets!

I have been following this. I know just how you feel.....I would be crying too!
I get so emotional at the plight of these sweet little ones.

I hope they can trace his owners. And that they actually want him back. I mean if there is nothing in the papers or cl about them loosing their kitty I wonder how concerned they really are. And he could have been out a long time. I would look at back issues of the lost and found in the papers. A couple of months at least.

Cant' wait to hear how the visit to the vet goes.