Stray cat...8 hours!!

Good Evening,
There is a stray tuxedo cat that has been under my car for the last 8 hours. Hubby and I went out and talked to it and its very leary of us. It didnt help that the neighbor poured water on it to get it away from her flowers around her porch. It seems to be afraid/lost. I did put down a little kitty food under the car but it has not touched it at all. It doesnt run from us but it will not come when we try to coax it out. Do you think it could possibly be hurt? Its curled up under the left front of the car by the tire. Im not quite sure what to do about it. I was thinking that it would eventually leave but its been 8 hours like I said.
Any suggestions? Im going to have to move my car on monday morning when I got to work. I have no idea if it is male/female. Hubby did say that he did not see a collar on it. Help =)
Tammy

Yeah, it is either freshly astray / lost, or if homeless, severly sick...

What you will do is partly what you are willing to do.

IF it is sick and you want to help: know semiferales, being sick and getting help do get socialized very easy. So lotsa practical problems and costs with a sick cat, but also a reward waiting: that cat, before semiferal, goes into a home pet.
You ask: a real semiferal would probably hide in bushes or something? I had met here more than one severely sick semiferal who took his last stand under a car. Perhaps they underconciously do want help from some merciful human?

It may also be a freshly astray cat, a inside only kitty. Possibly dumped, possibly astray. They try to find a safe place, and are there as long as possible. Very typical. This cat needs of course help - of you. Such a cat of course dont have a collar.

Set up a cat carrier with open doors near the car. So it will look as a good alternative to hide in. You can also have some smelly cat food inside this carrier.
If you do have a big cage, you can use this too: but lay on something on that cage, so it looks nice and cozy, and dark and safe inside...

Set also up signs Found in the message boards one mile around.
If not dumped, the owners are of course seeking it.

Contact also the usual places for lost and found in your town.

Do you have somewhere to keep in the cat? It doesnt need to be anything fancy. A big dog cage may also be of good use.


Good luck!

Sounds like it is either very sick or injured . If it were a true feral, this cat would be hissing and growling as you approach. Also, a true feral would not hide under a car like that. This sounds like a lost stray that is just terrified and can't move, or is injured/ill. I would not attempt to reach and try to get this cat out yourself. Unless, you can set- up a large crate and put some wet food in that crate with a cozy bed and hopefully the cat would go in the crate. Check with all of your neighbors and see if they have seen this cat before. You could also call your local animal control and explain the situation and see if someone can come out and try to get the cat out for you if you don't think you can do it yourself. Sending this kitty mega vibes this morning. Keep us posted.

Sorry it has taken so long to reply.

I left food/water out last night for him/her. She just watched me and did not growl, hiss or make any movement. She does turn around and lay the opposite way but still by the same tire. I was thinking it was so scared it was frozen in one spot.
I talked to hubby last night before bed and we decided to leave him/her alone for the night and see if he/she was still there come morning. We do have children in the neighborhood and people walking dogs and such at all hours. We were thinking he/she might have been waiting to see if it was "safe" to leave.
This morning I went out and checked and he/she was gone. None of the food and water was touched. The kitty was not skinny or stragly (spelling) looking. I have kept my eye out today while in the yard and such for him/her. So far no sightings. I do believe that if it is a lost pet it will come back to our yard. It was safe, food water available so I think he/she will remember that.
If he/she shows up again I will let you know.

Oh..for the rest of you that remember me talking about the stray eating out of our garbage over a year ago. She's been in the house making herself into the Princess of the Bed lol. She has acclimated well and even my tortie who is very territorial is tolerating her much more now. My tortie is very jealous of any cat that comes in contact with me. And the calico stray thinks I am her mommy now. I cant sit down without her jumping on me and giving me her doe eyed look to lay on my lap! She really is a love muffin =)

Thanks for reading this was much longer than I intended.
Tammy

Wonderful about this "last year development"

Pity about this missed opportunity now.

As the cat left, it wasnt dying. It was the other scenario: a really fresh, just got astray. perhaps only one hour ago...




Good luck!

First off, that is a wonderful story about your garbage eating stray from last year . You certainly are a fantastic person taking her in and she is now the princess of the house and she gets along with your other cat.

And, I am sure the cat under the car was frozen in fear but not a feral cat. A lost pet I would imagine. I hope she comes back and if so you can rescue her and see if you can find her home. OR maybe she found her way back on her own

I havent seen the other cat at all. I am hoping she found her way back home! We have a street a few blocks from us and it is all rentals. People move out and just leave their cats behind. It makes me so damn mad! The old man around the corner feeds them, takes them to get them fixed and they "stay" with him. He is a godsend for the poor animals. There are 2 cats that live next door to me that chase off any cat that comes around....even looking in my front glass door to hiss at my cats. I hope that if this kitty needs a forever home she comes back. I'll take care of her!

Tammy, you are a true cat lover . And I sure hope that if this cat is lost, alone and needs a home, she finds her way back to your place somehow. If not, then I pray she is safe somewhere. Maybe this man around the corner knows of this cat and has seen her . He sounds like a great person to the cats.