My husband found a 9 month old female cat in the field beside his workplace yesterday. No collar, no chip. There was cat food scattered across the ground, and she's extremely skinny, but incredibly friendly and took him to immediately. He saved her from a pack of magpies that were swooping and pecking at her relentlessly. After work, he took her to the vet, who confirmed her age, and also that she was unfixed and didn't have any shots. She also has a bad case of ear mites which he promptly paid to get a treatment for. He then brought her home to me, along with various things to take care of her. She slept in my arms all night, and obviously I've gotten attached.
I worry that she actually belongs to someone, since she is so friendly. She also seems to either be litter box trained or VERY instinctive on how to use one. I would normally have him put out FOUND flyers everywhere to see if she belongs to someone, however some of her behavior today actually makes me want to keep her and not let her back into whatever home she may have come from (if she even did).
For instance, when I got out the broom to sweep the kitchen, she flattened herself down on the floor by my feet and began to shake uncontrollably, like she expected me to hit her. She also did this when I went to cook with a frying pan - the second she saw it, she became absolutely terrified. This continued with things from fireplace tools, to a spatula, and it would take her some time each time I brought them out to warm up to me again, and she acted almost feral after the fear subsided, which really leads me to think she was abused. She also has some scarring on her nose and a little chip taking out of one of her ears, and she does limp a little on one leg but the vet said that was from an "old injury".
The being left in a field with some scattered food makes me think she was abandoned, or is a stray, but I don't know. I'm happy to keep her and give her a safe home, but my husband says it's only right to try and find her real owners, if she has them. Seeing what I've seen of her behavior, the thought of giving her back to people who might've done that to her makes me sick.
I'm at a loss about what to do.
I worry that she actually belongs to someone, since she is so friendly. She also seems to either be litter box trained or VERY instinctive on how to use one. I would normally have him put out FOUND flyers everywhere to see if she belongs to someone, however some of her behavior today actually makes me want to keep her and not let her back into whatever home she may have come from (if she even did).
For instance, when I got out the broom to sweep the kitchen, she flattened herself down on the floor by my feet and began to shake uncontrollably, like she expected me to hit her. She also did this when I went to cook with a frying pan - the second she saw it, she became absolutely terrified. This continued with things from fireplace tools, to a spatula, and it would take her some time each time I brought them out to warm up to me again, and she acted almost feral after the fear subsided, which really leads me to think she was abused. She also has some scarring on her nose and a little chip taking out of one of her ears, and she does limp a little on one leg but the vet said that was from an "old injury".
The being left in a field with some scattered food makes me think she was abandoned, or is a stray, but I don't know. I'm happy to keep her and give her a safe home, but my husband says it's only right to try and find her real owners, if she has them. Seeing what I've seen of her behavior, the thought of giving her back to people who might've done that to her makes me sick.
I'm at a loss about what to do.
