Need guidance, took in an abandoned house cat!

rchynkim

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Hello everyone, 

It's 3AM and I can't sleep because I have so much on my mind right now regarding an 8~10 month old male cat I came upon today. I hope you will be able to help me make some decisions.

He (let's call him Jerry) was crying nonstop in a barren back alley where cars pass through. That was how he got me and my boyfriend's attention, and I couldn't just walk away from him. He was shivering and would cringe every time a car passed by, trying to sink further into the dead grass beneath him. Jerry did not want to move an inch from his spot, and there was a full plastic pouch of dry kibbles in front of him. My bf concluded that Jerry had been abandoned very very recently, if not that same day. I agreed, because Jerry's condition did not look bad and his coat was still soft and felt neat.

We took him home and bathed him with flea shampoo. I combed him and definitely came up on flea blood sacs. Jerry did not seem infested with fleas, but I did find one unmistakable flea on his belly during the bath. His previous owner has also left him un-neutered.

I already have two cats (10 month male & 3 month female) at home, and it is a three bedroom apartment. If possible, I would like to avoid adopting Jerry myself. However, I also don't know if I can trust shelters. I live in the 92833 area code of California, and it seems very difficult to locate a shelter or cat adoption organization who is willing to take him in. 

Budget is also tight and I want to do what's best for him. I called up my vet for advice and the receptionist recommended an exam along with a fecal matter testing. 

What are the first things first I need to get done? Aside from neutering, of course. Is flea meds something that I urgently need ASAP or can it wait? Or is it also an option to give Jerry to a shelter? 

Jerry is currently isolated in my bedroom, roaming. He is eating, drinking, and using the litterbox (I forgot how pungent a tomcat's urine smells). He is very friendly and receptive to human touch. 

Requesting all advice possible in this situation, especially in the shelter matter. Or how it even goes if one comes upon an abandoned cat. I've never dealt with this situation before and I really want to make sure Jerry has a quality life from this point on. 

Thank you,

Rachel K
 

shadowsrescue

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Definitely get him to the vet ASAP for exam and neuter.  The vet can also check for a micro chip to see if there is any chance he is lost.  Just because there was food present doesn't mean the owner abandoned him.  Someone else could have been feeding him.  Just check to be sure he's not someone's cat first. 

Keep him away from your other cats.  If you decide to keep him and he gets a clean bill of health, you will want to do proper cat to cat introductions.  Many of us here can help you with that.  It's a process.

If you cannot keep him then you will need to find a shelter that is no kill and one that has room.  Maybe you would have a friend who would want him.

The best thing you can do for him is to neuter him.  Kitten season is upon us and he will want to be out and about unable to control his hormones. 

Thank you for helping him. 

Let us know how it goes at the vet.
 

ondine

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Yes, definitely neuter him as soon as possible. If he was abandoned, he may have been marking and that gave his humans a reason to do drop him off. No excuse but some people think abandoning a cat isn't a big deal.

Hopefully, it is all a misunderstanding, but checking for a chip will help clear that up. Once you know he's not owned, ask around to your friends and family and see if someone would adopt him. They may also know someone.

You can also look/post him on Facebook - there are lots of lost and found pages. You'd be surprised how effective the social media sites are.

I once found a cat and found his owner within an hour on Facebook. It only took three people to link together, so it really works.

Good luck and thank you so much for helping him!
 
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rchynkim

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Definitely get him to the vet ASAP for exam and neuter.  The vet can also check for a micro chip to see if there is any chance he is lost.  Just because there was food present doesn't mean the owner abandoned him.  Someone else could have been feeding him.  Just check to be sure he's not someone's cat first. 

Keep him away from your other cats.  If you decide to keep him and he gets a clean bill of health, you will want to do proper cat to cat introductions.  Many of us here can help you with that.  It's a process.

If you cannot keep him then you will need to find a shelter that is no kill and one that has room.  Maybe you would have a friend who would want him.

The best thing you can do for him is to neuter him.  Kitten season is upon us and he will want to be out and about unable to control his hormones. 

Thank you for helping him. 

Let us know how it goes at the vet.
Thank you for your response and input! I have taken him to the vet today, and the soonest time I can have him neutered is this coming Monday. Unfortunately, there was no microchip on him, so it seems my family will be taking him in. He is completely isolated from the other cats in my room. My vet gave me a single application of Revolution flea med to start on today. 

Turns out he had an ear infection, more severely in his right ear (I did notice him scratching at it profusely); also, tapeworms. Got a de-wormer. Got him ALL his shots today including FVRCP, Leukemia, etc... Since his previous owner hadn't microchipped or neutered him, I felt it was a real possibility Jerry might not have ever gotten some or all of his shots. Other than that, the doctor said he looks good. Just got until Monday before he is officially neutered.
Yes, definitely neuter him as soon as possible. If he was abandoned, he may have been marking and that gave his humans a reason to do drop him off. No excuse but some people think abandoning a cat isn't a big deal.

Hopefully, it is all a misunderstanding, but checking for a chip will help clear that up. Once you know he's not owned, ask around to your friends and family and see if someone would adopt him. They may also know someone.

You can also look/post him on Facebook - there are lots of lost and found pages. You'd be surprised how effective the social media sites are.

I once found a cat and found his owner within an hour on Facebook. It only took three people to link together, so it really works.

Good luck and thank you so much for helping him!
Thank you for taking the time to respond! I considered that reason of his abandoning a huge possibility, and was really freaked out. Luckily he hasn't sprayed on anything yet, and I'm crossing my fingers that he can hold until Monday when he gets neutered. No microchip! My family and I have decided to take him in; he's too gentle and sweet! We've posted on several social media platforms so far. 

That's pretty amazing. The wonders of social media sometime!

Thank you both for your replies. Also, Jerry is due for his second de-wormer in 10~14 days. Should he be kept isolated from my cats until he gets his 2nd de-wormer? Or is it fine for him to be around them starting today?
 

ondine

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Good job! You are wonderful to do this.

I would keep him away from your two until after the deworming. No sense in taking a chance.

Good luck on Monday. He is a lucky, lucky kitty!
 

shadowsrescue

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I would keep him away from your other cats too. Also be sure to read up on proper cat to cat introductions.  You do not want issues on your hands with 3 cats.  Cats are very territorial and your residents cats may not be happy about the new comer. 

Here are some links to cat to cat intros.  It is best to take things very slowly.  The new one will already be a bit frightened and having 2 cats to meet might be very intimidating.  Take the process slowly.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-ultimate-yet-simplified-guide-to-introducing-cats

http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/a-simple-little-trick-to-use-during-new-cat-introductions/

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-cat

http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cat-to-cat-introductions/

 
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rchynkim

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Will definitely refer to those links and video when the time comes. Thank you, @ShadowsRescue!

UPDATE:

Ruben has successfully been neutered! And there are no other problems aside from the Tapeworm. He is due for his 2nd deworming this Monday. He is drinking and eating swell. And using the litterbox with no problems. Very sweet-natured and mellow cat. And good news he seems to be about 10 months old--same age pretty much as my Milo! He is here to stay, for sure. Thanks again, everybody. All that's left for later this week is gradual introduction of Ruben to my other two cats. 


^Here's a picture of him getting cuddly with my boyfriend's hand!
 

shadowsrescue

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Thank you for the update. He is adorable.  So happy he has been neutered!!!  Go slowly with intros and all should go well.
 
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