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- Aug 18, 2002
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I moved to a new neighborhood around Thanksgiving. There is this very friendly cat that lives outside on our block. The first night we moved in I saw him across the street and called for him. He came running over and begged for attention. He is the friendliest at I have ever met! I talked to the neighbors two door down briefly. I think they feed him but I am not sure about it. He has on a rabies tag on a collar around his neck. He does not go indoors, he is an outside cat only. The neighbor said that he has lived around this block for 9 years!!! I asked what his name was and the man said that one of his sons calls him Fred. Well that was my first indication that noone really "claims" ownership of him. I call him "Big Kitty" because he is huge! He looks like a dog not a cat
. So the neighbor then says that he "makes a good rat cat". He says it lovingly, not mean.
So my problem is this...He comes to my screen door every day to get petted and I started giving him a handful of food each day for about a week now. I am afraid that he will become dependent on me for attention and food. Since we move alot, I don't want him to rely on me because when we move next I don't want to take him with me. He has lived here for 9 years. He really deserves a home of his own but I already have 5 cats and can't take him in. He is always around now, he even sleeps on a chair on my doorstep. I don't want to just ignore him because he is soooo sweet.
Any advice??
edit: I just went outside and he jumped up in my lap (he barely fits), and i noticed that he has a nasty ear infection! Now what? Who is responsible for treating him? His tag is from the county and on the other side there is the phone # for the animal clinic he was seen at in 2001! I guess I will have to talk to the neighbor and see if they are the ones who took him to the vet the first time. He is neutered so that is good news. Maybe I am over reacting here and he is being taken care of more that I know. The only thing that bothers me is that his ear is pretty bad and no one has noticed it except me.
So my problem is this...He comes to my screen door every day to get petted and I started giving him a handful of food each day for about a week now. I am afraid that he will become dependent on me for attention and food. Since we move alot, I don't want him to rely on me because when we move next I don't want to take him with me. He has lived here for 9 years. He really deserves a home of his own but I already have 5 cats and can't take him in. He is always around now, he even sleeps on a chair on my doorstep. I don't want to just ignore him because he is soooo sweet.
Any advice??
edit: I just went outside and he jumped up in my lap (he barely fits), and i noticed that he has a nasty ear infection! Now what? Who is responsible for treating him? His tag is from the county and on the other side there is the phone # for the animal clinic he was seen at in 2001! I guess I will have to talk to the neighbor and see if they are the ones who took him to the vet the first time. He is neutered so that is good news. Maybe I am over reacting here and he is being taken care of more that I know. The only thing that bothers me is that his ear is pretty bad and no one has noticed it except me.