Did I do the right thing???

I went to get my car washed and while they were cleaning the interior I noticed a black cat sitting up on the rocks... I called her over and she came right away... She was beautiful, somewhat clean and very friendly... I talked to her for a little while and I happened to have some leftover chinese chicken so I decided to give it to her... she wolfed it down so I knew she was starving... I asked the owner of the car wash how long she had been there and if anyone had been feeding her... he said she showed up about 3 weeks ago and he told his workers not to feed her so maybe she would go away!.. JERK!!

So, I picked her up to see if she would stay with me and she did but when I put her in the car she got nervous and jumped out... So I ran home and got some food and cat milk and went back to feed her... She ate all the food and drank all the milk... but she still didnt seem to want to come home with me so I left her there... I didnt want to risk scaring her and having her scratch or bite me.. but I feel really bad that I just left her there... Am I a horrible person for leaving her???

I took a few pictures before I left tho...

Hi Liza,

No, I don't think you did the wrong thing. I think you did a lot of good things:-). Even though she has been hanging around for 3 weeks, it could be that she does have a home in the area but that she is actually a sociable cat and enjoys all of the comings and goings at the car wash.

The fact that she was friendly, and she looks clean, contented and healthy in her photo, means she is certainly not suffering right now.

If you wanted to, you could try and check in at the car wash at different times of the day and possibly night (although that may be risky) and see if she is still around. If it is bad weather you could check and see if she is there. You could monitor her condition as well and if she begins to deteriorate or look dirty or becomes obviously 'starved' looking, then you could intervene and see if you wish to bring her home.

Good luck
Kathryn

Oh, she's a beauty Thanks for feeding her! Can you try to get her to go into a carrier, by tempting her inside with catfood?

Could you go back with a cat carrier and more food, and while she's eating inside the carrier, shut the door and take her to a no-kill shelter? Or contact such a shelter and describe the situation? They could set up a trap. Are you living in NYC? I just read that they want to go "no-kill" in all city shelters. If she's been hanging around the station for 3 weeks, she needs help.

If she is someone's outdoor cat that lives nearby, taking her could bring trauma to her owners. Perhaps make flyers in the neighborhood to find out if she does have an owner. If she does, you can lecture about the need to at least put a collar and tags on her. If she doesn't, then you could try to find her a permanent home. She sounds friendly, and looks healthy, so I would guess she has owners that allow her outside.

I'm actually doing a search for a No-Kill shelter in my neighborhood... Once I find one I'll probably go back and get her... I was thinking of putting up fliers in the neighborhood to see if someone owns her... She looks too healthy and she's way too friendly to be just a stray...

Most larger cities have lost pet registries. You might call some of the shelters in your area to find out how to use that service. I have seen lost pets reclaimed by their owners in our area using these services. Thank you for caring about this cat!

If the cat is somebody's lost pet, she could simply being hanging out in the area because she found a food source. When my cat was lost for 2 weeks, the woman who responded to my flyer reported that he had been hanging out in the same area the entire time!

I think it never hurts just to try to get this sweet girl into a cat carrier and take her over to a vet to have her scanned for a chip. If she comes up as being chipped, WONDERFUL, take her to her home, and explain the situation to her owners, if not... try and find a no-kill shelter that will take her.

A couple weeks ago, I did this very same thing, and I briefly had moments of doubt and guilt once the shelter took him. I kept thinking, "What if he had owners?" "What if he wasnt really lost?" But then I thought, "Well, he wasnt tagged, or chipped, or neutered, so maybe the owner (if he had one) should have made sure that he could be identified." I didnt feel bad about it.. and I still dont. He is in a wonderful place. If you are interested, check out the thread I started about this...(i'm not sure how to link a thread) Check out my thread titled, "I found the cutest Kitty!"

Hope this helps you!

I had some outdoor cats when I stayed with an "X" years ago.
One of them pretty much disappeared and then one day she showed up looking healthy, as if she had someone taking care of her. As in the picture of this cat you show. I had no idea who was taking care of her so I took a piece of paper and linked it through her collar and stapled the end of it so it would not fall off with my name/number and a short note. I got a call back shortly after from the people she adopted. They were worried I wanted her back, but I told them she seemed happy and I would not do that to them. They really loved her.
So, maybe get a cheap collar and attach a note like I did and find out if the cat does have a home. If no reply and the note is still there, if it works out as it did for me, you know you can catch and take the kitty home maybe.?

What a beautiful baby, Liza! Please keep us updated!