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- Nov 12, 2016
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So about a month ago my husband and I moved from Connecticut to Texas, and within a few days, noticed several cats wandering around our apartment complex at night (at least six, probably more because of similar markings and the fact that some of them hang out on the farther end of the complex). I don’t know where they go during the day, if any have a home to return to or if they just find somewhere to shelter from the heat (during this time of year, it can easily reach the high 90s, sometimes even into the 100s).
Well last night, we came home late and noticed one of the cats sitting between some of the cars near our door, so we crouched down and talked to him/her to see if it was comfortable around people. We don’t know if any of these cats have owners and are just outdoor cats, if they were abandoned by previous owners, if anyone at the complex is feeding/caring for them, or something else. Anyways, the cat seemed a little nervous but came up to us, rubbed on our legs, and let us pet it. It kept meowing, so we put out a handful of dry food and some water. I considered making it a shelter, but I would need one to keep the cat cool instead of warm. The cat stayed outside on our porch for what seems like all night (it was meowing until about 30 minutes before I went to bed) and it was there about 30 minutes after I woke up.
The cat was meowing again, so I gave it a little more kibble and water. My cats are very interested, hanging out at the front door and occasionally looking out the window at the other cat. My oldest boy (Felix) hissed at the cat the first time, but now just seems curious (not surprising to me, as he is very cat-social and warms up to other cats instantly). My second cat (Pixel) surprisingly doesn’t seem to show any aggression or territorial behavior, something she has done around my brother-in-law’s kitten and our young kitten (Pixel takes a long time to warm up to other cats, with the exception of when she met Felix. She now tolerates our kitten when we’re there, and grooms him when she thinks we can’t see lol) but I don’t know how she would react to the cat if she was face-to-face without a door or window in between them.
My husband and I are huge animal lovers, and would love to do more for this cat. Quite honestly, my husband would take it in in a heartbeat if we could. The dilemma is because of our third cat (Blinx), he came to us at only 4 weeks old because he didn’t have a mom, so we bottle fed him. He just started eating on his own last week, and turned 8 weeks old yesterday. He hasn’t had all of his shots because he needed to reach a certain age/weight first, so I’m being cautious around this strange cat, and trying not to get attached, so as not to put Blinx in danger of catching something while he’s still so vulnerable.
I want to try to help this cat as much as I can. It seems to want to come inside, but gets nervous and backs away when the door opens. And it breaks my heart that I can’t really let it in even if it wasn’t so nervous. After looking at the cat a little while feeding it, I can’t tell if it’s ear was injured or if the notch I saw was from a TNR program. If it is a TNR program cat, I don’t know if that changes how I should proceed. My husband suggested putting a collar on it and taking it to the vet after Blinx has been vaccinated, and having it as our “outdoor cat”, but we’re moving again in February and I don’t know what we would do for the cat then.
Thank you for reading my novel lol
I would really appreciate any advice on how to handle this situation. I don’t know if I was wrong to offer this cat food in the first place, but its cries broke my heart and I had to do something. I just don’t want to have this cat rely on me for food and water now, in case it forgets how to care for itself when we move in February. But I know if we take this cat in, there won’t be much keeping us from taking in every friendly stray we meet (despite having 3 resident cats already).
Well last night, we came home late and noticed one of the cats sitting between some of the cars near our door, so we crouched down and talked to him/her to see if it was comfortable around people. We don’t know if any of these cats have owners and are just outdoor cats, if they were abandoned by previous owners, if anyone at the complex is feeding/caring for them, or something else. Anyways, the cat seemed a little nervous but came up to us, rubbed on our legs, and let us pet it. It kept meowing, so we put out a handful of dry food and some water. I considered making it a shelter, but I would need one to keep the cat cool instead of warm. The cat stayed outside on our porch for what seems like all night (it was meowing until about 30 minutes before I went to bed) and it was there about 30 minutes after I woke up.
The cat was meowing again, so I gave it a little more kibble and water. My cats are very interested, hanging out at the front door and occasionally looking out the window at the other cat. My oldest boy (Felix) hissed at the cat the first time, but now just seems curious (not surprising to me, as he is very cat-social and warms up to other cats instantly). My second cat (Pixel) surprisingly doesn’t seem to show any aggression or territorial behavior, something she has done around my brother-in-law’s kitten and our young kitten (Pixel takes a long time to warm up to other cats, with the exception of when she met Felix. She now tolerates our kitten when we’re there, and grooms him when she thinks we can’t see lol) but I don’t know how she would react to the cat if she was face-to-face without a door or window in between them.
My husband and I are huge animal lovers, and would love to do more for this cat. Quite honestly, my husband would take it in in a heartbeat if we could. The dilemma is because of our third cat (Blinx), he came to us at only 4 weeks old because he didn’t have a mom, so we bottle fed him. He just started eating on his own last week, and turned 8 weeks old yesterday. He hasn’t had all of his shots because he needed to reach a certain age/weight first, so I’m being cautious around this strange cat, and trying not to get attached, so as not to put Blinx in danger of catching something while he’s still so vulnerable.
I want to try to help this cat as much as I can. It seems to want to come inside, but gets nervous and backs away when the door opens. And it breaks my heart that I can’t really let it in even if it wasn’t so nervous. After looking at the cat a little while feeding it, I can’t tell if it’s ear was injured or if the notch I saw was from a TNR program. If it is a TNR program cat, I don’t know if that changes how I should proceed. My husband suggested putting a collar on it and taking it to the vet after Blinx has been vaccinated, and having it as our “outdoor cat”, but we’re moving again in February and I don’t know what we would do for the cat then.
Thank you for reading my novel lol
I would really appreciate any advice on how to handle this situation. I don’t know if I was wrong to offer this cat food in the first place, but its cries broke my heart and I had to do something. I just don’t want to have this cat rely on me for food and water now, in case it forgets how to care for itself when we move in February. But I know if we take this cat in, there won’t be much keeping us from taking in every friendly stray we meet (despite having 3 resident cats already).
