theres this little stray cat thats been wandering around my apartment complex for MONTHS. everyones friends with this cat and they feed him/her. well i recently started feeding this cat on a regular basis and now everytime i open the door the kitty runs in. he wants a home and im thinking of taking him in. this cat is declawed so im assuming he/shes had all/some of its vaccinations. but what do you think? what are some of the risks of taking in a stray cat? its a really sweet kitty. i also have a dog, who is also very sweet and well tempered and he has had all of his shots. any advice would be great! thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
2007-05-29 17:10:59 · 24 answers · asked by chickey 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
You have a big heart. I really respect you for that. I think it would be a great idea for you to take in the stray cat. It needs a home and lots of love. If it's sweet, you should have no problems. The cat isn't going to morph into a monster once you take it in. The stray cat you are describing is just homeless. It isn't wild, especially if it's declawed. That means the cat had an owner. It's probably abandoned or lost. Either way, it's in danger living outside because it has no claws to protect itself from other threatening animals. It would be a great idea to save this cat. If you have any feeling that it is lost, maybe you shoul take it to a nearby animal shelter or animal control first to make sure that no one is looking for it. If no one is, then just take it in, and bring it to the vet to update it's vaccination. Then you should be all set! You got yourself a nice, loving pet! Good luck!
2007-05-29 17:13:34 · answer #1 · answered by questforanswers 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that if the cat is friendly and you want the cat, you should take him in. I don't there there is a lot to worry about. A lot of people take in strays. The cat I have now was a stray 8 years ago and he's the biggest cuddle bug there is. If the cat and dog go at it for a bit, let them. It's natural and they will learn to accept each other sooner than you think, so don't separate them if they start fighting. They'll take care of themselves. I would probably take the cat to the vet though and have it checked out. Just because it's declawed does not mean that it has had it's vaccinations. It could have been declawed when it was a kitten and hasn't received any vaccinations. I'm sure the vet will be able to tell you what he needs, and cats don't cost that much for vaccinations. Hope that helps a little!
2007-05-29 17:18:09 · answer #2 · answered by Shelly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are certain he doesn't belong to anyone, take him in. Sounds like he is lost or has been abandoned. However, I would put up an ad in the paper under "Found". And, I'd put up a few signs around the neighbourhood. When you decide to take him in, I'd take him to the vet right away for a clean bill of health. You don't want him to pass anything to the dog. Which is unlikely, but, better safe than sorry. Never assume the cat has had all it's vaccinations, because it is declawed. It could be due for them. That's why you need to take him to the vet. I'd also ask for deworming meds too.
You are a kind soul to take kitty into your home. I think you were meant for each other. Nice company for your dog too.
2007-05-29 17:17:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Taking in a stray is not usually a big problem. I would suggest you have the cat vaccinated just to be safe. It's possible he's had vaccines, but that doesn't mean they're current, and you don't want to risk him biting anyone or your dog. Plus, you should probably have him dewormed since he's been outdoors, and checked over for fleas and ticks, and neutered if he's not already. If the vet gives him a clean bill of health, there's no reason you shouldn't adopt him. Since he is declawed, someone owned him before, and he should remember what a litter box is.
Personally I think strays/rescues make the best pets- they never forget the kindness we show them by giving them another chance to be loved. Just make sure you get him to the vet before you bring him inside and expose him to your family and pets.
2007-05-29 17:16:23 · answer #4 · answered by Dreamer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If someone paid to declaw this cat, I'm pretty sure they've had some shots. The kitty will still need to get more because its done yearly. Its very dangerous for the kitty to be outdoors since its declawed because there is no way for it to defend itself. Either keep it or take it to a Humane Society or a local No-Kill Shelter.
2007-05-29 17:14:47 · answer #5 · answered by vmagal2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since the cat is declawed, it makes me think she belongs to someone. Have you or any of your neighbors tried to find an owner?
If not or if you're sure she has no owner and you want to keep her - she'll need an exam and a set of vaccinations including rabies and distemper vaccines. She needs to be checked to see if she's spayed and, if not, that's something else you should consider with keeping her. Also, she should be checked for Feline FIV and feline leukemia since she's been an outdoor kitty. It's a simple blood test that can be done by your vet. Have you introduced your dog to the cat yet? If not - you test that out before deciding to keep her.
2007-05-29 17:16:37 · answer #6 · answered by VetTech1016 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nice of you to want to give this kitty a home, but please don't assume because it's declawed that it's had it's shots. One has nothing to do with the other. The only risk I could think of would getting it trained to a litter box when it's been used to having the whole outdoors to use as a litter box. A trip to the vet to ask about what to do about shots and because your bring it into a home where you have another animal would be best.
2007-05-29 17:27:11 · answer #7 · answered by Classy Granny 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well if the cat is declawed theres a good chance it ran away from someone...but if it wants to come into your home and you are willing to take care of it i would...you can always call a vet office if you have questions. There are a few things you have to think about when taking in a stray...make sure he/she is clean (no fleas) and check to see if its spayed/neutered. Also if you have the time and/or money take it to see a vet and make sure it doesn't have kitty AIDS or feline leukemia :)
good luck
2007-06-02 17:07:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's great you're thinking of giving the kitty a home. Since the cat is declawed you may want to put up "found" posters for a little bit just to be sure noone is missing him Be sure to take it to the vet for a checkup before bringing it into your home..Wouldn't want to expose your dog to any possible problem the cat may have.
2007-05-29 17:16:13 · answer #9 · answered by Queen Of Hearts 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All my pets have been strays. This one was possibly abandoned and probably will make a good house cat. Take him to a Vet and get an evaluation on it's general health.It may be hard to keep him indoors. If you leave him wander some one will say what a fine stray maybe I should keep him and the cycle will continue
2007-05-29 17:18:24 · answer #10 · answered by WDOUI 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋