So - there is a stray cat outside of my house (we live in the country, so there are a lot of barns nearby). This cat has been coming around for months now - and we keep ignoring it. The cat has warmed up to us starting a few weeks ago. We are not looking for a new cat - and know that we should take the cat to the vet. The cat keeps coming around, and stays around our house - should we feed it anyway? It looks like an older, wild cat. We have two cats - The tabby cat is an outdoors cat - that gets along with the stray cat and black cat we have doesn't really do anything about the stray. Our outdoor cat looks like it's started a friendship with this cat. I know it may be a barn cat from down the street, and don't want to rip it from it's home. what should we do!?
2007-07-22 05:32:21 · 20 answers · asked by Mallory C 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
You're not ripping it from it's home, it may not belong to one of the barn communities at all but be a pet abandoned in a roadside drop off.
Feeding it is fine. If it's not causing problems with the other cats you have, they're ok with the stranger. If it wants indoors---it's actively looking for a safe home and picked you.
Even if it is a barn cat, not all of them want to live on the farms and will actively seek out what they DO want.
At the very least put a water bowl out there, and if it looks thin, put a cup of dry food in a bowl for it too.
We weren't looking for any new cats but got two this way, both recovering from injuries when they showed up, and wanting help from us. Adding an extra cat won't be a hassle if the indoor ones are already showing that it's ok with them.
2007-07-22 09:28:16 · answer #1 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Head down to another barn nearby and ask the people if it's their cat. If so, tell them what affect it has had on you and your family and maybe a solutionn can be created. If no one claims it, then whatever you do don't take it to a pound or shelter (if there is one near you). Just let it keep coming around it's not like there's anything else you can do if it's a wild one. And if it's outdoors then it shouldn't be too much of a bother, especially if your other cat has made friends with it. Just provide it with some food and adopt it into the family as a stray cat that stays outside and all you need to do is feed it. Sorry hon but that's the only thing you can do really, unless you take it in as your own BUT try to sell it to someone through internet or whatever. Hope that helped.
2007-07-22 12:44:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you FEED the cat it will continue to stick around. You don't want that, so just continue to ignore the cat. If it looks underfed or malnourished, perhaps you could take it to the SPCA, but other than that, it's probably just a friendly neighborhood cat that wants to be pals with your outdoors cat, and you should treat it like you would treat a guest of your child. If your outdoor cat has a food dish outside, I would probably move it indoors to keep the other cat from knoshing on his kibble.
If the cat is troublesome - causes damage, yowls all night, or otherwise stinks up the place by spraying, then yeah, try to find the owners or take it to the SPCA.
I would not take it to the SPCA if you don't want to see that cat get killed. They will more than likely have to put it down if it is feral and they don't have a program in place to help feral cats.
:) I really like the first answerer's take on it - cats are pretty "magical" and can be blessings to you... so don't be too hasty to make a decision. You never know.... :)
2007-07-22 12:46:11 · answer #3 · answered by Insomniac Butterfly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest asking the neighbours if they own the cat, and if not, alert the police and drop him in at the animal shelter. You say he is a stray, but some little kid might be really missing him somewhere, so I think you should tell the police just in case someone has reported their cat missing. Even if he is a stray, it's still a good idea to take him to the nearest animal rescue centre, and if you warm to the idea of having another cat, you can always go back for him later :)
x
2007-07-22 12:39:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When a cat picks you, then you can do what ever you want, the cat will continue to hang around. We had one who picked us about 13 years ago. We finally had to put her to sleep this past month. She was about 20 years old and an outside cat the whole time. She was content with minimal contact. She liked being independent and outside.
You won't have to 'own' the cat, but putting food out will make her hang around your house more than the barn. A bowl is a far easier meal than catching mice. It's great your outside cat doesn't mind the other cat. You are lucky!
With ours, we had her fixed so she wouldn't surprise us with any more litters, but other than that we treated her as an outside animal who was just friendly with us. With age she began to stay in the garage at night, but other than that she wanted no parts of being inside. Great hunter though!
I'd say feed it, but don't try to domesticate it. Let it be what it wants to be with you as a friend.
2007-07-22 13:17:59 · answer #5 · answered by momwithabat 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I tend to agree...(1) it's not a stray (2) it's not feral...
it's not a stray, because it's well fed...it's not feral because it's friendly and keeps hanging around all the while food isn't an issue...
even in my condo complex, one neighbor's kitties will visit another neighbor on a regular basis, just to be curious and accommodating--few people can resist a kittie that warms up to you...
I would contact the agencies on www.petfinder.org to find out if they are taking in foster cats...if you've set out flyers or bulletins to the neighbors and they haven't responded, then the kittie needs a real home...
I wouldn't bother taking the kittie to the vet...the kittie has given no indication that it's ill...the agencies on petfinders,org will let you know if they can take a foster kittie, and the foster parent will advertise on the Internet...be careful, because not all of the agencies listed on petfinders.org are NO-KILL shelters...
if you feed the kittie, it will be as much--or more--your responsibility as that of the original owner...I would not feed the kittie and just let it do, what kitties do, kittie-things like making friends in the neighborhood
2007-07-23 13:31:01 · answer #6 · answered by TrekNext 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask neighbors if the cat has an owner and put up signs. If no one answers in a while. Make sure the cat isn't feral and take it to the vet. Take care of it for a while and if no one answers again, keep it. If you can't keep it, call a cat rescue or animal shelter.
2007-07-23 18:20:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you should leave your cats' food outside. If the stray cat wants to eat any, he can. As long as your cats or spayed or neutered, it is fine for them to play with the other cat. You're not actually "owning" the stray. Just don't bring it inside your house.
2007-07-22 13:15:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just feed it. It will go home and return to your home as well just b/c you have cats that have seemed to befriend it. If it is a complete stray then I would just feed it so it doesn't go hungry, but I'm the type of person that would help any stray animal w/ food and such.
2007-07-22 12:39:12 · answer #9 · answered by myusernameisbetterthanyours 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes feed it and take it to the vet it might be a barn cat but you cant be sure
2007-07-22 12:37:58 · answer #10 · answered by Mary B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋