We just bought a house and have been working on it. There are 2 cats that I have seen outside. I know that my neighbors keep their cats in the house. I only got to see the one cat once. He was a brown cat. The female is a while and black cat. She is very friendly and sleeps under our deck and hides inbetween my house and the neighbors.
One of my neighbors told me that people ditch their cats in the cemetery located directly behind out yard. I have been feeding her and hoping that the male cat is ok.
I know that no one else feeds her because she is so very skinny and I can feel her back bone. I can't not do anything about it. So, I want to ask what things I can do to take care of her, but keep her outside until for a while. We have 2 cats and I don't want to risk getting them sick.
What are the things I can do to care for this stray?
2007-08-27 08:39:10 · 11 answers · asked by Kit 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
A reliable food and water source is the main thing. I feed the strays here and we go through an $8 bag of dry 9-Lives catfood once a month. It's about 18 pounds, I put out about 3 cups a day for the guys here.
You can make up some sleeping boxes for them out of those plastic tubs with the snap on lids. Cut a hole in the front about 10" across, stick a cardboard box inside that with a hole cut in it too, and put two or three towels folded on the bottom for comfort. Stick the tub under a bush or facing away from the main way the wind blows, and cats will take shelter in it when they want. The only hard part about making one of those is getting that plastic circle cut out (we used tin shears).
If you spend time outside each day, or lay out for sun, the cats get real used to your routine and are more comfortable around you.
2007-08-27 13:18:53 · answer #1 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Keep on feeding it. It may require a vet visit ans you don't know if it is healthy. Also you don't know how long ago she has had her flea and worming treatments so i am not sure what happens if they get an overdose if you give them the treatments. A vet should eb able to answer all your questions. But i think you should keep feeding it at least. And leave some water out too. If the cat eats and doesn't seem to put on weight it could be a sign of worms. A lot od scratching could be a sign of fleas. i recently posted a question about if you can see fleas on a cat and I got some saying yes and some saying no so i am not sure.
2007-08-27 13:44:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stray cats and house cats are totally different. Stray cats don't have an owner so they don't know better. They can content rabies from animals. You don't get effected from a house cat's hair if it goes in your mouth. I've done that a lot. Nothing happened. Just make sure the cat doesn't have rabies, or has a disease.
2016-05-19 03:22:02 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feeding the stray is a good start. If you want to keep this cat it may never become a indoor only cat but, probably an indoor/outdoor cat. If you want to make this cat your own take it to the vet for a wellness exam and a spay before introducing it your current cats.
2007-08-27 08:50:02 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look in your area for a no-kill shelter. These shelters will take the animal in and care for it and try to find it a home. You may want to socialize the cat a little before doing this. Depending on how much you would like to invest in this cat, you can also take her to your vet to get shots. If you live in a suburban setting that is safe for outdoor cats, maybe get her spayed and have 3 cats! :)
2007-08-27 08:48:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
She could be skinny because she has worms or parasites. Call the vet and get some wormer from them. Im sure she has to find food and when they get live animals they get worms. Make sure she has freah water and food.
Dont bring her in the house because she could transmit diseases to the other cats if they havent been vaccinated. You might think about getting her vaccinations or even getting her fixed. Just so that she cant reproduce and so on.
Make her a nice bed, just make sure if it rains she dont get wet or the bedding get wet.
Talk to her and she will start to feel more comfortable around you.
Good Luck
2007-08-27 08:51:53 · answer #6 · answered by grebcrystal 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is very nice of you to try to help this poor little girl.
Get her to a vet and make sure she gets tested for killer viruses and then vaccinated. Get her spayed before you have a dozen cats under your porch.
After she's vaccinated, checked for fleas, etc. and given a clean bill of health, you could try to introduce her to your cats. Sometimes feral cats don't respond well to a home environment, so don't be disappointed if she prefers being outside, but do get her fixed.
Good luck.
2007-08-27 08:48:33 · answer #7 · answered by Spots^..^B4myeyes 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think one of the best for a case of an actual Feral cat.. (if you can touch it then a shelter is the best idea.. however, if it is very unsocialized many shelters would put it down.. ) is a group that comes out to areas with many feral cats and gets them fixed, I think they also give them their shots.. and then releases them again..
I don't know where you are, but this is one site that may help..
http://www.feralcat.com/
2007-08-27 09:02:05 · answer #8 · answered by kaijawitch 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can bring it to a shelter, and then the cat will have a safe place to stay until she gets a real home. If you plan to keep her, and she stays outside, make sure she gets ALL of the necessary vaccines to prevent her from becoming ill.
2007-08-27 08:48:33 · answer #9 · answered by Chrissy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Exactly what you are doing.
Food and water. When she gets more comfortable around you I am sure you can find her a home. You can even ask your Vet. My Vet takes in strays all the time. Treats them free and finds good homes.
2007-08-27 08:50:00 · answer #10 · answered by I love watching cars turn left 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋