Been adopted by a cat, advice needed
Discussion
bodhi said:
We haven't managed to get her to the vets yet, however I haven't spotted her drinking out of the fountain since we started feeding her proper food (well, Whiskas) rather than the dry treats we bought. Can't feel a microchip, and she is still without collar, however she turns up at our back door at 6 in the morning and gets let out at 11 at night.
I think we've both fallen for her, big time if I'm honest. She was looking a bit skinny when she first started turning up, 2 weeks later she has definitely put on weight. She spends most of the day either sleeping on the bed or on our knees getting fussed.
Still trying to figure out if we're horrible people or not for not trying to figure out who the owner is. She's never locked in, and is always free to go home - however, from what I can tell she never does.....
The longer you leave it the worse it will be if it is someone elses. Someone somewhere could be missing that cat (especially children), Do the right thing and get it checked then at least you know its yours or not.I think we've both fallen for her, big time if I'm honest. She was looking a bit skinny when she first started turning up, 2 weeks later she has definitely put on weight. She spends most of the day either sleeping on the bed or on our knees getting fussed.
Still trying to figure out if we're horrible people or not for not trying to figure out who the owner is. She's never locked in, and is always free to go home - however, from what I can tell she never does.....
Get it checked over too at the vet whilst you are at it.
Jasandjules said:
bodhi said:
Still trying to figure out if we're horrible people or not for not trying to figure out who the owner is. She's never locked in, and is always free to go home - however, from what I can tell she never does.....
Nope. Cats to me go where they want. If they think you best suit their slave needs, then you it is.Also, hopefully you will consider switching to raw food, it's a little harder but much better for your cat.
Some poor kids/family could be going out of their mind and searching everywhere for it. Do the right thing and take it to a vet to see if it's chipped.
Think how you would feel if you lost a loved pet. I'd be absolutely devastated.
I would also get the cat checked. When I moved into my current place I knew there was cat that visited the house in a similar pattern to that you describe. It would be all too easy to adopt the cat but it was in fact a local neighbour's. The frequency of visits was much less when a couple of weeks later after moving in my 2 cats came from their temporary home 
Thought I'd give a belated update to this - the local vet weren't actually too interested in getting her in for a check up, claiming that if she looks healthy and is eating properly then there isn't too much to check....so we spoke to another one, who confirmed something very similar, but asked us to bring her in anyway just to be on the safe side.
Result was there is no microchip to be found, and we are now the adopted humans of a lovely tortoise shell tabby cat. The difference in her weight, coat and general demeanour is night and day from when she first started coming in - the vet remarked that she is n tip top health and looks very happy with her new humans.
She has raised a couple of practical issues however - we don't currently have a cat flap and don't particularly want to broach the subject with the landlord, so have been leaving the patio door ajar for her to come in and out and it's been working well - until one of the neighbours ginger toms started coming in too and eating all her food, so we're having to let her out then go an check a couple of hours later if she wants back in. Mostly works, but for instance last night she brought in a (live) mouse to play with, which promptly got her put out in the back garden, and as it was just before bed, she wasn't let back in again until this morning - which she didn't look too impressed about.
We're also on holiday for 4 - 5 days next wek, which begs the question - what the hell do we do with her? A couple of friends have said they'll pop in to feed her, but we can't leave her in the house for 5 days surely?
Result was there is no microchip to be found, and we are now the adopted humans of a lovely tortoise shell tabby cat. The difference in her weight, coat and general demeanour is night and day from when she first started coming in - the vet remarked that she is n tip top health and looks very happy with her new humans.
She has raised a couple of practical issues however - we don't currently have a cat flap and don't particularly want to broach the subject with the landlord, so have been leaving the patio door ajar for her to come in and out and it's been working well - until one of the neighbours ginger toms started coming in too and eating all her food, so we're having to let her out then go an check a couple of hours later if she wants back in. Mostly works, but for instance last night she brought in a (live) mouse to play with, which promptly got her put out in the back garden, and as it was just before bed, she wasn't let back in again until this morning - which she didn't look too impressed about.
We're also on holiday for 4 - 5 days next wek, which begs the question - what the hell do we do with her? A couple of friends have said they'll pop in to feed her, but we can't leave her in the house for 5 days surely?
bodhi said:
We're also on holiday for 4 - 5 days next wek, which begs the question - what the hell do we do with her? A couple of friends have said they'll pop in to feed her, but we can't leave her in the house for 5 days surely?
Well after a couple of months after last posting of asking round the neighbours if they knew who's cat this was (and drawing a blank), we decided to look after her - well I say her, but when we took her to the vet to get jabs done it turns out she is actually a he....He's currently insured in case of unexpected bills, and booked into a cattery for when we are away in May, and had pretty much become the 3rd member of our family. No chip was ever found, and with the lack of collar, we decided we'd look after him, as it appeared no one else was (if we don;t feed him he comes back the next time absolutely starving) and all was very happy.
Until Sunday and we got accosted by a neighbour we'd never previously spoken to, asking if one of her cats was coming into our house, as she sees him going into everyone's house, and he's only back at hers once a week (he leaves ours 2 or 3 times a day).
So what the hell do we do now? We really don't to end up on Neighbours from Hell, but after looking after the poor little fellow for so long (if we shut him out he sleeps in our garden) it wouldn't feel right not still looking after him.
Until Sunday and we got accosted by a neighbour we'd never previously spoken to, asking if one of her cats was coming into our house, as she sees him going into everyone's house, and he's only back at hers once a week (he leaves ours 2 or 3 times a day).
So what the hell do we do now? We really don't to end up on Neighbours from Hell, but after looking after the poor little fellow for so long (if we shut him out he sleeps in our garden) it wouldn't feel right not still looking after him.
bodhi said:
Well after a couple of months after last posting of asking round the neighbours if they knew who's cat this was (and drawing a blank), we decided to look after her - well I say her, but when we took her to the vet to get jabs done it turns out she is actually a he....He's currently insured in case of unexpected bills, and booked into a cattery for when we are away in May, and had pretty much become the 3rd member of our family. No chip was ever found, and with the lack of collar, we decided we'd look after him, as it appeared no one else was (if we don;t feed him he comes back the next time absolutely starving) and all was very happy.
Until Sunday and we got accosted by a neighbour we'd never previously spoken to, asking if one of her cats was coming into our house, as she sees him going into everyone's house, and he's only back at hers once a week (he leaves ours 2 or 3 times a day).
So what the hell do we do now? We really don't to end up on Neighbours from Hell, but after looking after the poor little fellow for so long (if we shut him out he sleeps in our garden) it wouldn't feel right not still looking after him.
The right thing to do is speak to the neighbours and work it out with them. Ask them to get the cat chipped and vet checked etc. Unless there is something particularly stressful or off-putting in their original house like a new born baby, another pet, a new pet etc then they will likely return if you cease to give it attention. A neighbour's cat would often come round and on several occasions I picked her up and just took her back across the road and a few houses up.Until Sunday and we got accosted by a neighbour we'd never previously spoken to, asking if one of her cats was coming into our house, as she sees him going into everyone's house, and he's only back at hers once a week (he leaves ours 2 or 3 times a day).
So what the hell do we do now? We really don't to end up on Neighbours from Hell, but after looking after the poor little fellow for so long (if we shut him out he sleeps in our garden) it wouldn't feel right not still looking after him.
We did start shutting him out after we found out, and not giving him any food - he just sneaks back in again whenever we open the back door. We didn;t feed him for a couple of days, and it became abundantly clear he wasn't eating anywhere else, so put a plate of food down for him yesterday and he wolfed it down like we've never seen....
It was a very strange conversation on Sunday however, we've had a couple of other cats try to come in, which she "thinks" are hers, and her only concern seemed to be when she goes on holiday in May so she can find him to pur him in a cattery. Also he get's very unhappy when the other cats come in, hiding upstairs until we kick them out again. Given he has been in a fight recently, I suspect he doesn;t like one of his housemates...
As you say we need to speak to her - we don't want to feel like bad people for stealing someone's cat, when it appeared we were looking after a cat no one else was. It's how to broach that subject without making the owner feel like a bad person too...
It was a very strange conversation on Sunday however, we've had a couple of other cats try to come in, which she "thinks" are hers, and her only concern seemed to be when she goes on holiday in May so she can find him to pur him in a cattery. Also he get's very unhappy when the other cats come in, hiding upstairs until we kick them out again. Given he has been in a fight recently, I suspect he doesn;t like one of his housemates...
As you say we need to speak to her - we don't want to feel like bad people for stealing someone's cat, when it appeared we were looking after a cat no one else was. It's how to broach that subject without making the owner feel like a bad person too...
bodhi said:
We did start shutting him out after we found out, and not giving him any food - he just sneaks back in again whenever we open the back door. We didn;t feed him for a couple of days, and it became abundantly clear he wasn't eating anywhere else, so put a plate of food down for him yesterday and he wolfed it down like we've never seen....
It was a very strange conversation on Sunday however, we've had a couple of other cats try to come in, which she "thinks" are hers, and her only concern seemed to be when she goes on holiday in May so she can find him to pur him in a cattery. Also he get's very unhappy when the other cats come in, hiding upstairs until we kick them out again. Given he has been in a fight recently, I suspect he doesn;t like one of his housemates...
As you say we need to speak to her - we don't want to feel like bad people for stealing someone's cat, when it appeared we were looking after a cat no one else was. It's how to broach that subject without making the owner feel like a bad person too...
Well, you could start by saying you'd be happy to look after him while she's away, save her the cost of the cattery?It was a very strange conversation on Sunday however, we've had a couple of other cats try to come in, which she "thinks" are hers, and her only concern seemed to be when she goes on holiday in May so she can find him to pur him in a cattery. Also he get's very unhappy when the other cats come in, hiding upstairs until we kick them out again. Given he has been in a fight recently, I suspect he doesn;t like one of his housemates...
As you say we need to speak to her - we don't want to feel like bad people for stealing someone's cat, when it appeared we were looking after a cat no one else was. It's how to broach that subject without making the owner feel like a bad person too...
Yes it sounds like he is trying to move in with you as he's not happy at home. Not all cats enjoy sharing a home with other cats, and a lot will wander off and try and find a better deal. I'd be really friendly with your neighbour, compliment her on her lovely cat and say you're relieved to have found his owner and you're happy to look after him when she's away. As long as she's not feeling disrespected by you, the cat will be allowed to wander about and will most likely end up at yours anyway. If she comes round looking for him, just say that glad she's managed to find him again, what is he like, and tut tut indulgently. It sounds like she's got too many pets to cope with and will probably be happy for the support.
Bit of a thread revival, but after an interesting 12 months we finally have closure on who owns the cat, and the answer is...us 
Long story short, the neighbour in the end was OK with him coming over as since getting him she had triplets, and as soon as they turned up he wasn't especially interested after that and started wandering, hence him turning up here. Everything was fairly "normal" until this evening, when we had a ring on the doorbell, with his owner asking if he was around, as she was just about to take him to be rehomed!!
We had a chat, and the new family that was found for him are currently very disappointed, and we have an offical new member of the ours
Everyone meet Toby/Kitty. In his usual pose, on the bed half asleep...
Long story short, the neighbour in the end was OK with him coming over as since getting him she had triplets, and as soon as they turned up he wasn't especially interested after that and started wandering, hence him turning up here. Everything was fairly "normal" until this evening, when we had a ring on the doorbell, with his owner asking if he was around, as she was just about to take him to be rehomed!!
We had a chat, and the new family that was found for him are currently very disappointed, and we have an offical new member of the ours
Everyone meet Toby/Kitty. In his usual pose, on the bed half asleep...
k off and never look back. 
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