Stray cat appears to have adopted us...
Stray cat appears to have adopted us...
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t84

Original Poster:

6,941 posts

224 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
My girlfriends parents have had a cat in the back of their garden (No, it's not made any attempt at the back doors yet, fnar/oh matron/etc) for about 2 weeks, today we fed it and gave it a bit of a stroke, some water etc, and it wolfed the food down in 3 bites (A whole pouch) and had a good slug of water.

It seems to be rather attached to us now and waited by the back door while we went out for the night, my OH's parents would love another cat as they have one already and it's really well looked after and has a lovely home.

Problem is that it has a collar so we know that it's not a stray, there isn't a phone number on it (Stupid!) but there's so many places to ask around that we're not sure where to start!

Would a vet be able to check for a microchip? And is there some sort of 'etiquette' before adopting a new pet? We think it's likely to be from the social flats across the road, and has probably jumped out of a window...

We're kind of hoping no one claims him/her (We think it's a neutered him), awh.

Thanks for the advice smile

Edited by t84 on Wednesday 30th June 00:13

FasterFreddy

8,577 posts

267 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
t84 said:
My girlfriends parents have had a cat in the back of their garden (No, it's not made any attempt at the back doors yet, fnar/oh matron/etc) for about 2 weeks, today we fed it and gave it a bit of a stroke, some water etc, and it wolfed the food down in 3 bites (A whole pouch) and had a good slug of water.

It seems to be rather attached to us now and waited by the back door while we went out for the night, my OH's parents would love another cat as they have one already and it's really well looked after and has a lovely home.

Problem is that it has a collar so we know that it's not a stray, there isn't a phone number on it (Stupid!) but there's so many places to ask around that we're not sure to start!

Would a vet be able to check for a microchip? And is there some sort of 'etiquette' before adopting a new pet? We think it's likely to be from the social flats across the road, and has probably jumped out of a window...

We're kind of hoping no one claims him/her (We think it's a neutered him), awh.

Thanks for the advice smile
Yes, a vet can check for a microchip and that might be worth trying, but cats often have 'more than one home' especially if you offer food.

Does it look malnourished or unwell in any way? Has it been in their back garden most of the time?


Mazda Baiter

37,069 posts

218 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
Take it to the Vets for a microchip check.

It might not count as a stray if it has a collar though.

t84

Original Poster:

6,941 posts

224 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
It's *really* skinny and has spent all day today in the garden, and we think it's been in our garden for the best part of two weeks as well.

It's actually sat outside by the door now frown

t84

Original Poster:

6,941 posts

224 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
Any idea how much a chip check would cost?

perdu

4,885 posts

229 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
t84 said:
My girlfriends parents have had a cat in the back of their garden (No, it's not made any attempt at the back doors yet, fnar/oh matron/etc) for about 2 weeks, today we fed it and gave it a bit of a stroke, some water etc, and it wolfed the food down in 3 bites (A whole pouch) and had a good slug of water.

It seems to be rather attached to us now and waited by the back door while we went out for the night, my OH's parents would love another cat as they have one already and it's really well looked after and has a lovely home.

Problem is that it has a collar so we know that it's not a stray, there isn't a phone number on it (Stupid!) but there's so many places to ask around that we're not sure where to start!

Would a vet be able to check for a microchip? And is there some sort of 'etiquette' before adopting a new pet? We think it's likely to be from the social flats across the road, and has probably jumped out of a window...

We're kind of hoping no one claims him/her (We think it's a neutered him), awh.

Thanks for the advice smile

Edited by t84 on Wednesday 30th June 00:13
run away

now

quickly


We're kind of hoping no one claims him/her (We think it's a neutered him), awh.

oh excretions! frown

too late



The Nur

9,168 posts

215 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
I agree with the above, by now its pretty much too late.
By feeding it after this long its already got itself a little homing beacon (x square metres of piss soaked garden) and it knows its got a food supply and a friend to play with, so the adoption process may be complete anyway.

Get it chip checked, its almost standard to have a cat chipped these days, although if it has no chip there is the possibility that the original owners don't have as much care for the poor sod as they should do.

How old would you say it is? Age may help in indicating as to whether the owners have dumped it and moved away, or whether its just a lost nipper possibly.

t84

Original Poster:

6,941 posts

224 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
Id say about 1-ish, its at least 6 month because we think it's neutered, it has a black fake diamante collar, but has no tag. We'll get a chip check.

The only worry is introducing it to their other cat who is quite an old female and was a badly treated rescue cat, so is very nervous and shy frown

Colin 1985

1,936 posts

200 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
If you think it could be a stray, you could remove its collar and see if a new one appears. This would be stealing, but if you think it genuinely may be a stray/lost...?

Thoughts?

zac510

5,546 posts

236 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
If someone nearby has moved out they could have abandoned it.

Don't they sometimes do a small tattoo in the ear if the cat has a microchip?

munroman

1,908 posts

214 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
It could be that the owners have gone off on holiday and as has happened to a few people on here, the cat has gone AWOL just as they were leaving.

Cats often have a number of homes/names/bank accounts, so don't worry about it starving.

We had a stray turn up, a large tom who would turn up at night.
We put a collar with our number on him and got a call from a lady who mentioned our neighbour, and said it was 'her stray'.

The cat turned up minus the collar and kept appearing till ours passed away, and there was no cat food in the bowl anymore.

Mercenaries the lot of them!

Edited by munroman on Wednesday 30th June 08:15

Smashed

1,886 posts

231 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
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Hmm you've found a cat and I think someone has actually stolen my cat! Been missing since Saturday frown I wouldn't of stuck a crappy collar on mine though. I guess there's not much you can do in that situation really unless it's collar has a name and no or the cat is microchipped. I'm hoping whatever tosser took my cat is looking after it well =[

hornetrider

63,161 posts

235 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
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Whoa! You cannot adopt this cat! It has a collar ergo someone somewhere is worried sick about where he is!

Ring all your local vets and ask if a cat has been reported missing.

tim2100

6,288 posts

287 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
As said, many cats have many homes. They choose their humans who are allowed to look after them.

I would be tempted to either attach a tag to the collar with a message to say they are feeding the cats. Or remove collar and see if one reappears.

Ours quite often go missing for a day or two. Non have collars or chips. Don't like collars on cats incase they get caught on trees.

Jasandjules

72,650 posts

259 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
Take a picture of the cat, put it a small poster on the local lampposts asking if anyone owns this cat.

Go a couple of streets wide from the house. If no-one steps up (and he is not microchipped) then just keep feeding it. If he wants to adopt you then he will.

Lost soul

8,712 posts

212 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
munroman said:
The cat turned up minus the collar and kept appearing till ours passed away,
Did you have the death of your cat investigated or did you just assume it was a natural death scratchchin

cslgirl

2,215 posts

250 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
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My cat had at least 12 homes he used to visit. I found out when I put a lost sign out for him. I had a lot of calls from people who said he used to go to their houses on a regular basis. I also found a note in his collar which asked me to call them as they wanted to know his name. He was a stray. He was living in the shop next door's outbuilding and I fed him as he was ever so skinny, and he never left. He was also without a collar.

I would put a note in his collar with your phone number to see if you get a call.

sadako

7,080 posts

268 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
It could be the cat has dissappeared from the owners' house or something has happened to the owners. Get a chip check done, and as mentioned before, look for tatoos inside the ears (older system). If nothing else put a tag on the collar asking the owners to call you. You can get ones that are cans that you can unscrew and insert notes written on paper that are pretty cheap.

t84

Original Poster:

6,941 posts

224 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
Thanks, I stress that we will definately make sure that we try our hardest to find its owner - we're not going to steal a cat smile

auditt

715 posts

214 months

Wednesday 30th June 2010
quotequote all
When i had a little pudddddddddddy cat he was know on my road as well as others.

There was one case when a neighbour saw something moving on the couch but to her surprise it was our cat, flat out on his back with his tail wagging.

Like the topic starter said, my cat use to be gone for days but this was probably because he was kept inside but would always return after rattling the back door