Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Christine (Blip) on April 02, 2008, 18:55:53 PM
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A couple of mornings ago I saw an unfamiliar black and white cat in the front street. He was very nervous but what struck me most was that he was out in the rain. :scared:
Still, I reasoned that not every unfamiliar cat is lost so I tried to put him out of my mind.
Just now he tried to get into our kitchen. Blip went for him, of course, and he retreated reluctantly, but not before I got a good look at him. The poor mite is skin and bone :(
I would not like to interfere with someones puss if he is just elderly or has a chronic condition but my instinct is to put some food out for him. If I can catch him, I can take him to our vet to check for a chip.
No lost cat posters are around at the moment. I shall check My Moggy - what do people think I should do?
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I would certainly feed him while you make enquires Christine better to feed someones cat than let a stray go hungry.
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I'm imagining myself in this situation - if I saw a cat I suspected was a stray, I would probably try to feed it, if only to inspect him a bit closer and then make a decision. If you suspect it is a stray cat indeed then I think you would be right to take him for a microchip scan. Good luck and keep us updated!
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I would follow your gut instinct and put food down and see how that goes. Checking for a chip is obviously the best thing, but now always possible if they're timid - you could ask a local rescue if they have a trap you could borrow. I guess i'm cynical, and always think that unless I definately know it's owned I put food down and check it out furthur!!!
The next thing is posters and leafletting, withholding something about the cat so that it goes back to it's rightful owner.
Of course, it might be owned but any owner would be pleased that someone was concerned enough to feed and find out more.
Let us know how it goes!
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I would do some local door-knocking first - it's should be remembered that, if the cat is just very old, it might also be on a special diet and could possibly do more harm than good to feed it. If it's trying to get in your house, and it seems that it is, indeed, a stray, could you perhaps get Blip out of the way for a while and once it's in, you can catch it and take to the vet?
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I would do some local door-knocking first - it's should be remembered that, if the cat is just very old, it might also be on a special diet and could possibly do more harm than good to feed it. If it's trying to get in your house, and it seems that it is, indeed, a stray, could you perhaps get Blip out of the way for a while and once it's in, you can catch it and take to the vet?
What just convinced me that puss is likely to be a stray was his behaviour faced with Blip, the Warrior Cat of Fulham. My interpretation is that this is one hungry cat.
I have put out a bowl of clean water and a portion of Royal Canin Mature Weight and Kidney. I am 100% confident that Blip will not eat it, so we shall see.
Thanks everyone for your advice :thanks: and I will let you know what happens. We live near a mews area which harbours mice, so stray cats are often drawn there (some of my chums may remember Zsa Zsa, who got lost and lived rough for three months before she came into our garden).
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I would give him some food and try to put a paper collar on him asking his owners to contact you.
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Thinking about making a paper collar for him (excellent idea) made me think that this is a service that Purrs could offer at little cost and potentially great benefit. I will be rubbish at making a paper collar, but I bet some folks are pretty adept at it.
Tan if someone would send some paper collars to a central point (Chaptan Towers, or another volunteer: I will happily be that person) then they could be dispatched to members facing my current predicament.
Is this a good idea?
Puss hasnt eaten his food yet :(
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I hope that he eats and that he has an owner but my gut feeling would say he doesnt :(
Thanks for looking out for him Christine.
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It might belong to a single person who has had to go into hospital, it might belong to an old person who's keeled over and pegged it themselves. If they have unsocial neighbours then no ones going to know and the cat will go hungry. I would always be inclined to feed it and deal with consequences later..
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Well, someone ate the food delicately yesterday evening after I had logged off here and it wasnt Blip as she was in with me. I put some more out and it wasnt eaten last night but it has been eaten during the day (of course, that could be any local cat). I have replenished the bowl and water.
I rang our vet surgery and no such cat has been reported missing to them. I have checked the local lamp-posts and the only missing cat is an all-black six-month old called Dusty: I shall keep a look out for him :(
I have checked all the usual Internet sites and there isnt a cat fitting the right description.
We just have to keep trying and I shall update on any progress. The mews is a bit of a draw for strays, plus there are several "mad cat ladies"* round here so if he is lost, he will probably stay in the area.
*as for me, that is a destiny, not a description.
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Fingers crossed - he might struggle to eat the dry food, so I would put a bit of wet out too.
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Yes, I was going to say to put out some wet food as well. If this little lost soul is an elderly cat, he may have troubles with his teeth that may be making it hard for him to chew on hard kibble.
Fantastic idea about putting a paper collar on him too! Here's to wishing you luck little kitty!
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Christine
If this puss is elderly and thin through age, my guess is that either he/she is lost, escaped or neglected. In all cases, a quick trip to the vets isn't going to hurt. :sneaky:
Don't mess about.. go for the sardines in tomato sauce. Works every time! :innocent:
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Definitely sounds like a stray if you've not seen him/her round before. I would suggest wet food as well, may be a bit more appealing than the dried and I would have to agree with T, better to feed someones cat than starve a stray. Poor little babe, I hope you manage to get hold of him/her and get them into the vets. Good luck and keep us posted :hug:
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I have not had a sighting of Puss for the last two days. Someone has eaten the food each evening, but that could be our urban fox. I can only wait and keep a look out... :(
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Fingers crossed you haven't seen him cos he has gone back home.
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Fingers crossed you haven't seen him cos he has gone back home.
Hear, hear, Desley!
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Whether cat or fox food has been very gratefully received :thanks:
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Whether cat or fox food has been very gratefully received :thanks:
Know that I know :hug: :hug: :hug:
More food and fresh water is out for this evening :Luv:
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Great news :wow:
I have just seen a poster in a neighbouring street. It has a picture of this little mite under the word "FOUND". The poster describes him as a very affectionate cat and says that the finder has taken him in and is looking after him. S/he gives a number to call.
I am pretty convinced Puss is a long-term stray, but for someone to put up Found posters like this suggests to me that Puss is with One of Us and will be OK, whatever happens ;D
S/he got closer to him than I did, anyway :)
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Good news for Puss but hope it doesnt mean your dinner guest will go hungry :)
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Good news for Puss but hope it doesnt mean your dinner guest will go hungry :)
Sophocles has made himself a canteen at the end of our garden! ;)
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Aww, I am glad to hear he is safe.