Willow Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Hoping for some sensible advice We have 2 cats - the youngest is almost one year and very friendly with people and other cats. She has two cats of similar age that visit to play with her. One is around almost all the time and was meowing pitifully tonight to be let into the house. It often sneaks in and eats the cat food we put out for our cats. I'm worried it may not have a home but even my kids tell me not to worry it looks fine. It doesn't have a collar (neither do ours as they lose them so my cats are chipped). I wondered whether to take her along to the vet to see if she is chipped with a local owner ? not sure what to do if she isn't. I thought I could leaflet the neighbourhood with a picture but what would I put on the leaflet ? I just want to assure myself it has a home and is being looked after... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joojoo Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Hi Patricia If I was you and worried about her, I would do some flyers just with her picture on saying something like "found - please call ......." and post them on lamp posts etc around say a half mile radius of your house. At least that way whoever owns her would be wondering if they saw the posters what it was about and would hopefully contact you. We had a (slightly) similar thing a couple of years ago when a young cat was run over and killed just down the road. We put posters up on the lamp posts just saying found black & white cat (obviously minus a photo) with our contact details on. Her owner found us the following day having been looking for her all night. It was very upsetting for him in our case, but at least he knew what had happened to her. I would hope that if her owners do care about her then they would come forward. You could take her to the vets - I don't think they would charge just to check if she is chipped. Good luck whatever you decide to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Does she look as if she's sleeping rough? Trouble is, cats are so friendly sometimes ... and they'll come in and scoff away as if they haven't eaten for days ... she could just be like 'Six-Dinner Sid' and having a meal in every house in the road! One of mine disappeared once, and I was very upset - turned out he'd been adopted by someone who thought he was abandoned, they were amazed when they found he had a home, and free access at all hours through a cat-flap. She could have a very good home and just prefer spending time with your pusscats. It's so hard to tell, isn't it! Why not put a collar on her, with a message 'is this your cat? please call ..'. That's how I discovered that mine had moved in with someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 If you are worried about her then you could take her to the vets to see if she has been chipped. When I lived in my last house, I got talking to a neighbour further up my road. She asked if I owned a big, fat, grey and white cat. I skirted around the issue for a short while wondering what he had done. After a bit of a chat I admitted to owning Whiskas, only to find out that he had several names along the terrace. Apparently, he used to visit this neighbours house, go in through the cat flap, chase their cats out and sit with the neighbours, purring away on the settee. 'Oh we love Chunky, she said.' As others have said, it may just be a cat with an enormous appetite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 By the way, you are not being silly. It's nice that you feel concerned about the cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I think Olly had a good idea with putting a message on the cat. If that fails to get a response then try the vets. Good for you for being concerned about her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I had a cat the same. His nick name was fat cat . A woman down the road used to feed him. She even came to tell me he'd been injured one day and needed to see a vet. What she didn't know was that the injury (a fox bite) had been done days before and he'd seen the vet and was looking much better than he had been. The worst bit was that the OH just said "Ok we'll make sure he sees a vet" rather than explaining he'd already been. She probably thought we never took him and he was neglected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfrock Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I have a spare collar if you want me to pop it in the post? I bought it for Phoebe but unfortunately she passed away before getting to strut her stuff in bright red! As for you cats always losing their collars, my Olly used to do the same. I was getting through one a week . In the end I stopped buying the ones with the 'clip' and he now has one with a buckle, but which has an elastic piece it on it in case he should get stuck on something, and he has been happily wearing it for a couple of years. If you find this cat does has an owner it might be worth investing in one of those 'chipped' cat flaps (can;t remember what it is called). We had to do that at our last house because we were feeding half the neighbour hood. They are much better than they were years ago. Olly just approaches it and the magnet on his collar lets him in, and keeps the rest of the feline world out (unless of course they have the same collar , although we haven;t had that problem at this house). Finally by all means take it to the vet to get it scanned. It would be very poor show if they try to charge you for this service as you are simply being responsible and caring. I know my vet wouldn't but then she is pretty unique in many ways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 Thanks all I don't feel too silly now ! I think I'll pop her along to my vet first and see if she is chipped - I don't think they'll charge for a scan. She doesn't look like she is sleeping rough (but she could be spending much of the night in our house and we wouldn't know). The other young cat comes in through the cat flap for food and a wander but doesn't meow to be let in and we know where he lives (and he is of course well fed pampered cat who just likes more variety in his diet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hils78 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 The vet shouldn't charge for just scanning a lost mog... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 Our vet didn't charge when they scanned my now evil cat that we took in. We also checked all the local 'missing' lists held by vets, local animal shelter, cats protection league & RSPCA. Our one who came to live with our two existing cats would sit on the door step all night in February, so in the end we decided we had to let him come and live with us. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 One word of warning about the magnetic cat flaps - my youngest cat Dave had a collar with a magnet on. Lots of times he came home with long screws or nuts on it. He also has a habit of climbing on the kitchen worktops (disgusting I know) and once managed to pick up a vegetable peeling knife with the magnet. I am so surprised he never stabbed himself I also think it would be a good idea to put a collar on the 'stray' cat as my MIL cat was fed by everybody in her row of houses - they all thought she was homeless as she was very skinny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 yup, before I moved I had a magnetic cat-flap, and Welly often used to turn up with a tea-spoon or something attached! They do work well, but of course they are a very common make and if anyone else's cat has a magnet on their collar, they will soon work out that they can get into your house too. Anyway - do update us on the stranger, and whether you find out if it has got a home or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hils78 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 OMG thats hilarious (stuff getting stuck to the magnets). I'm glad no harm came to the poor mogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynn Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 If you haven't already done so, and I know I'm not being much help because I haven't actually looked yet, but I seem to remember a friend of mine who recently found a cat saying that you can download paper collars on which you can write a "Do you own this cat" message on them. She either got it from the RSPCA or Celia Hammond. We had a stray cat turn up on our doorway 10 years ago. We did all the posting around the neighbourhood and in the local shop. After two weeks no one came to claim him so we took him to the vet who after blood tests etc told us that he was unlikely to survive as he was so ill. The vet kept him and said that we had given him a happy couple of weeks. Nick and I were very upset as we had grown to love him in that short time as he was such a character. To cut a long story short and a huge overdraft later to pay the vet bill, the vet called two days later and said to come and collect the cat! He said he had never seen a cat make such a recovery and obviously had such a will to live. Fred has lived with us ever since and rules the roost. He has endeared himself to all the neighbours and regularly visits them when they've got parties - he's very sociable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 great story! I think the paper collars are a great idea - try this website here which explains how to just make your own. I wish you hadn't mentioned Celia Hammond. I logged on to the website, couldn't resist a look at the 'cats needing rehoming' and now I'm crying I am just about to adopt another cat from a local sanctuary, but there are some real sob stories on there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Good idea re the paper collar. I might attach one to the Burberry wearing cat that visits us to ask: 1. Why do you insist on dressing me like a chav. 2. Why do you fasten it so tight that it is verging on cruelty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I should think the answer to 2 is: because they're expensive and he keeps losing them! Maybe the Burberry is the only alternative to ones with doggy prints on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynn Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I wish we didn't know about Ceilia Hammond - that's how we ended up with nine cats! The chicken hating neighbours next door, who are making us rehome our girls, also hate cats - we've trained them now to poo in their garden!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 well after that the little cat is still around the neighbourhood but has stopped begging to come into our house ! I'll keep an eye on her anyway but she isn't doing her homeless impression. I'll take a look for those paper collars Lynn - thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 NINE cats, Lynn! Wow ... I reckon two is my limit. I daren't go to the cat sanctuary, I am such a softie. I told the lady who runs the sanctuary near me that I'd like another one, and asked her to choose a suitable one for me! (She knew Wellington's former owner, and knows him well - he needs to be top cat). I'm going to ring her in a week or so and find out who is going to come and live with me - I'd rather she made the decision, and I'm sure I will love it anyway. Glad to hear that you're not so worried Patricia. It's awful when you're not sure if they are homeless or just cheeky - at least you can keep an eye on things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
