Possible stray - can't catch it

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GlynD
GlynD Posts: 10,883 Forumite
edited 25 June 2013 at 12:26PM in Pets & pet care
The title says it all. He/she has been spending a lot of time in our back garden, playing with our youngest cat. A neighbour told us she was feeding him/her so we put food out too and the wee thing scoffed the lot and everything else we've put out since.

It's too shy to come to us though, despite friendly gestures such as squinting and bowing the head.

Today it turned up inside our house so I closed the door and tried to pick it up to give it a once over. It was frightened to death, peed all over the place in the utility room and left me with a reminder of how not to handle a frightened cat. So I let it out quickly to stop it being frightened.

Anybody any ideas how to proceed?

I know some people will wonder why on earth we should bother but it breaks out heart to think the poor wee thing might not have a home to go to and a soft bed to lie on.


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  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511 Forumite
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    Give him time - Trapping him and grabbing him will have left him very wary.

    If it's feasible leave a door or window open and see if he comes back in -and if he does acknowlege him but don't pick him up-let him come to you when he's ready.

    Of course he may not be a stray at all -one of mine has a second family (his brother lives there) and shares himself between us ( and eats at both) .He's perfectly happy-always comes home-eventually and enjoys playing with his brother ....but I've known other cats who "tell" several different households how starving they are ........and are simply "dining out" royally every night before returning home for supper :)
    I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole

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  • GlynD
    GlynD Posts: 10,883 Forumite
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    duchy wrote: »
    Give him time - Trapping him and grabbing him will have left him very wary.

    If it's feasible leave a door or window open and see if he comes back in -and if he does acknowlege him but don't pick him up-let him come to you when he's ready.

    Of course he may not be a stray at all -one of mine has a second family (his brother lives there) and shares himself between us ( and eats at both) .He's perfectly happy-always comes home-eventually and enjoys playing with his brother ....but I've known other cats who "tell" several different households how starving they are ........and are simply "dining out" royally every night before returning home for supper :)

    We can't let him/her wander in here. Our oldest is a tortie and she gets right mad if she even sees another cat. She goes mental if a stranger comes in. I want to avoid fisticuffs, or even handbags at dawn. :p

    He/she could well belong to someone else but we can't find out who. I've asked around so has the memsahib. There's no collar and he/she looks a bit scruffy. Of course that's not really a good guidance.

    Now can we use a cat trap because our garden is used by our two and four visitors. :(
  • meritaten
    meritaten Posts: 24,158 Forumite
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    patience Glyn, keep feeding and keep talking to it. you cannot force a cat to adopt you.
  • GlynD
    GlynD Posts: 10,883 Forumite
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    meritaten wrote: »
    patience Glyn, keep feeding and keep talking to it. you cannot force a cat to adopt you.

    I don't want to adopt it mate. I want to check it over, take it to the vet if necessary and get it treatment and scanned for a chip.

    We've got two. More than enough slave labour for any couple. :)
  • scaredy_cat
    scaredy_cat Posts: 7,758 Forumite
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    try your local cats protection, they may have a cat trap and also they may be able to take it in for rehoming.
    Cats don't have owners - they have staff!! :D:p
    DFW Long Hauler Supporter No 150


  • GlynD
    GlynD Posts: 10,883 Forumite
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    scaredy_cat wrote: »
    try your local cats protection, they may have a cat trap and also they may be able to take it in for rehoming.

    With six cats in the garden we could never be sure of trapping the right one.
  • meritaten
    meritaten Posts: 24,158 Forumite
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    GlynD wrote: »
    I don't want to adopt it mate. I want to check it over, take it to the vet if necessary and get it treatment and scanned for a chip.

    We've got two. More than enough slave labour for any couple. :)

    ???? and then what? set it free again? sorry Glyn but its not clear what your motive is for capturing this cat.
  • Person_one
    Person_one Posts: 28,884 Forumite
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    If it just 'looks a bit scruffy' and isn't injured, ill or neglected, you should just leave it alone surely!
  • gettingready
    gettingready Posts: 11,330 Forumite
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    GlynD wrote: »

    We've got two. More than enough slave labour for any couple. :)

    Really?


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    :D
  • GlynD
    GlynD Posts: 10,883 Forumite
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    meritaten wrote: »
    ???? and then what? set it free again? sorry Glyn but its not clear what your motive is for capturing this cat.

    I was very clear about my motives. I wish to take it to the vet and have it checked over and treated if necessary, examine it for a chip and try to find its owners. If no chip is present we would have it rehomed through the vet.

    We've already asked all the neighbours and nobody round here owns the wee thing.
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