Found cat - what on earth to do...

Azmataz

I'm glad she mewed at your door! :j I think your door-to-door leafleting idea is a good one. If you've got enough printer ink, try a 2 road radius. Don't give too much away on the leaflet though. Leave out defining features (like the limp or her vocal tendencies). That way, if anyone responds, you can sound them out on if she is genuinely their puss.
It's increasingly reported at animal rescue centres that illegal dog-fighting organisers scour websites like Gumtree and posters for 'found' or 'free to a good home' cats for bait. Disgusting. :mad:
Did the vets check that she was spayed?

mystra

krlyr wrote: »

Might be worth giving it a week or so before writing off a local owner - they might, for example, have gone on holiday and left the cat in the hands of a neighbour or even an automated pet feeder and have no knowledge of the cat being missing.
I would try to surrounding areas too, even if it's just logging in with vets in the next few towns.

good plan, will widen my 'vet' area, there's only 3 round here and people might not even like those ones and travel further... not like doctors and catchment areas lol. We're giving it a week ourselves, then our neighbour is possibly going to send her (or her own cat - whatever is easiest) to her friend a couple roads down while we're on holidays, and see what happens then.

mystra

picklepick wrote: »

Have you read through all the 'missing' ads on those websites?

yes, always checking them

mystra

Fire_Fox wrote: »

No kill rescues will not euthanise a young cat if she is not in pain, discomfort or distress, they will likely look for an indoor home tho. Have you posted on Purrsinourhearts forum, also check out their amazing shop if you do keep her? The more rescues and vets you can ring around the better, she may have travelled across the city as a stowaway in a car or van.

Might she be pregnant? Did the vet check her for kittens or can they see a spay mark in her fur? Is there any chance she has a hearing problem, that might explain the crying?

The pregnancy thing is a worry, the vet didn't really check to be honest, she just gave her a quick look for injury to explain the legs problem and scanned for a chip. I thought the scar would be on the belly but a friend told me it's on the side so i will be checking when i get home tonight. Not sure on her hearing, she's very responsive to sounds though so i think her hearing is fine.

mystra

gettingready wrote: »

Photos?

Thread not valid without photos

good point!

mystra

paddypaws101 wrote: »

I know you say you are not quite ready for the new cat you had planned, but it seems that Puss has other ideas.
If her owners do not turn up then surely it makes sense for you to keep her rather than putting her through the stress of being put into a rescue...if in fact any local ones have space!...

it does make sense i know, i hate the thought of putting her in a shelter - she's too sociable with people to live in a shelter without a great deal of distress... even the best rescues can't give enough time to give a cat like her the human attention she craves. I just get so sad looking at her, she looks comfortable but very lost, she really misses her real home

mystra

HeatherintheHills wrote: »

Thank you for taking the poor little mite in and giving her such good care. :A

This sounds awful, but could you ask around locally if anyone in your immediate area has died or been admitted to hospital? The little cat may have escaped when the ambulance service arrived. Poor things are so stressed in those situations and either run off through the open door in a panic or try to follow when their owners are taken out of the house, then find themselves locked out. Other than that, I cannot think of anything more you could do that you haven't already done.

Re her leg, I have a little black and white girl who walks funny at times, one leg sort of splays out. She has an ongoing but manageable medical condition and the limp is an indication that she is stressed because she knows she isn't quite as well as she usually is. Her leg goes back to normal as soon as she is OK again. Perhaps with your little one her leg will be ok again once she feels settled.

If an owner doesn't turn up within a couple of weeks I hope you feel able to keep her. It sounds as if fate may have taken a hand in your decision to get a cat and you have been chosen

Has she told you what her name is yet? To find out, call different names to her and see which ones she flicks her ears at.

Good idea, i will ask around on my poster/leaflet adventures tonight.

It's not a limp as such, she's really unsteady on her back legs - cats are normally graceful and quiet, but you can hear her walking round with her little padding noise - with a funny rhythm! Sometimes she'll just randomly lose control of her back legs and they'll topple over, or she'll just have a really odd unco-ordinated walk - it's as if she's drunk!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Is she sticking her bum in the air when yelling?

Rolling around a bit?


You could have a female in season. Or not anymore, since the night she spent out under the car. :cool:




An older owner might not be able to get out and about to look for her, or see posters on lampposts. And would be far less likely to have access to the internet to even find out about the different places, much less be able to report a cat wandering off.

As an example, if my mother's cat were to wander off, she wouldn't have a clue where he was even if he only got as far as next door but one or the house right over the back from her, wouldn't realise that there is somewhere to report a lost cat and even if she did try, has no internet, so wouldn't have been able to get through on the phones either, even assuming she was willing to pay the premium rate phone charges, and doesn't go out much, so wouldn't spot a poster on a lamppost ten foot from her doorway. (None of this example takes away from the fact that I don't think she's a good pet owner, just shows how someone older might only realise where a missing animal was if they had a leaflet stuck through the door)



She does sound rather lovely though - but only a photo can confirm this for us........




ETA: note through letterboxes and KEEP HER!!!!

mystra

Azmataz wrote: »

I'm glad she mewed at your door! :j I think your door-to-door leafleting idea is a good one. If you've got enough printer ink, try a 2 road radius. Don't give too much away on the leaflet though. Leave out defining features (like the limp or her vocal tendencies). That way, if anyone responds, you can sound them out on if she is genuinely their puss.
It's increasingly reported at animal rescue centres that illegal dog-fighting organisers scour websites like Gumtree and posters for 'found' or 'free to a good home' cats for bait. Disgusting. :mad:
Did the vets check that she was spayed?

i know, that really worries me, I've only had one phone call so far and I did grill the poor bloke, but it wasn't his 4 month old - she's a girl for a start and defo older than that.

bazster

Ohhhhh, what a sweetie, she's a keeper! I'm a sucker for long white whiskers like that!

I'm sorry to spend your money so freely, but I think you need to take her back to the vet regarding her hind legs.

I know you are worried about her "real" owners, and do keep trying to find them, but honestly she will settle and be happy in your home. I've had five cats over the years, all of them either rescue cats or adopted strays like yours, and they've all settled really well.