Cat Left Out in Snow

LittleMax

We moved into a new build property about 4 months ago, we have our own cat and soon realised that there was a large tom cat living at the house adjoining our back garden. They would have moved in a little while before us, so they must have brought him with them when they moved house. Since then we have noticed that this tom is always out, he tried to come in our house but we shooed him off several times as our cat is fairly timid and at our last house we had a period of time where she was allowing a tom cat to come in and spray and it was terrible.

However, it has become apparent that this cat is never in. I have seen him out and about in the early hours, and today when we went on a walk in the snow he was out while it was snowing. We know that our next door neighbours have been feeding him ... they don;t have any pets.

Tonight I let our cat out and this tom was in the garden, he came running across to try to come in, and retreated when our cat hissed and showed him it was her territory. But a few minutes later he was back and seemed so sad, I let him in and fed him, I know I shouldn't. He wolfed it down, he appears well fed, but obviously he needs more calories in this weather. I let him stay in for a while, but then had to put him out, he definitely didn't want to go and attacked my ankle! I've never seen his owner but know if I asked them about him, they would tell me he likes been out ... well judging by tonight's display he so doesn't. He sat outside our back door looking forlorn and doing puss-in-boot eyes for ages before giving up and going off into the snowy night.

Sorry for the long post, I am seeking ideas please as to what I can do. It is breaking my heart to see him out all the time in weather like this, but it's not fair on my own cat to encourage him in to our house.

barnaby-bear

http://theverybestcats.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/how-to-make-outdoor-cat-shelter.html

kazwookie

Does he have an owner?

maybe go and knock on the door, to check they are ok, and casually mention the cat seems out a lot...........

flea72

If he's not malnourished then just leave him be as he's obviously bring fed. don't encourage him. Prob puts the sad look on at any house in the area and tries his luck. Seems to be working lol

Also cats find dry, warm places to sleep so I wouldn't worry, even in the snow. My cats choose to go out all day. I try to keep them in because it's so cold, but they cry and scrap until I open the door.

If he looked ill I might have a word with the owner, but in this case, I'd just leave it. Stop pinching other people's cats under the guise you are doing the right thing

LittleMax

flea72 wrote: »

Stop pinching other people's cats under the guise you are doing the right thing

If you re-read my post you will see that for four months every time he has tried to come in we have shooed him away, I am certainly not trying to pinch someone else's cat. I have my own cat thank you.

LittleMax

kazwookie wrote: »

Does he have an owner?

maybe go and knock on the door, to check they are ok, and casually mention the cat seems out a lot...........

They live on a different street to me, our back gardens adjoin, but I have never seen them to speak to. I wouldn't have a pretext to knock, and I am sure they would only tell me that he likes to be out all the time.

LittleMax

barnaby-bear wrote: »

http://theverybestcats.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/how-to-make-outdoor-cat-shelter.html

Thank you :A ... OH had suggested constructing a shelter, I will show him these ideas.

shannalicious

I used to have a cat who was out all the time, she'd literally come home and get fed then cry to get out and off she went for another few hours. We made sure she was in at night if we could get her in but she would be sitting at the door 6am ready to go again. A neighbour told me that she used to go through her cat flap, eat her cats food then leave ha! The woman or her cat didn't bother though but it must've looked to her the same way it does to you. I really wouldn't worry about it if he seems healthy

Blackavar

This is a very tough one & I know how you feel. Of course cats don't want to be out all night in freezing conditions.
The thing is once you start to feed them or offer shelter from the storm you will end up looking after them forever. It's a very difficult call.
And by the way, the cats don't really belong to anyone. They stay where they are loved & looked after the best. Credit to them.
I can absolutely identify with your problem - I hope it works out.

geri1965_2

We had this problem a few years ago with our neighbour's cat. There was no way we could allow him into the house as one of our cats was extremely territorial, so we opened our shed and let him go in there. We put dry food in it for him as well.

Our territorial cat died the next year, and we started letting him in then. They then got another cat, and he started coming in as well (we didn't let him in, he came in through the cat flap of his own accord, and we suspect he was going to loads of other houses).

Our neighbours were away a lot and seemed to just leave them locked out and left them to their own devices and we felt sorry for them. If they were home and called them we would shoo them out so they went back to their own house, but one of them seemed to prefer to stay with us.

One day they knocked on the door and said they were moving out that day, and they just took them and left. I was actually heartbroken.

I just hope they are living in a house with a catflap now and properly looked after instead of being chucked out in all weathers.

southcoastrgi

flea72 wrote: »

Stop pinching other people's cats under the guise you are doing the right thing

what a stupid thing to say