Steal a stray?

skintchick

Thanks for all the replies. I feel encouraged! Of course, the cat may not want to come live with us, but I feel freer now to let him come into the house if he wants.

I think as the lady's first comment about him was 'he's a stray' I don't think she'd mind too much about it, but do you think I should talk to her? She could stop feeding him if I talked to her, which would encourage him over here more?

I'm not really sure the best way to go about things as I don;t want to upset a neighbour, but it's the first time I've even seen her in three years! (I know lots of people in the street, and am out and about loads.)

Maybe I'm worrying about this too much?

shelly

skintchick wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I feel encouraged! Of course, the cat may not want to come live with us, but I feel freer now to let him come into the house if he wants.

I think as the lady's first comment about him was 'he's a stray' I don't think she'd mind too much about it, but do you think I should talk to her? She could stop feeding him if I talked to her, which would encourage him over here more?

I'm not really sure the best way to go about things as I don;t want to upset a neighbour, but it's the first time I've even seen her in three years! (I know lots of people in the street, and am out and about loads.)


Maybe I'm worrying about this too much?

I'd personally knock on her door and have a conversation along the lines of 'The stray you have living in your garden, would you mind/be offended if I offered it a full time home? I want to take it to the vets for a check up and check for a chip. If there's no chip we would love to take the cat on properly'

That way she knows what's going on (even though it's not hers anyway) and everything stays friendly.

Best of luck!

RevolvingDoor

snozberry wrote: »

Well, I'm soft when it comes to cats but if I were you I'd keep schtum to your child, take him in but have him scanned at the vets first. There is always a chance that he is a missing furbaby. If he isn't chipped and is definately a stray then I'd adopt him, tell the world about him and love him forever!

Yes, I agree!

bagginslover

If you do find he's not chipped, do get him chipped with your details immediatly. If he is a wanderer, it could just bring him back to you someday

skintchick

Well, after I dropped DD at preschool today he was in the garden down the road and came over for a stroke, so i let him follow me home and let him in and gave him some milk and tuna (no cat food in house).

I left the front door open and sat down on the sofa with a cuppa and he came and sat on me. He is so lovely - really affectionate and clearly delighted at being warm and loved. He stayed for around an hour then suddenly got up and left.

I think I'll just start feeding him sometimes and letting him in, on the basis that he is a stray and needs food and drink and to be warm, and then after we get back off holiday in June I will talk to the lady about him.

If in the meantime he decides to move to us then that is cool, and if not he may want to stay with having multiple homes. I did remember today that the lady who loves next door to his current digs has mentioned giving him food before. At the time I thought she was feeding someone else's cat but now I think he may have various places he gets food and drink, but he seems to prefer living in this lady's garden.

He is so affectionate he clearly used to have a home and I wonder how he has ended up homeless? It makes me sad and I do hope he will want to come live with us. He has such a lovely nature, he even let me hold his paw and unhook his claws from my sofa and jumper when they got stuck.

I think I'm in love!

MrsAtobe

Please get him scanned for a microchip, so that you know whether he is a stray or not. One of my neighbour's cats would come in for a warm for about an hour or so, and then leave again

skintchick

MrsAtobe wrote: »

Please get him scanned for a microchip, so that you know whether he is a stray or not. One of my neighbour's cats would come in for a warm for about an hour or so, and then leave again

He has been living in this lady's garden for three years at least! While he obviously had a home once, he really doesn't now. I ŵill check for a chip later, if he decides to move in.

snozberry

skintchick wrote: »

Well, after I dropped DD at preschool today he was in the garden down the road and came over for a stroke, so i let him follow me home and let him in and gave him some milk and tuna (no cat food in house).

I left the front door open and sat down on the sofa with a cuppa and he came and sat on me. He is so lovely - really affectionate and clearly delighted at being warm and loved. He stayed for around an hour then suddenly got up and left.

I think I'll just start feeding him sometimes and letting him in, on the basis that he is a stray and needs food and drink and to be warm, and then after we get back off holiday in June I will talk to the lady about him.

If in the meantime he decides to move to us then that is cool, and if not he may want to stay with having multiple homes. I did remember today that the lady who loves next door to his current digs has mentioned giving him food before. At the time I thought she was feeding someone else's cat but now I think he may have various places he gets food and drink, but he seems to prefer living in this lady's garden.

He is so affectionate he clearly used to have a home and I wonder how he has ended up homeless? It makes me sad and I do hope he will want to come live with us. He has such a lovely nature, he even let me hold his paw and unhook his claws from my sofa and jumper when they got stuck.

I think I'm in love!

If he does decide to live with you (which I hope that he does) then you will have to call him Sid - as in Six Dinner Sid lol

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Dinner-Sid-Inga-Moore/dp/0340894113

skintchick

DD just calls him CAT!!! Capitals and exclamation marks part of the name lol cos she yells it.

paulineb_2

I took a ginger tom from my place of work around 6 years ago. I worked about 20 miles from home and I kept seeing a cat, he just appeared from nowhere. I fed him, I was worried he was someone elses cat, so I didnt take him straight away, he was friendly and used to follow me up the road. He was living in a drying area outside a block of flats where I worked

One night it was pouring with rain and I kept thinking, hes out in that so I went into work on the Monday, armed with a cat carrier, took him home, dumped him at my flat and then went the 20 miles back to work on the train.

He would have died I bet if he had been left outside, particularly in the harsh winters. His name is rascal (I dont know why I called him that as hes a big placid lump).

If you are sure the cat is a stray and you want it, home him. My mum has also taken in many a cat over the years who have obviously smelled the scent of her cats and landed in her garden.