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Help me

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Hi can someone help me.. A little kitten keeps coming to see me and my family.. It started just a few Times in the garden here and there but now she's coming in the house she has no coller on so not sure if she has a owner she's out all times through the night can cats just move in even if they have a owner xx
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  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,283 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Cats are a law unto themselves. 

    How is she getting in? No cat's ever going to move in with us, because if they DO ever sneak through the door they'll be evicted PDQ (DH not a cat person ...)

    Are you feeding her? If you stop, she might stop coming.

    Does she look like a stray, ie in poor condition, under-nourished?

    Has she been spayed?

    Have you asked around your neighbours, fliers through letterboxes? 

    the final steps would be
    • putting a paper collar on her with your phone number, asking people to phone you if they think she's their cat. 
    • taking her to the vet to see if she is microchipped
    If she really doesn't seem to have a home, then by all means (try to) keep her, but do get her spayed and bear in mind vet bills need to be budgeted for. 


    Signature removed for peace of mind
  • Comms69
    Comms69 Posts: 14,229 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    First thing i'd do is take to a vet and see if microchipped

  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 35,726 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Savvy Shopper!
    The cats I've had over the years all had other 'homes' where they knew they were welcome.
    One used to leave the house at the same tine as we went to work and we'd see him sat on the wall of a retired couple's bungalow waiting to be let him.
    The old chap used to buy him fish bits from the local fishmonger - after checking with me first that he was allowed to.
    They had the best of both worlds. Cat company during the day and no vet bills.
    We all cried together when I had to go and tell them we'd had to have him put to sleep (kidney failure).

    None of my cats ever wore a collar as a friend's cat got caught by his collar and was lucky to be rescued in time.
    All were micro-chipped at the earliest opportunity.

    But the cat - however cute - does not belong to you, OP.
    It may be a stray or the owners may be desperately searching for it.
    I've seen threads on here where cat owners were in despair because someone else was feeding their cat and encouraging it into their home.

    Make serious efforts to see if it belongs to anyone.
    A responsible owner would have it micro-chipped.
    Not sure how easy it is to get to see a vet right now though.


  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,283 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Pollycat said:
    Make serious efforts to see if it belongs to anyone.
    A responsible owner would have it micro-chipped.
    Not sure how easy it is to get to see a vet right now though.
    From what I've heard, it's possible, but it's handover outside rather than sitting in the waiting room. Of course, first the OP would have to catch the cat and get it into a carrier of some kind - that might send it running for the hills!!!
    Signature removed for peace of mind
  • ernie-money
    ernie-money Posts: 836 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    We have a cat who suddenly one day came home with a collar on. He always sleeps in our house and gets fed by us, but apparently he goes & gets food in this other house every day while we’re at work & they assumed he didn’t have a home, so stuck a collar on him, as if he was theirs... You can’t stop cats going out the cat flap (well you can, but I don’t think it’s right) whenever they want & go where they like, but unless it’s looking malnourished, it’s probably got a home.
    I don't think I can hang on til Friday...
  • renegadefm
    renegadefm Posts: 1,303 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    My cat used to get fed by several homes around where I live, and still eat what we gave her. I think cats seem to like seeing how much they can get away with. Its in their nature. 
    The original owner shouldn't have let her out yet, and should have put butter on her paws. Apparently that stops their desire to rome. 
    Be careful though cause our cat was less than a year old and got caught pregnant and had 4 beautiful kittens, but I was surprised at the time cause we never let her out at night. So before you know it she will nest somewhere in your home and you'll have more kittens cause she's already concidered there to be a home. 
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 22,278 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    My cat used to get fed by several homes around where I live, and still eat what we gave her. I think cats seem to like seeing how much they can get away with. Its in their nature. 
    The original owner shouldn't have let her out yet, and should have put butter on her paws. Apparently that stops their desire to rome. 
    Be careful though cause our cat was less than a year old and got caught pregnant and had 4 beautiful kittens, but I was surprised at the time cause we never let her out at night. So before you know it she will nest somewhere in your home and you'll have more kittens cause she's already concidered there to be a home. 
    Do you think animals only mate at night?
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 23 May 2020 at 1:02AM
    My cat used to get fed by several homes around where I live, and still eat what we gave her. I think cats seem to like seeing how much they can get away with. Its in their nature. 
    The original owner shouldn't have let her out yet, and should have put butter on her paws. Apparently that stops their desire to rome. 
    Be careful though cause our cat was less than a year old and got caught pregnant and had 4 beautiful kittens, but I was surprised at the time cause we never let her out at night. So before you know it she will nest somewhere in your home and you'll have more kittens cause she's already concidered there to be a home. 
    Kittens can fall pregnant at 4 months old. 

    You should have had her spayed long before you allowed her to roam
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 4,176 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    https://www.cats.org.uk/media/1283/com_1032_lost_and_found_collar_print_out_aw.pdf
    Paper collar her and you'll probably get a call from the owner. 


  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 35,726 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Savvy Shopper!
    My cat used to get fed by several homes around where I live, and still eat what we gave her. I think cats seem to like seeing how much they can get away with. Its in their nature. 
    The original owner shouldn't have let her out yet, and should have put butter on her paws. Apparently that stops their desire to rome. 
    Be careful though cause our cat was less than a year old and got caught pregnant and had 4 beautiful kittens, but I was surprised at the time cause we never let her out at night. So before you know it she will nest somewhere in your home and you'll have more kittens cause she's already concidered there to be a home. 

    And ruins your carpets.
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