Is this cat a stray?
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Anonymous
| I have a mostly indoor cat and somehow, word got out, because a black male (I think) cat has been hanging out around my house trying to get in. At first, he would show up only on occasion. Now I see him almost every day. He appears healthy, craves contact, and is not unfriendly to my cat, even though she hisses and growls at him every chance she gets. I try not to pet him, but sometimes I run into him outside and he rubs against me and leans into my hand. He doesn't look sickly, but I fed him some food that my kitty was done with tonight and he ate hungrily. Do all "outdoor" cats do this, or does he sound like a stray? Should I "do something" like put up posters or call the shelter, or let him be? He seems happy enough, but I feel bad that I can't let him in. |
Anonymous
| Cats choose their owners |
Anonymous
Lol, not if my princess has anything to do with it! Dd would love it though. She's always looking for "back cat." 
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Anonymous
| There is no such thing as a lost cat. There are stray cats. Cats do choose their owners. Cats will run away from an owner or home they do not like - they try to upgrade. |
Anonymous
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What zipcode? There is a feral black cat in our neighborhood. Lives in the stormwater drains and has survived for many years. Looks very healthy and lives off the land.
Carries some kind of bacteria/virus and scratched a pet dog who became very ill and had to be put down. |
Anonymous
| If you feed him, him will come. |
Anonymous
Him has been coming every day for weeks and I felt bad because it was cold and rainy. This cat is not "feral." He is very sociable. |
Anonymous
| And we live in Arlington. |
Anonymous
| Yes, put an ad on craigslist. He might be a lost cat who had been once close with humans. Also notify the county shelter. Since it is getting cold, please offer him some space and shelter. It is so kind of you to feed him. |
Anonymous
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I would call the shelter and ask if anybody's been looking for him. You could put up posters too if you want to go that far. If nobody claims him, I'd just leave him be. I wouldn't leave food out, but you could sit with him while he eats (don't leave food out unless you want more critters and strays). I would also make a little cat hut for him on my porch. Right now I have an old (small) cabinet with a cat bed in it for our outdoor stray. I've also used a plastic bin (open end facing towards the house). My friend has a super deluxe heating pad on her front porch for her outdoor cats.
There's a perfectly legitimate way to deal with strays called Trap, Neuter/Spay, Release. Meaning, get him fixed so he doesn't start an entire colony of strays, but let him back out to the "wild." We've done this plenty of times, but usually we end up feeding them and setting up some warmth and comfort for them. |
Anonymous
My cat got lost right after we moved for two days, before coming home and then refusing to go outside for months she hated being lost so much. |
Anonymous
| Is there any way you can call you local Animal Shelter w/out them coming to get him because I don't want him to be euthanized? |
Anonymous
Me too. You can call animal shelter an just ask them if anyone has reported a lost cat that looks like him. But make sure the animal control officers don't come to get him. I don't want him to be euthanized. |
Anonymous
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Update: The cat belongs to our neighbor down the street. We were at a block party a few weeks ago and saw him run by. I said, "Does anyone know who this cat belongs to?!" And the owners of the house claimed him.
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Anonymous
Good to hear. Was the cat living full time at your house, or had he been going back and forth the whole time? |