Took in a stray cat...now worried

[OneOftheB's]

It may be that the cat was abandoned when someone moved. If the cat was someone's your friend would (hopefully) notice missing pet signs in her neighborhood. See if she asked around the neighborhood to find the owners. People very often leave outdoor cats behind when they move, or a neighborhood child found the cat as a kitten and loved her up but couldn't have her as a pet.

 

[motherof5]

If someone lets their cat roam around outside they really don't care much about it to begin with so I doubt they would be out there looking for it-I don't see an issue taking in a cat as a pet that was left outside- at least now it will be someplace safe!

I have a cat that is a indoor/outdoor cat. He seems happy being outdoor and was originally a stray (hates to stay inside) We let him out during the day and every afternoon when kids come home from school he comes back and comes in. I know many people argue owners who let their animals out are not nice but I believe if they want to be out and enjoy it they should. If this cat is chipped that means someone loved it enough to take care of it and if it isn't love this cat and enjoy your new family member.

 

[QueenIsabella]

If someone lets their cat roam around outside they really don't care much about it to begin with so I doubt they would be out there looking for it-I don't see an issue taking in a cat as a pet that was left outside- at least now it will be someplace safe!

This is a ridiculous statement. I mentioned up-thread that we have a cat who loves to be outside. We try to keep him in, especially at night, but the fact is, he's a black cat, and if he doesn't want us to find him, we won't. If we do keep him in, he yowls. All. Freakin'. Night. One time, we had him upstairs, and he broke out the screen, climbed onto the roof of the sunroom, jumped onto the cloth roof of the grill-zebo, tore through that, and landed on the deck. Another time, we had him in because it was Halloween--there are people who will kill black cats on Halloween, we wanted him safe. He kept trying to sneak out, every time a trick-or-treater showed up, so we locked hi in the sunroom. He busted out a screen--5'x4'--and escaped.

This same cat is constantly bringing us gifts of animal carcasses. I'd love to put a stop to that, too (baby rabbit, anyone?). But, he's a cat, he has a mind of his own. We love him and feed him, he's had vaccines and he's neutered nd microchipped. We live on a quiet street that backs up to a golf course, but I still worry about him. We've made our peace with the fact that he's going to live his life on his own terms.

 

[Saiahma]

I guess I'll have to see what happens when they scan her. The home she was hanging around is about an hour away in a rural area so she could be an outdoor cat. They've been feeding her since the summer and their neighbors even built her a little shelter outside. I guess there was also a second cat with her but they haven't seen that one since about October. She hasn't tried to get out at all since I've had her. I live in a more urban area so I wouldn't let her out anyhow. Hoping I can keep her, but would be happy to reunite her if a family is missing her!

 

[Saiahma]

I also have a pet rabbit that runs loose in the house (litter box trained) the cat is very gentle with her, they've even been grooming each other. That also makes me think she isn't used to being in the wild or hunting.

 

[Hikergirl]

If you live in a suburban area then keep your cats indoors. Just because you don't want to be responsible doesn't mean your neighbors should have to deal with your nuisance animal.

 

[MomOfDisneyPrincess]

I hate to mention this, but people will sometimes dump cats in the country, thinking they can just fend for themselves when the family doesn't want them anymore. My parents have acquired a few cats that way. They feed the cats in order to keep them near the house and keep the field mice population down and out of the house. Good mousers really earn their keep and come and go as they please.

I reread the part about this kitty being found in the country, so it's possible she could have been abandoned.

 

[QueenIsabella]

If you live in a suburban area then keep your cats indoors. Just because you don't want to be responsible doesn't mean your neighbors should have to deal with your nuisance animal.

I don't see how letting a cat outside is irresponsible or a nuisance. My cats are all neutered and vaccinated. They keep the rodent population down. Now, our neighbor's dog who poops in our yard? HE's a nuisance! They don't pick up after him. So, we're stuck picking up after our own dog on her twice-daily walks, then have to still worry about bombs from next door.

 

[Hikergirl]

I don't see how letting a cat outside is irresponsible or a nuisance. My cats are all neutered and vaccinated. They keep the rodent population down. Now, our neighbor's dog who poops in our yard? HE's a nuisance! They don't pick up after him. So, we're stuck picking up after our own dog on her twice-daily walks, then have to still worry about bombs from next door.

So your cat doesn't go to the bathroom anywhere but your own yard when outside?

 

[LSUmiss]

I don't see how letting a cat outside is irresponsible or a nuisance. My cats are all neutered and vaccinated. They keep the rodent population down. Now, our neighbor's dog who poops in our yard? HE's a nuisance! They don't pick up after him. So, we're stuck picking up after our own dog on her twice-daily walks, then have to still worry about bombs from next door.

Both are nuisances in this case. I keep all my dogs & cats inside & care them myself & don’t expect my neighbors to endure any of them. My dogs go out to the bathroom in our backyard.

 

[Farro]

You should not be getting a cat if you plan to let it roam outdoors. Period. I don't care what your reasons are. Leash train if you want them to be outside, it's very possible.

The rescue groups we use won't allow you to adopt unless you sign something stating your cat will be kept indoors and you won't declaw the cat.

OP - It sounds like you already love this cat and are willing to give it a good home, thank you for that!

 

[aprilgail]

You should not be getting a cat if you plan to let it roam outdoors. Period. I don't care what your reasons are. Leash train if you want them to be outside, it's very possible.

The rescue groups we use won't allow you to adopt unless you sign something stating your cat will be kept indoors and you won't declaw the cat.

OP - It sounds like you already love this cat and are willing to give it a good home, thank you for that!

exactly- I volunteer at a cat rescue and seeing what happens to cats that are let outside is heartbreaking. We will not let anyone adopt that plans on letting the cat outside the home!

 

[barkley]

I hate to mention this, but people will sometimes dump cats in the country, thinking they can just fend for themselves when the family doesn't want them anymore.

SO CRUEL and misguided.

people do this all the time in our neighborhood. if the cat is 'lucky' it gets pretty quickly consumed by a coyote, hawk, owl or other large predator b/c the alternative is for it to starve/die of dehydration while suffering from ticks and other parasites. house/suburban neighborhood cats are not raised to be entirely self sufficient. growing up there's people setting out food, there's bowls of water....on hundreds of sparsely occupied acreage that's not available. sure there are some homeowners who if they notice a cat hanging around their property might put out something for it but that runs a risk for the homeowner as well as the cat and any other homeowner existing owned outdoor pets b/c it attracts raccoons which are nasty, violent animals that will rip a cat, chicken or other small animal to shreds. so much kinder to re home or place at a shelter.

 

[Owlpost23]

I don't see how letting a cat outside is irresponsible or a nuisance. My cats are all neutered and vaccinated. They keep the rodent population down. Now, our neighbor's dog who poops in our yard? HE's a nuisance! They don't pick up after him. So, we're stuck picking up after our own dog on her twice-daily walks, then have to still worry about bombs from next door.

"Bombs from next door".I'm dying over here...

 

[tzolkin]

OP-
If it’s someone else’s cat and they want it back, I’m sure it will work out.

My daughter recently “adopted” a cat and then about two months after bonding with him, she found out it was her neighbor’s and had to return him. She was devastated, but we looked at the rescues for a few months and she just adopted a cat last week that is an even better match for her.

If anyone is curious how she wound up with the first cat... he would try to sneak into her house every time she came home. She asked two of her neighbors and they said he was a stray that had been around forever. She started feeding him and let him in occasionally. Eventually she bought litter box, toys, a bed, etc. and he became an indoor cat.

One day a different neighbor mentioned that they hadn’t seen their cat in a while because he was scared of their four dogs. At first daughter assumed it couldn’t be the same cat because certainly they wouldn’t have waited over two months to decide to look for him, but it was. They still let him roam free outside and he still tries to get into her apartment.

The rescue groups we use won't allow you to adopt unless you sign something stating your cat will be kept indoors and you won't declaw the cat.

This is what I had always known as well, but I just found out that the Humane Society where we now live has a “working cat” adoption program. These are cats that are adopted specifically to be outdoor cats (like to a farm) because they would not be a good fit as an indoor pet.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This is what I had always known as well, but I just found out that the Humane Society where we now live has a “working cat” adoption program. These are cats that are adopted specifically to be outdoor cats (like to a farm) because they would not be a good fit as an indoor pet.

I don't know if all the places around me call it the same but at least one of the main adoption places call it the Barn Cat program. Those however are specifically designed for feral or semi-feral cats basically cats who would not be suited for indoor life.

Technically the one place I looked up the exact requirements state this: "Adopting a barn cat is giving an unsocial cat a second chance. If you have a working barn, enclosed barn, safe/protected outbuilding, warehouse, factory, or other environment you feel will provide a safe and comfortable home...Minimal care for your cats include: daily food and water, safe refuge from the elements and a means of escaping predators/a predator free area, frequent monitoring and willingness to vaccinate/provide veterinarian care as needed." That specific adoption center doesn't charge a specific fee for Barn Cats but accepts donations. They say "All money donated goes towards spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, medical care and microchip for each barn cat"

That said I'm guessing the previous posters were mostly referring to socialized, indoor cats who would then be adopted by someone who allows them to roam outside either full or part-time.

 

[tzolkin]

I don't know if all the places around me call it the same but at least one of the main adoption places call it the Barn Cat program. Those however are specifically designed for feral or semi-feral cats basically cats who would not be suited for indoor life.

Technically the one place I looked up the exact requirements state this: "Adopting a barn cat is giving an unsocial cat a second chance. If you have a working barn, enclosed barn, safe/protected outbuilding, warehouse, factory, or other environment you feel will provide a safe and comfortable home...Minimal care for your cats include: daily food and water, safe refuge from the elements and a means of escaping predators/a predator free area, frequent monitoring and willingness to vaccinate/provide veterinarian care as needed." That specific adoption center doesn't charge a specific fee for Barn Cats but accepts donations. They say "All money donated goes towards spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, medical care and microchip for each barn cat"

That said I'm guessing the previous posters were mostly referring to socialized, indoor cats who would then be adopted by someone who allows them to roam outside either full or part-time.

Yes. That was really my point. Several people are arguing that it’s absolutely never appropriate to allow a cat to roam outside and that anyone who would ever consider doing so should never be allowed to have a cat.

There must be exceptions to the “indoor only” rule if rescues are explicitly adopting out outdoor cats. They recognize that in some cases living inside a home may not be in the cat’s best interest.

(To be clear, I do not allow my pets outdoors off leash ever. I’m definitely not advocating that everyone allow their pets to roam. I actually find it to be a major nuisance and have had many incidents with neighbors who do so. I’m just disagreeing with the “absolutely never under any circumstance” viewpoint.)

 

[Farro]

Yes, I'm referring to domesticated/socialized indoor cats. They should not be allowed to roam.

We do have a feral program here in Chicago, but those poor kitties had proven to be not be suitable for living indoors with families. Then the neighbors "adopt" - we fix them, feed them, etc.

 

[Jennasis]

My 3 barn cats are quite happy living outside (and in the barn). Fully vaccinated and neutered. Have had them since they were babies.

 

[Hikergirl]

There are responsible pet owners and there are not.
Being responsible doesn't just mean making sure your pet is happy BTW but if that is how one wants to justify letting their animal roam free go for it.