Topic: Please dont ignore strays. (Read 6946 times)

Millys Mum · « **Reply #42 on:** October 02, 2007, 19:23:38 PM »

Quote

at least he's now got you on his case.

Yep, he just isnt very appreciative of my weeks of effort! Iv even handled kfc chicken for him and still no gratitude

puddypaws · « **Reply #41 on:** October 02, 2007, 18:53:41 PM »

I've really got my fingers crossed tha you manage to get hold of him Milly. It's horrible to think of him like that but at least he's now got you on his case.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #40 on:** October 02, 2007, 18:37:47 PM »

I do hope so Milly

Millys Mum · « **Reply #39 on:** October 02, 2007, 13:32:05 PM »

Its shocking how often they get ignored. The amount of people i spoke to about O'Malley said they often saw him at their bins but no one did anything for him even tho his front leg was broken and sticking out at a funny angle

I still havent been able to trap the butter, fingers crossed the cold weather will bring him to me.

Mark · « **Reply #38 on:** October 02, 2007, 09:08:22 AM »

I have it on my conscience that I didn't help a stray and wonder what happened to him. He wasn't a true stray but obviously not looked after properly. When I bought my 1st flat in 1994, there was a lovely affectionate tabby everyone called Felix. He was the kind of cat who came running to greet you and was happy to be picked up. Often I used to bring him in and feed him. When it was cold, I brought him in and he would lie on my bed wanted always wanted to go out again. In hindsight, I should have done more as he deserved a better life than hanging round our car park

- I saw him around for a few years then he disappeared

Thinking of him also reminded me of a dog I had forgotten about. One night, quite late I heard splashing in the canal and looked out the window and there was a dog swimming around in the canal. I ran down and called him to the edge. The sides would have been too high for him to climb up onto the towpath. Luckily, he swam to the edge when I called so I could hang over a lift him out. He didn't seem too worse for wear so took him inside. The only meat I had was some raw sausages & bacon but he didn't seem to mind and ate the lot in about 10 seconds

. I kept him in and phoned around - I can't remember exactly what happened (foggy brain) but it transpired that he had escaped from a rescue on The Isle of dogs, about 5 miles away and so he went back.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #37 on:** October 02, 2007, 08:08:17 AM »

I would talk to your local rescue, and maybe make arrangements to keep him overnight in a spare room or something. I Took on a stray at the beginning of this year, the lady had similar problems, so he ended up here hours before he was supposed to, cos he turned up early!! If you feed them at the same time each day, it will be a lot easier, as they get used to it.

Debbie · « **Reply #36 on:** October 01, 2007, 19:15:30 PM »

Hi Dolcetta

I am no expert in how to capture strays, but if he is still about it would be great for him to get a nice comfy couch of his own

I have just recently started volunteering at a CP locally and there seems to be a fair few strays in there - one cat in particular sticks in my mind as he was so affectionate and fluffy - he was rehomed last week and had only in there a matter of weeks too!

Good luck if you do decide to try and get him rescued.

dolcetta46 · « **Reply #35 on:** October 01, 2007, 13:21:09 PM »

Quote from: Debbie on September 30, 2007, 16:07:00 PM

Dolcetta, please dont take this the wrong way but have you considered visiting him /trying to get him into a rescue since? I just hate to think of cats with no homes to call their own, especially with winter getting closer...

I also thought of contacting a cat shelter about him before, as sweet and comely as he is, I don't think it would be a problem for him to find a family. The problem is that he is not ALWAYS around to be found, sometimes there, sometimes not. I can't get the rescue people to come around and end up not finding him at that moment. But you know, a presence of a cat (my Oliver) makes me even more aware of this problem, and makes me think of him a lot, too. Perhaps it is worth giving the shelter a ring and discuss the possibilities... thanks for the encouragement!

ccmacey · « **Reply #34 on:** September 30, 2007, 21:48:34 PM »

I hold strays close to my heart and help them in anyway I can.

RIP Ginger x

blackcat · « **Reply #33 on:** September 30, 2007, 16:40:44 PM »

sellotape. Think of a ring of paper. Tape the ends together around the cat's neck. But make sure one short section of the paper ring does not have sellotape on it ... Effectively you would have one C of paper, another C of sellotape but the openings of the Cs would be opposite to each other. Practice on you wrist...

Christine (Blip) · « **Reply #32 on:** September 30, 2007, 16:22:31 PM »

This might be an issue for me shortly - I acknowledge that I am clearly being dim, but how does one attach the paper collar?

blackcat · « **Reply #31 on:** September 30, 2007, 16:11:42 PM »

Quote from: Sootyca on September 30, 2007, 14:15:11 PM

Silly question, but what exactly is a paper collar - I mean, do I make it myself out of paper and what do I put on it?

Karen
x

Yes it was a bit of a mystery to me too, when people kept talking about them. Basically it is a strip of paper, on which you write your note. Cover it with sellotape all bar one section, and attach it around the cat's throat. That way, if they get caught they can get away, but the note is waterproof so the owner (if there is such a person) receives the note.

Bazsmum · « **Reply #30 on:** September 30, 2007, 16:09:43 PM »

I have never ignored strays.....even as a child....to me its would be like walking past a lost child or pensioner and not seeing their plight/distress

Debbie · « **Reply #29 on:** September 30, 2007, 16:07:00 PM »

I have found this thread very interesting. I must say, I would never know if a cat was a stray or not by just looking at it. However, I currently know where each of the visitors to my garden live so unless there was a newbie on the block, there are no strays here.

Quote

Actually I believe he was formerly domestic and then abandoned or lost, one time he even happily sat on my lap!!
I toyed with the idea of bringing him home, but at that time our flat was just too small to keep a cat, and my partner Cris protested that, he is obviously happy living a free life and he would not like being kept inside if I tried. So, I had to give up on that idea, and although I am very happy with Oliver in our new bigger flat, every so often I think of him and what could it have been with that pudgy friendly vagabond... the park is now out of our way and I no longer see him, but I always wish him well!!

Dolcetta, please dont take this the wrong way but have you considered visiting him /trying to get him into a rescue since? I just hate to think of cats with no homes to call their own, especially with winter getting closer...

Sootyca · « **Reply #28 on:** September 30, 2007, 14:15:11 PM »

Silly question, but what exactly is a paper collar

- I mean, do I make it myself out of paper and what do I put on it?

Karen
x

tez2384 · « **Reply #27 on:** September 29, 2007, 21:06:23 PM »

Im in norfolk just been on cats protection website and they will eithier give you a voucher or if the cat is a stray might be able to pay full cost

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #26 on:** September 29, 2007, 20:58:25 PM »

I dont know what area you are in, but if you have a chat with a few local rescues, they may be able to help with the neutering, I dont know about vet checks, as each one works differently. Good luck with him

tez2384 · « **Reply #25 on:** September 29, 2007, 20:56:38 PM »

ive been cosidering it for days now but last night i was thinking about it and if he is someones pet he cant be very well fed or looked after,
Will i get financial help for nueturing and vet check?

Thanks for the advice

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #24 on:** September 29, 2007, 20:46:30 PM »

If you hvae tried the paper collar, please take him to the vets to be checked out, or contact a rescue for help, esp as it is starting to get cold now.

tez2384 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 29, 2007, 20:41:37 PM »

I believe he is quite an old boy but looks can be decieving, tried the paper collar trick but no luck with that,
kitty gets on great with him she plays in my garden with him and lays right next too him and then wont come in because she obviously doesnt want to leave him

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #22 on:** September 29, 2007, 20:38:37 PM »

Tez, please do try the paper collar trick, and if no response, at least get him neutered, even if yours dont tolerate him, it will help cut down on the number of kittens born, and be better for his health.

tez2384 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 29, 2007, 20:36:50 PM »

ive only had kitty for 3 months and she has made friends with a ginger unspayed male im not sure if he is a stray or not he is extremely vocal and rather nervous aroung humans my gf has stroked him a few times,
it seems as though he has very few teeth and also always has black bits under his eyes as if he has been crying he has been in my house before and i have fed him some food.
I dont know what too do because if he is someones pet i dont want to take him away but if he is a stray i will happily take him in get him spayed and introduce him too my 3

Ralph's mum (angie) · « **Reply #20 on:** September 29, 2007, 14:45:44 PM »

May I add that I think each and every single one of you are a god send to these furry bundles

I take my hat of to u all, well done, keep up the good work xx

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #19 on:** September 29, 2007, 11:19:32 AM »

i have to say very few people would have thought Ginger was a stray due to being on the large side. There is a cat that lives a few streets down from me that I would see out at all times and in all weathers, once it was freezing, so I picked him up and took him home for the night (he was sat outside a house in darkness, and he was skin and bones), he did smell of spag bol though, so I knew he had an owner somewhere - I went knocking on doors the day after, and he lived at the house next to the one he was sat on, they were concerned he hadn't come home, as he liked to have a last trip outside!! They had thought that due to him being 15+, that is why he was so thin, I explained it is normally due to health reasons, and got stopped in the street a few weeks later and was told they had taken him to the vets, and he had a thyroid problem. So, another happy ending.
Just done a bit of working out, and I think Ginger has been doing some work - before he went, the bulk of my fosters came from owners, since he went 8 out of the 11 (excluding the kittens) have been strays, only 3 have come from owners.

blackcat · « **Reply #18 on:** September 29, 2007, 08:35:25 AM »

sootyca your visitor sounds like he is definitely an entire tom and as such, he may have designs on your girl that she is not interested in. As Mark's mother found out, this can have some fairly nasty results for your girl. Do your best to see if he is owned, and if not, then have him rescued if you do not have room in your house for any more. Unfortunately lots of people think leaving a cat entire is 'letting nature take its course' which is a view point difficult to overcome with reason. I guess I am saying, better to assume he is a stray and have him trapped and neutered by an official rescue, they will release him back in your neighbourhood once he is done if he is a feral, and he will either completely lose interest in your girl after a few weeks when his hormones run out, or he will become a nice friendly visiting cat.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #17 on:** September 28, 2007, 22:59:17 PM »

Very strange owners but your atre great for looking after them

alisonandarchie · « **Reply #16 on:** September 28, 2007, 22:56:09 PM »

Its an odd situation. The so called owners know the cats are here but do not seem to care. Oddly enough they take them for their yearly jabs, but I have a feeling this is due to the time they were told off severly after scruffys accident. When were on holiday I got someone to come round to feed them and if it came to it I would take them over completly. Alison

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #15 on:** September 28, 2007, 22:43:56 PM »

Alison I am so pleased you have Scruffy and her daughter, are they officially yours now or just officially visitors

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #14 on:** September 28, 2007, 22:42:25 PM »

Well you have to decide whether you are feeding him or not and if you are what will you do when he wants to come in........do you have a flap?

He sounds like he is probably unneutered and likely to be a stray.

I think as the weather is drawing in you have to make decisions feed or not, rescue or not and get neutered and a home or just totally ignore the poor boy and hope he finds a home with someone else.

Sootyca · « **Reply #13 on:** September 28, 2007, 22:34:13 PM »

Funny this topic should come up. My two have a "friend" that is hanging around a lot. He tends to ignore the boy cat but follows the girl around like nobodies business, to the point where she is probably getting stressed about him and is trying to hide from him - and she is eager to get in rather than playing out! He was definitely calling her this morning as well (fortunately she had gone out early and was well away so had some peace!)

Not that I am experienced in these things but I'm pretty sure he is a tom cat, whereas Lilly is speyed, but he still finds her fascinating. I'm worried!

He's wary of me but has let me stroke him but I don't think putting a paper collar on him would be an option at the moment - other than this how do I know he is a stray? He does look a little unkempt, has scratches on his nose so has obviously been fighting and is un-neutered but how do I know for sure? And if he is, how do I discourage him from hanging around - having another cat is not really an option. I've given him a few biscuits tonight as he looked so sorry for himself sitting on our steps after our two had come in, but I think that is classed as encouraging him....

Karen
x

alisonandarchie · « **Reply #12 on:** September 28, 2007, 22:30:30 PM »

Yes scruffy is still here, She is absolutly gorgeous and very cuddly. She comes in for a few hours then goes for a wander, I think she got used to being outside so much , the so called owners called her a garden cat. They do not have a catflap and She obviously spent hardly any time indoors. She also follows me if she sees that I am going for a walk. We also have scruffy's daughter! Archie and scruffy are very fond of each other and chase each other round the house and garden

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2007, 22:02:39 PM »

Do you still have Scruffy

alisonandarchie · « **Reply #10 on:** September 28, 2007, 21:54:35 PM »

An excellent piece of advice but sometimes it is hard tell a stray from a neglected cat. Some of you will know my story about scruffy who turned up last year looking very uncared for. A long haired tortie and white that had a matted greasy coat and was under weight. She was also very nervous. I assumed she was a stray and began feeding and grooming. She transformed into a well fed, glossy confident cat. Then one day she turned up with a collar with a note inside saying 'do not bathe this cat' When I got over the shock I went to see the' owners' It quickly bcame aparrent that they had no idea how to look after a cat. They had been drawn over the coals at the vet once when scruffy had been involved in an accident about the state she was in but obviously could not see they were totally incompetant. Anyway I will try not to ramble! My point is not to ignore any cat you are worried about. Scruffy has just finished a bowl of Hills!

dolcetta46 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 28, 2007, 20:13:05 PM »

Thanks for the message Desley... it made me think of my old friend, a chunky tortois shell who lives in a park closed to our old flat. I passed by the park everyday on the way to the gym, and he was often there, and ran to me as soon as he saw me. He is such a sweetie pie, and so affectionate and well-fed, I believed he belonged to someone. But he was always at the same spot, hanging out with other strays, and when I saw him being fed by a nearby florist a couple of times (the florist obviously feed the strays in the park regularly), I began to doubt. Actually I believe he was formerly domestic and then abandoned or lost, one time he even happily sat on my lap!!
I toyed with the idea of bringing him home, but at that time our flat was just too small to keep a cat, and my partner Cris protested that, he is obviously happy living a free life and he would not like being kept inside if I tried. So, I had to give up on that idea, and although I am very happy with Oliver in our new bigger flat, every so often I think of him and what could it have been with that pudgy friendly vagabond... the park is now out of our way and I no longer see him, but I always wish him well!!

Sabrina (Auferstehen) · « **Reply #8 on:** September 28, 2007, 19:53:47 PM »

My problem is that I'm not sure which cats are strays and which are owned. And none of them will let me get close enough for a paper collar.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #7 on:** September 28, 2007, 19:25:51 PM »

Sorry I have caused this thread to drift away from its source, which Of course the message not to forget aboutv the strays out there

lilycat · « **Reply #6 on:** September 28, 2007, 19:22:47 PM »

I must admit...I don't have much [any] confidence in the RSPCA.

I once rang to report a horse that had been left tethered in absolutely baking heat, with no shade available and no water. They weren't even interested. When I pointed out the lack of water the woman on the phone said it'd probably been given water earlier and that horses will 'just drink and drink and fill up'. So from that I learned, that she had access to a bloody good chrystal ball - and horses are somehow comparable to camels.

Mark · « **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2007, 17:44:41 PM »

That woman we took a heavily pregnant cat from recently when there were heavy storms was told by the RSPCA to "just leave it and it will manage"

- I really hate them. Some people would assume their advice is gospel, luckily the lady knew they were talking

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2007, 17:26:19 PM »

Very good message Desley and I second that on behalf of Gingerbread and another cute cat I met in London and of course Pappilons Mr Tramp.

I hate to hear that RSPCA say just leave them and dont feed them, cos I dont think that is right.

sixfurballs · « **Reply #3 on:** September 28, 2007, 10:06:41 AM »

That is such an interesting story. I know that there is supposed to be a colony of ferals somewhere near me as one of my neighbours told me once when I had to go gather up Dino and Harry from her house (they had crossed a busy road to get to it and she closed them up and called me rather than let them venture home). The ferals are towards some of the farms over some fields behind her house. There are a couple of cats that have given me some grief before, trying to steal my cats food and fighting with them. They are both well fed looking but one in particular is very aggressive to my cats (he is the one that caused the problems that led to Dino's part tail amputation) and he is also rather rough looking - I suspect he is an unneutered Tom. None of them wear collars. How do I know if they are ferals, strays or just wandering cats. I'm always weary of taking too much to do with another cat as I suspect someone else has been feeding my Bronte and taking her in and it gets me really annoyed as she has a collar, a tag and is chipped so she is very clearly owned.

Author Topic: Please dont ignore strays. (Read 6946 times)

ccmacey