Need advice about catching 'feral' (or is it?).

[Dawn F]

I used the wizz method for introducing two older ones to my cats and it worked very well if you think you can manage it go for it, I'm sure she'll appreciate regular meals and warmth once you manage to catch her!

[Hippykitty]

Thanks everyone.

I'll have a word with the local shopkeeper, who knows me by name and often asks about my cats. He doesn't seem to have cards in his window, but I may ask him to put a card on the counter for me.

Nigel, a friend, thinks the idea of a cage outside my house is hilarious. I live in a Victorian terrace with no front garden, just a small area which is open to the pavement. He imagines that I'll have the local police banging on the door wondering what I'm doing with the local cats (selling them for fur, to the local curry house??? 
Maybe I could hide the cage under weeds or something.

The cat looks thin and is becoming more nervous, she looks very young and small, but not a kitten. But she doesn't look desperately thin; my guess is that she's being fed occasionally somewhere, but hasn't been taken in.

I'll take a look at Wizz and do a google for introducing cats. (Confession: I still have CP's kittening cage, which I could keep her in while my cats get used to her.)

The cost of the food won't be a problem, as it's an everyday ongoing expense; it's the vet bills I hate, as they are an enormous out-of-the-blue expense. But as I said, I do qualify for free treatment at PDSA if times are hard. I like the private vet I use, and have just spent £150 having Sam debunged. I wouldn't have the cat insured, as I'd rather keep the money spent on insurance and build up a slush fund for emergencies.

I'm away for part of the weekend (for my mother's 90th birthday!) so will begin my campaign to find out if this cat is owned on monday.
Just think, another monster! 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

W try everso hard puddy   

[puddypaws]

The knowledge and experience on all sorts of subjects that so many of you on this site have is amazing.  It's sucha help and re-assurance to know sensible and understanding advice is offered.  You really are a smashing crowd. 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

You can get a voucher for spaying but not for injections.
There isnt actually a vac for FIV but there is for FeLV but as you say just get the double vac done.

Have alook at Wizz's advice on introducing by all means but lately it has been proven that it is not always the right way to do it - alot depends on this cat and of course you 2 cats.

I would deff try and find out if this cat has an owner first, It might be that it just likes to spend time outdoors. Also that fact that she is thin doesnt mean that she isnt looked after by her owner, it might be that she is old.

[Ela]

How do feral catchers catch a particular cat?

With great difficulty. Sometimes it is just setting the trap and trial and error, of course an eye would need to be kept on the tray at all times.  We also have catch nets so if we know where a particular cat hangs out, we can net it and then place it in a crush box.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am no expert but can only go on what I have read on Purrs.

Introductions I know about and best advice is go to our links, button above posts and check out Wizzs site in the behavior section, she is a cat behaviorist.

You have to work out carefully whether you can afford another cat,  vets , food, litter etc and insurance, you will get a good deal from AXA I think for a young cat. I am sure Ela could send you a CP neutering voucher or tell you where to get one.

Catching her I think would neeed a trap to be borrowed and patience to get the right cat.

Where does she get fed now and does she look thin? These are signs of maybe whether she belongs to someone and if she is just running wild all the time, I would think she doesnt belong to anyone. If she was tame you could put a paper collar on asking the owner to do the same with a note for you.

Do you have a corner shop near you and the cat.....................if so an idea would be to ask them if they would act as a message taker for you, then you could put up a poster telling the owner to contact the shop and you can check in with them. A week should be long enough if you put leaflets on lamposts were people walk.

[Hippykitty]

Hi, I'm thinking of adding to my 'family' but need advice from more experienced peeps - is ela here  ?

Since last year's students left, there have been a number of stray, abandoned cats in the area. One of my (non-student) neighbours claims to have rung the CP/RSPCA and had the response of 'not interested' and 'too full'.
There is one particular cat who keeps catching my eye: a small tortie. Unfortunately, this cat is becoming more and more nervous and feralised. I'm tempted to take it in, but I'm faced with a number of problems I would like advice about. I'll put them in order of importance to me.

Would my oldies, Sam and Polly, who've been with me a loooonnnnggg time, take to another cat? I don't know much about introducing cats, or how to tell whether they would mix. My instinct is that they would, just, accept this cat, as it seems to be a subordinate type. A dominant cat wouldn't go down well with Samantha, who is definitely boss. Polly is easy-going, and may mother it after it has settled.
I'm not too worried about settling the cat, I'm used to this, but the introductions are an area I would appreciate advice for.

Can I afford the vet bills, especially the initial ones of neutering and vaccinations? I wouldn't have the FLV/FIV vacc's done, just the enteritis and flu. Can I get help from CP or RSPCA for the neutering and vacc's? As it's a young cat, I'm hoping it'll be fairly healthy, but if it does need lots of medical care, I could take it to the PDSA cos I'm on benefits, though I prefer my own vet.

Does anyone own this cat? I'm assuming it's a stray because I see him/her around on the street so much. Should I leaflet the area? If I do, what contact number should I put? I'm wary of putting my home number, my mobile is hardly ever on as it's just used for texting friends, and I don't really want to put an email address, unless I set up one specially for this, but what if the owner doesn't have access to the internet? Will I get lots of prank call/messages? Advice please. 
A friend of mine thinks I should nab the cat and wait to be leafleted by the distraught owner (after I've spent a fortune!!!).

How do I catch the cat? It's become too nervous to just pick up. I thought of putting a trap outside, but again my friend laughed and said I'd have the RSPCA around thinking I was doing something horrid to the local cats! Or the students would throw hedgehogs in (which an allottment-owning friend would love!), or empty bottles. He even pointed out the hilarious scenario of some cat being prepared to spend a few hours in a trap for the sake of the meal and snooze, while waiting to be released, so I'd keep catching the wrong cat. How do feral catchers catch a particular cat?

I've probably written a novel by now. All advice gratefully received, thanks.