# Well, I finally saw a stray cat in my backyard.



## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

I noticed a stray cat out in our snow-blanketed backyard today. (For convenience, I'm going to assume he's a boy, though I don't actually know.) His little footprints are all over our yard, indicating that recently, he's been laying there and, several times, had come up to our back stoop. His footsteps also showed that he's been wandering around the backyards of the surrounding houses, too.

I set out a plate of wet food, and pretty soon, he came to gobble it up. He seems very well-fed, but he was shivering violently as he ate. He was obviously scared when my cats came to look at him through the glass door, and he would jump and start to leave, but always returned to the plate a split-second later, so I assumed he was hungry. 

I called AC, but they said I'd have to trap him for them to come out and scan him and take him to the county no-kill shelter if he doesn't have a chip.

I probably shouldn't have fed him so soon, but I wanted him to know that our house is a source of "good things" and that he can be safe there.

So I set out my carrier (it's a big plastic one with a wire front door) with water and warm canned food inside, and I put a towel in the microwave before sticking it in there too, along with a microwaved rice-filled sock to keep the carrier warm. We're keeping an eye on it, but we can't sit here all day to watch for when we need to open the glass door and swing the wire carrier door shut.  Wish us luck!

Here's a picture of him/her eating:


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Darn it.  I left for a few minutes and it took that chance to go in and eat all the food in the carrier. I put some more in, but I'm not hopeful.


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## sephi (May 9, 2010)

looks like it belongs to someone! i would try to find out if belongs to someone before i trap him and take him to shelter!!


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Yeah, earlier today I bundled up and walked around to most of the neighboring houses, and everyone who was home said that it wasn't their cat. The people behind me have an indoor cat, though, and the lady said that she's seen this stray cat around a LOT--apparently her cat always hisses at him through the window. She thinks it's a barn cat (there are still a few farms around here, but the land is developing fast). 

I'm not sure what to do. I don't want him to be outside because it's so very cold out and I really make sure that he's neutered (or spayed, as the case may be). If he's not chipped, and the people around me don't know who he belongs to, wouldn't the best thing be to take him to the shelter? The shelter is no-kill, and they wait 7 days before putting stray cats up for adoption to give owners a chance to find him.

I don't know...I'm of the opinion that if a cat is consistently let outdoors, even when there's a lot of local traffic (we are very near a busy state road, and not too far away from an interstate) it's below freezing and there's a ton of snow on the ground, and you don't check the shelter for a whole week after he doesn't come back home, maybe you shouldn't own a cat. :-/


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Poor guy. If it were me and I had gone through and asked the neighbors like you have... I'd call the shelter since it's a no kill.

He looks awfully cold and if he's shivering out there..... poor guy.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I'd do whatever it takes for him not to be out in the snow.


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## Janis (Aug 26, 2010)

The shivering is what bothers me. Must not be really used to being outdoors. Prob won't last long out there alone. If you can trap it & take to no kill that seems like an excellent plan. Good luck!


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## sephi (May 9, 2010)

looking at the picture of him, he is well fed and chunky, stray cat can't look that good! i bet he is lost or someone dumped him!!
poor thing needs a home..anyone you know might want to adopt him? maybe an add on craigslist.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

He went into the carrier! But as soon as Jake opened the sliding door to try to shut the carrier door on him, he ran off like a shot! We put more food in there, but he hasn't come back to the carrier since.  I'm going to leave the carrier outside to give him somewhere to go, but I haven't seen him for hours. Maybe I'll see him tomorrow? I am so worried about him, though--it's so cold.

I don't have room to keep him at my house right now (my fostering room is the guest bathroom) so I'd have to take him to the shelter right away. But that's really the best bet for him. Our local shelter is great--they do not kill due to length of stay or space available. They still have a cat there who is 5 years old, been there for a year and a half, and has a biting/scratching problem. They'll never euth him, just are working harder to find him a home. So I wouldn't have to worry about that end of it. They have way more resources than I do to find a cat a home, and they'll be able to neuter him and give him medicine.

ETA: Yeah, he looks really well-fed, so I figured he got out of someone's house (or was dumped!), but that lady says she sees him a lot. Maybe an indoor-outdoor cat?  I don't think, though, that a cat who had a choice would choose to be outside when it's this cold and snowy!


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

He does look well fed, but it is strange that he would be out in such cold weather. I hope you're able to catch him soon and take him to the shelter. I don't suppose the shelter has a trap you could borrow?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Well, I'm not convinced about 'well-fed'. I think his fur is fluffed to insulate him from the cold and trap the most body heat he can. Fluffy doesn't equal fat or well-fed. Not until you can get a hand on his body to see what sort of condition he's really in.

If the kitty was jumpy w/ cats looking through the window, I highly doubt you're going to be successful in opening a door and being able to close the carrier door on him. He's going to do what he did ... run at the first hint of action. You'll need to earn his trust (_which will take who-knows-how-much time_) or trap him. 

*IMO ... if he had a place he belonged to, a place with food and good shelter ... I do not think he'd be wandering around homes so much or starving for food. He sounds like a cat who is used to being indoors and cared for, not fending for himself.*
Good luck and I hope you can catch him and get him to the shelter. I wish I were close enough to loan you my humane trap.


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## Janis (Aug 26, 2010)

Might try calling the shelter to see if they have ANY lead on how you could get your hands on a humane trap, for a one time basis. I agree that he will not tolerate your opening the door, or your getting near enough to close the carrier door. As far as being fat, suppose "she" could be pregnant even.
We had an indoor-outdoor that would go out in most weather, unless the snow was too deep & he couldn't walk seemed to be his criteria. But he would never have stayed out till he was shivering. This does not sound like a currently owned cat.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Well, this morning I saw several more footprints all over our back yard, but no cat in the carrier. I haven't seen him at all today.  I'm hoping that means that he got home, but probably not. 

And when I called AC yesterday, the receptionist I talked to said they don't have live traps available for that use. Whatever that means.
:-/

Our only chance would be to lock up our cats in another room and leave the sliding door open enough for us to be able to quickly reach out and shut the carrier door IF he comes back and goes in. But we'd lose all our heat.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

I'm thinking indoor/outdoor and the people have gone away for Christmas and didn't have time to bring him in (as a possibility). I'm sure some people around here sometimes abandon their cats when they are away in the Summer. (due to cats coming around for a hand out at that time).

How cold is it there? The carrier is a good idea.

Thank you for trying to look after him.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Lemme tell you, judging from your description, it sounds like my Captain Jack when I was trying to catch him. I would never be fast enough. If it weren't for the generosity of the no-kill shelter in lending me a live trap, I would have never been able to trap him. It scared the beejezus out of him at the time though, so have a safe room prepared for him in advance. After you catch him, put him in there to simmer for a while before doing anything.

Try another place for a trap. Since he's so wary and skittish it would be really hard to catch him easily.


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

You could try tying a string to the door of the carrier, feed the string through a hole in the side of the carrier so that the string can pull the door tight and feed the string through your door which is open JUST a crack. With this you can pull the string to close the door.

I can create a picture of what I mean in paint if you don't understand what I mean.

Make sure the string is strong so he doesn't break it.


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

a bungie cord can be rigged to pull the carrier door shut, hold the door open with a stick propped in place so that can be pulled by a string,, the only drawback is that the door will not latch and if the cat is allowed a chance to force by the door it will most likely never go in the carrier again..


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

raecarrow said:


> You could try tying a string to the door of the carrier, feed the string through a hole in the side of the carrier so that the string can pull the door tight and feed the string through your door which is open JUST a crack. With this you can pull the string to close the door.
> 
> Make sure the string is strong so he doesn't break it.





tghsmith said:


> a bungie cord can be rigged to pull the carrier door shut, hold the door open with a stick propped in place so that can be pulled by a string,, the only drawback is that the door will not latch and if the cat is allowed a chance to force by the door it will most likely never go in the carrier again..


GREAT suggestions, but both have the same concern: being able to HOLD that door closed until you can get it properly latched. When cats are frightened the burst of adrenalin and their sinuous bodies can do some amazing things in tight places. 
I truly believe a live-trap is the best bet. 
Our local Animal Control allows you to 'rent' a cat-sized one for $50(_cash_) for a week. When you return the trap you are given your entire $50 back. 
_No names or phone numbers are recorded, just the cash. If you don't return it by the date specified, you've bought a $40 trap. They keep your $50, purchase a new one and get an extra $10 in their budget for the trouble of having to replace it._

Wishing you the best of luck!
heidi =^..^=


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks, guys! Yeah, I think the live trap is the best route.

I haven't seen Mr. Stray Cat since our failed attempt to shut the door of the carrier, though.  Should I still try to get a trap? Did he move on? I thought he'd show himself a lot once we started feeding him.


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## Leivies_Lavish_Cat_Lounge (Dec 16, 2010)

Heres an idea for once you do catch him..... take him inside and once he gets used to you and you can put a collar on him, do it... Then tie a plastic baggy to the collar and slip a note inside that says something to the effects of "if this is your cat please call......... Ive been feeding him and didnt want to make the mistake of taking him to the shelter, thanks!" Ive done it before and the cat belonged to someone - they had no idea he traveled so far!


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