# Is neighbor caring for stray cat?



## cat-guy (May 31, 2013)

I posted an earlier thread about this cat;
http://www.catforum.com/forum/38-health-nutrition/283298-loose-skin-belly.html

My mother began feeding a stray, but then she had second thoughts because she didn't want to become attached to the cat and adopt him. Her neighbor told her he is feeding the stray twice a day and even plans to take the cat with him when he moves to a new house.

On the surface this is great news. My mother can let her neighbor take responsibility for this stray. Unfortunately, I'm concerned that this neighbor might not be feeding the cat regularly. He seems to be gone for several days and the cat keeps hanging around my mother's house even though she has stopped feeding him. The cat is still a little bit skinny looking. I can feel his hips when I pet his back, but maybe that is normal. Maybe the neighbor is really feeding him and the cat has parasites that keep it skinny in spite of eating enough? I don't know.

His meow is saying "feed me" (it matches my own cat's meow when he wakes me up for breakfast). My mother was giving it canned food, so maybe it simply wants canned food instead of the dry food that her neighbor provides. But I worry that the neighbor is just feeding the stray once in a while for kicks and isn't taking responsibility for him.

I wish I could read his cat mind to find out how the neighbor is treating him.  It would be hard for me to adopt this cat, because it would need to be outdoor-only and this isn't a safe area (near a busy street and somebody in the area has a psychological problem and has been killing cats). I already have an indoor cat, and I don't want to disrupt his life.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

With the list of things you have written here it would be kinder for the cat if you could get him into a rescue. They could assess him and treat him for parasites etc. He could get a chance at a family as well. I wouldn't take the neighbours word for caring for him. Also if in the meantime something else happens and he gets killed you and possibly your mom will kick yourself for not having helped the poor boy before.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

There's no way to tell. I agree with Jenny. I'd try to find this cat a nice barn home or home where can safely be indoor AMD outdoor.


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## cat-guy (May 31, 2013)

Thanks for those suggestions. I don't know how the cat rescues work. If I took him to the local animal shelter he would probably be euthanized. He is an adult and he only has a couple of inches of tail due to some injury. He is very friendly but he sprays and probably needs to be neutered.

If the neighbor really will take care of the cat then that is great, but some people aren't very responsible with pets. I hope this person is responsible. I guess I will try to pet it so I can watch its health?


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

If you go onto the Internet with your area and for rescues you will be surprised how much comes up. Then you can call and ask them. His tail injury is nothing to worry about. Of course he will be a bit skittish with people but a good organisation can work on that. I seriously worry about you leaving this to the unreliable neighbour. When he moves and takes the cat it could be even worse for the cat. For ferals /strays they can take some time to allow petting as they are very wary. However once trapped and brought in they can become good housecats or as MowMow suggested he becomes a barn cat. Please try to find out.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

cat-guy said:


> He is very friendly but he sprays and probably needs to be neutered.


The *"responsible"* thing would be to get him neutered so he he doesn't spend his life fighting and scrapping with other cats... as well as wandering dangerously to find female cats.

Even if the neighbor is feeding him, he's still at high risk of a very early and painful death if he's not neutered (not to mention the huge quantities of kittens he's helping to bring into this world that are suffering).


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

Does anyone know who is killing the cats in your neighborhood?


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## cat-guy (May 31, 2013)

MowMow said:


> The *"responsible"* thing would be to get him neutered so he he doesn't spend his life fighting and scrapping with other cats... as well as wandering dangerously to find female cats.
> 
> Even if the neighbor is feeding him, he's still at high risk of a very early and painful death if he's not neutered (not to mention the huge quantities of kittens he's helping to bring into this world that are suffering).


I agree with you that neutering is important. I'm attaching a picture of his rear-end, in hopes that someone can tell me if he needs to be neutered. I see a couple of bumps, but I've heard neutered males also have bumps.


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## cat-guy (May 31, 2013)

cat owner again said:


> Does anyone know who is killing the cats in your neighborhood?


I have no idea. This area is commercial (mechanic shops, warehouses, etc.) A nearby mechanic shop has found three cats that somebody killed. (The last one was his own outdoor pet cat.)

So if I adopted this stray, I would need to keep it indoors. I have a 7 year old male cat that might feel hurt if I brought home another cat.


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## ttilmo (Oct 31, 2007)

Looks to me like he may still have some testicles there but they look a little small, so not sure.

The bets thing you can do is to speak to this neighbor and be frank but not confrontational or accusing. Say you are worried about the cat especially due to the fact that you are not sure that he is being fed regularly as he keeps coming round looking for food.

The cats welfare is the most important and if your neighbour cannot comit to looking after the cat every day then yes a rescue center is the best option.

Good Luck


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## cat-guy (May 31, 2013)

ttilmo said:


> Looks to me like he may still have some testicles there but they look a little small, so not sure.
> 
> The bets thing you can do is to speak to this neighbor and be frank but not confrontational or accusing. Say you are worried about the cat especially due to the fact that you are not sure that he is being fed regularly as he keeps coming round looking for food.
> 
> ...


Thanks. The neighbor keeps strange hours, so my mother rarely sees him. My mother has begun feeding the cat again, because we have both decided that the neighbor must not be feeding the cat regularly.

We are trying to fix up the warehouse where I live so my mother can live with me. So in a year or two my mother will be moving here.

Apparently the stray cat sprays, so I suspect he cannot be an indoor cat. We have somebody in our neighborhood killing cats, so he can't be an outdoor cat either. So we will need to find somebody else to take care of him in a year or two.

I plan to take the stray to the vet in a few weeks after he trusts us more. Then I can get him neutered and checked.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

He sprays to mark territory. He could probably with some patience and proper introductions be an indoor cat. I still think you find out more about shelters and give this little fella a chance at some peace and a better home. It might take a little work on your part but wouldn't it be worth it to prevent this cat being a possible victim of your neighbourhood killer and would it be a relief to know he was safe and happier?


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Also, a big part of the reason he sprays is because he is not yet neutered. Many cats do stop spraying once they are no longer intact, and it's very possible he could become an indoor cat.


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## cat-guy (May 31, 2013)

Jenny bf said:


> He sprays to mark territory. He could probably with some patience and proper introductions be an indoor cat. I still think you find out more about shelters and give this little fella a chance at some peace and a better home. It might take a little work on your part but wouldn't it be worth it to prevent this cat being a possible victim of your neighbourhood killer and would it be a relief to know he was safe and happier?


Thanks. Currently my mother and I live in different neighborhoods, and the person is killing cats is in my neighborhood. So the stray is relatively safe in my mother's neighborhood.

The problem is that my mother wants to move in with me in a year or two. The person has been killing cats for at least the past 6 months, so it's not just a one-time incident.

So I thought we might go slow by simply feeding the stray and maybe taking it to the vet for neutering and a check-up. It can be an outdoor cat for a year or two at my mother's house. Then maybe we can find somebody to adopt it. That's my thinking right now.


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## cat-guy (May 31, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> Also, a big part of the reason he sprays is because he is not yet neutered. Many cats do stop spraying once they are no longer intact, and it's very possible he could become an indoor cat.


That would be great if it works. To be honest, cat urine and cat spray don't bother me at all. I can't smell it for some reason. But my mother claims the cat is spraying around her house.


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