# The right thing to do.



## suivanova (Apr 2, 2013)

This is the situation: I've seen this stray cat roaming the neighborhood since March this year. I noticed him because he is an orange tabby like mine and because he is grossly overweight. Once, I saw him following a lady to the trash area and approached her and asked if he was her cat. She told me that he was a stray she was taking care of. It turn out that she is member of one of the human societies and had him spayed, vaccinated and released him. Everybody in the neighborhood gives him food (I do too) and he is very friendly. To be honest, he is kind of adorable! When he visits my patio he wants petting, no so much food. He comes like every other day. I can't take him in. I have two kitties on my own already and I can't afford to care for another one in a limited space. 

I spoke with Anne, the lady who took care of him and she told me that he is happy this way, that the extra fat will help him go through winter and that he won't like to be an inside cat. She told me he threw a fit when they took him to the vet. 

But he seems so friendly and trusting that I can't believe he won't like to be in a home. One time when he came and I petted him, I noticed that his back was wet, like someone threw water on him. Not everyone is a cat lover in the neighborhood.

Should I just let him alone or should I contact an organization that may be able to find a home for him? I don't know how old he is. I know that age is an issue at the time to find a home and old cats may never being adopted.


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## wallycat (Nov 10, 2012)

What an amazing lady Annie is...at least he is fixed so his life will be a little easier.
I think given the right circumstances, he may be able to be an indoor/outdoor cat with someone. He clearly is not feral if he follows people and lets himself be touched. NO cat wants to go to the vet, so her saying he through a fit...mine do that too!
It would be great if someone in the neighborhood could take him in, so he would still have the territory that he knows. 
One of the ferals we had in WI (the one that gave birth in our living room) ended up sleeping with us several times; then out of the blue, she disappeared.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

To be honest I think it would be really mean if you took him out of his territory and found a home for him. It seems like a lot of people in the neighborhood enjoy his presence and he enjoys theirs. He isn't hungry, he isn't lonely, he isn't suffering. I see no reason to call an organization and try to turn him into a house cat. I would just let him be.


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## Wannabe Catlady (Aug 6, 2012)

If he is a friendly cat, I would definitely try to find a home with him, especially since it sounds like you live in a residential neighborhood. A close friend of mine was in a similar situation and was trying to decide what to do. Before she had made up her mind, she was driving home and found him dead on the side of the road. Not to be a Debby Downer, but every day he remains a stray, there is a chance you will have a similar, tragic experience. 

Anyways, it sounds like he would be an excellent pet, and would surely benefit from a controlled feeding schedule! I wouldn't wait to contact a rescue 


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

"Grossly overweight" is not good, even for a stray cat. Maybe you could coordinate with the neighbors and rotate who feeds him on what days or something.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

suivanova said:


> I spoke with Anne, the lady who took care of him and she told me that he is happy this way, that the extra fat will help him go through winter and that he won't like to be an inside cat. She told me he threw a fit when they took him to the vet.
> 
> But he seems so friendly and trusting that I can't believe he won't like to be in a home.


A cat outdoors is not the same as a cat indoors. Some cats have never been inside or don't remember their days as an indoor cat, they will feel confined and stressed indoors. Blacky is a pretty good example of that. Once I'd tamed her outdoors I tried bring her inside and the first thing she did was flip out and jump out a broken window that was way up high, one that I'd never even considered she would be able to reach. It took a long time for her to warm up to the idea of being indoors, and that only was accomplished by having a cat door where she learned to slowly trust coming inside with the stipulation that she could always get back out when she wanted, 24/7. Even now 10+ years later, she _hates_ being shut inside. She is entirely comfortable in the house, but don't you dare close that cat door on her. She'd rather be outdoors and doesn't want to feel trapped, even if being "trapped" is the entire two story house. 

I'm not saying every street cat is like this, many adjust well to indoor life but this cat may be one of those cases that doesn't "get" the indoor lifestyle.

The cat could have been highly stressed at the vets... so that is not the best location for deciding if the cat is a good indoor candidate; Jasper being taken to the vets was done in a humane animal trap. He sounded like a wild animal in there (in all fairness, at the time he was semi-feral) but under 6 months later he'd become the is the most laid back house cat there is. 

My suggestion would be to lure him indoors and see his reaction when you close the door. If he flips out you'll know at the very least it will take some time to get him used to the indoors. If you're not going to be the person to do that for him, then I'd leave him as the happy outdoor cat he is. However, I agree with Marie on the weight issue... something should be done there. Find out who is feeding him, or pool your money together to get him some good food and feed him at one location.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

OH OOPS, I skimmed over the part that says he is grossly overweight! That's not good at all. My opinion has changed then.

If you can't get everyone in the neighborhood to stop feeding him or set up days where certain people feed him, then I think he should be placed in a loving home.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I wish my friends could do that with me! :grin:


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

marie73 said:


> I wish my friends could do that with me! :grin:


 
With you or for you??
I would not want a feeding rotation - I'd have to give advanced menus. One friend is from Poland and the Poles are not known for their culinary expertise.


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## Wannabe Catlady (Aug 6, 2012)

Marcia said:


> I would not want a feeding rotation - I'd have to give advanced menus. One friend is from Poland and the Poles are not known for their culinary expertise.


Me and my kielbasa take offense! 


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Wannabe Catlady said:


> Me and my kielbasa take offense!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Of course, kielbasa is excluded from the slight!! :wiggle Probably the only thing that I could include on the menu to her!. 
Seriously, no offense intended to our Eastern European friends in Poland! :mrgreen:


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## suivanova (Apr 2, 2013)

Something has happened to the cat. It's being three days and he hasn't showed up. I'll try to contact Anne to see if she knows something. Thank you very much for your advice. I really wish I could take him in but my first responsibility is with my own kitties first and I can't afford another one for financial and space reasons not to mention that my Blanca is not precisely friendly with other cats. She has hissed at him through the glass.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Marcia said:


> With you or for you??


Definitely *for* me! My friends are good (healthy) cooks!

But I'd probably still cheat....


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

suivanova said:


> I really wish I could take him in but my first responsibility is with my own kitties first...


That's the way it should be. I hope he's okay. Maybe he got wind of the food cutback and picked the house with the best food and he's hanging out there now.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Any news on this kitty?


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