Found a cat

[chaps89]

I do absolutely understand where you're coming from @Bradsmum.
He has only been kept in since Sunday. Thursday through to Sunday he had the choice to come and go, we haven't at any point bought him in ourselves, and have at times put him outside, as well as just leaving the window open for him to choose.
We are aware that he may well not be a stray and just visiting/over friendly but unfortunately there is also the option that he is a stray/has been dumped too. Trust me, I would love to know either way!
So we are just giving it a bit of time to see if anyone starts looking for him/notices he's gone incase that is the case, as per the vet and cats protection advice.
If there's been nothing by the weekend (when it will have been a week) we will start letting him out with paper collars on and see what happens.
If he has an owner hopefully he will go back to them or they will contact us.
If he continues to hang around and his collars stay on then we will have to have a proper conversation/make a decision about him long term as by then I just can't see how no one would have got in touch?!

It's a very strange situation and one I would really rather not be in!
We are just trying to do the best for him in the long run (find his owner) and keep him healthy and safe in the meantime whilst following professional advice on what to do in this situation.

 

[Shady]

I also understand Bradsmums post but would add that if the cat had been micro chipped, situations like this could be resolved very easily in a day

 

[Bradsmum]

Hi Chaps89, my post was not meant as a critisism as I appreciate you have posted in vets and on social media. Our cat was microchipped but sadly this neighbour did not think to get him checked . Cats are never really owned are they - it's all on their terms. Good luck whichever way it goes

 

[chaps89]

Thankyou. I'm sorry if I'm a bit sensitive, I really do see both sides to this one and I honestly can't say enough how much I hope we're not cat-napping him from someone!
(As time goes on I doubt it as I can't see why someone wouldn't have got in touch/we would have seen lost posters etc, but obviously if someone is in hospital or on holiday etc then they may be none the wiser anyway, so that's not a given either. I guess if it is because the owner is away at least he's being looked after in the meantime? I do hate the not knowing!) As you say, cats do live life on their own terms

I can't believe they didn't check him for a chip, or even just recognise him from being out and about in the area, I'm glad you got to the bottom of it with yours ok in the end.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Hi Chaps89, my post was not meant as a critisism as I appreciate you have posted in vets and on social media. Our cat was microchipped but sadly this neighbour did not think to get him checked . Cats are never really owned are they - it's all on their terms. Good luck whichever way it goes

Presumably even if the idiot/your neighbour only had at least put up some posters around the neighbourhood saying We've found this cat, you would have seen it, and would have been able to find your cat much sooner.


Must have been something like around 27 years ago by now, in February, a tortoiseshell and white cat turned up outside our cat enclosure, and tried to get in. We ignored her, and thought she would go home. But she came back, for two, three days, getting skinnier, and more desperate.
The fenceposts was on the outside of the net so our cats wouldn't be able to use them to climb out. One night she must have climbed up one of the posts, and jumped into our enclosure, because one morning we opened the porch door, and found her in the enclosure.

She wasn't keen on my dogs, so I put up a puppy pen on the porch, placed a dog cage with a rain + windproof cover on it inside the pen, and threw in several layers of blankets in the dog cage. Gave her a food, and a water bowl also inside the dog cage, and litter tray in the pen. And since it was before digital cameras, I simply wrote a short description of her, and put up some posters in the neighbourhood, and asked my dad put up one in the nearest food store.

Also asked my dad to check the other posters in the food store, to see if someone was missing her. I don't know how he managed to fail to see the owner's poster, perhaps he was too worried about the possibility of us having added a sixth cat to the household. Anyhow, fortunately, our posters was noticed.
Owner had been out looking for her every day since she disappeared one or two days after New Years Eve. He thought there wouldn't be any more fireworks, had let her out, and went away for a few hours. But a neighbour to him heard loud fireworks while he was away, and the cat must have gotten scared, and ran away.

Bad timing, I was away at a dog class when her owner came to collect her. According to my mum, they went out on our porch, he called her name, she came out of the open dog cage, owner sucked her up in his arms, thanked mum profusely, his girlfriend gave mum a big box of chocolates, and they went home.

This happened before microchipping, and she wasn't ID-marked in the ear, but still, even with only a written description she was recognised, and could be returned to her owner.


By the way, our very first cat, Misan, was thrown out of a car which did a quick stop on a busy road when she was probably around 1 year old.
Fortunately the car behind also stopped, and picked her up. Took her home, but their cat hated her, so they started to call around to people they knew which they thought might be interested, and my mum said we wanted her.
Sadly Misan was later run over, and killed by a speeding car, and to comfort my sister, and me, mum said we would get two new cats from a rescue...

 

[Sussexbythesea]

My ginger cat kept disappearing and so I thought he may be visiting someone else. I bought some cheap collars and wrote a note and my number on it. I got a call the next day from an old lady who he’d been spending a lot of time with. He is microchipped. Sadly she kept encouraging him in despite me asking her not to and feeding him and now basically he lives with her. I’m gutted about it he was the cuddliest cat I’ve ever had. I think getting the dog was a nail in the coffin although my other cat is totally fine with him.

Now I retain ownership as she’s 85 and he’s only 4 but he mostly lives with her. I do feel sorry for her as she loves him and is lonely although she has family she was widowed only a couple of years ago. He occasionally turns up for food in the middle of the night. I call her regularly and visited prior to Covid. He’s certainly never been anything but loved and cared for.

 

[chaps89]

That's a real shame about your cat and that the lady continued to encourage him after you'd asked not @Sussexbythesea That said, in the nicest way I can say it, I'm glad you're still in touch with her and that he keeps her company

He's still here, not heard anything yet or had genuine responses to our ads (by genuine I mean not 'oh isn't he cute' type responses which we've had a fair few of) He's used the litter tray again. He is just the friendliest sweetest thing

 

[chaps89]

I've just had a phone call from someone whose seen one of the signs in the local shops.
They don't have WhatsApp but they're going to try and get some photos over to me to see if he's their cat but it seems likely - grey with a white mark between his eyes and they're at the other end of the village.
(We were advised to ask for photos from anyone who rings to prove their ownership)
Not heard anything since but I'll keep the thread updated.

 

[chaps89]

Not the same cat, very different face markings.
Freaky that an 18 month old neutered male grey and white cat went missing 2 months ago in the next village/edge of our village and it's not the same one though.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Wow! I wasn't expecting that. I'm also kind of happy that it was the wrong cat because I know your OH has fallen a bit in love.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Not the same cat, very different face markings.
Freaky that an 18 month old neutered male grey and white cat went missing 2 months ago in the next village/edge of our village and it's not the same one though.

Phew! I’d be so attached by now as I’m sure you are that I’d be gutted if the owner did actually turn up.

 

[chaps89]

The sad thing is, we might have to look to rehome him
The road we're on is too busy and we have a train track on the other side of us so we just don't feel comfortable having free range cats here. And he is most definitely an outdoor cat.
We are cat proofing the garden, as we were going to do that anyway.
If he settles and it's enough for him to go out there then he will probably stay (assuming no one else comes forwards for him) but it's a patio courtyard so I can imagine he may still be unsettled/it's definitely not the same as free ranging.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

The sad thing is, we might have to look to rehome him
The road we're on is too busy and we have a train track on the other side of us so we just don't feel comfortable having free range cats here. And he is most definitely an outdoor cat.
We are cat proofing the garden, as we were going to do that anyway.
If he settles and it's enough for him to go out there then he will probably stay (assuming no one else comes forwards for him) but it's a patio courtyard so I can imagine he may still be unsettled/it's definitely not the same as free ranging.

Cilla the moggy wants to go out where the dogs go out ( = front door), and not only have to settle with her cat enclosure. But she doesn't understand the risks of being run over on the road, I do, so I tell her (and myself) that we can't always get everything we want, and that she'll just have to be happy with what she got.

I have bird feeders on that side of the house, a bit away, but in full view from the cat enclosure. There is 2 large, and 3 smaller, ferns to run/walk between, an elevated area with better view, a stone she likes to sit on, and another stone large enough to lie on (when she doesn't lie in the grass). Last year I planted some bamboo intended to become another place to both offer shade, and a place to lurk behind, but it haven't grown as much as I hoped it would, maybe next year. Some years I take in a tree branch for a bit of claw trimming, the latest one needs to be replaced this year. And there's a small bush, but I've forgotten what it is.

Only because an area is small, doesn't mean you can't enrich it.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

The sad thing is, we might have to look to rehome him
The road we're on is too busy and we have a train track on the other side of us so we just don't feel comfortable having free range cats here. And he is most definitely an outdoor cat.
We are cat proofing the garden, as we were going to do that anyway.
If he settles and it's enough for him to go out there then he will probably stay (assuming no one else comes forwards for him) but it's a patio courtyard so I can imagine he may still be unsettled/it's definitely not the same as free ranging.

Oh that’s a shame . You’ll just have to move .

 

[BeckyFlowers]

Yeah you'll have to move. It's the only option
By the way, what have you decided to name him?

 

[chaps89]

? that would be one expensive cat!

He is very good at playing, my OH is great at doing that bit, me less so.
We're definitely trying to keep his life enriched and interesting, so would do the same in the garden. The ferns are a good idea, we don't have any grass but do have an old tree that is great to scratch/climb on (it's cut down already as it was dead but handy as we don't want escapees!) Your garden sounds like a lovely set up FL.

'Our' rex kittens are due this week. There's obviously a long time before we go visit them (after first vaccs at 8/9 weeks) and longer before we'd pick them up, but we don't want to mess the breeder around. Not really sure what to do now, I honestly thought he'd have been claimed by now!

 

[chaps89]

We tried to hold out on naming him given he's not ours etc but had to start calling him something other than 'cat' ?
I think we've been through every male name going - and certainly reading them out to each other he never seemed to respond to any.
Names I liked were Hugo, Humphrey, Solomon or Pickles. OH like Ollie and Jack. So naturally we called him none of these and he's currently known as Stanley!

 

[Shady]

I am being very careful how I post on here Chaps as I know how much you would like the Rex's.
You have limited options due to your property size/ layout and it's location.
I don't know what I would do but much depends on how you honestly feel about the present cat compared to how much you want the Rex's.

Wait till the Rex's are born and if there are two you need to have a good chat and decide what you really want.

In the mean time You could see how Stanley is with just the flat and patio . If he is happy that would open up the possibility of keeping him and getting 1 Rex instead of 2.( I personally think 3 is too much for your flat size)


I really don't envy your situation Chaps. xxxxx

 

[chaps89]

Thanks Shady.
It's certainly a very odd and difficult situation.
He's very friendly and just so sweet, but much more of an independent cat and certainly doesn't do cuddles on your lap. It could just be early days of course.
But that's why we wonder if he's better going somewhere he can go outdoors more.
And there isn't any guarantee the rex's would be any different, but by breed characteristics it's likely.

We've certainly wondered about keeping him and having 1 kitten (both with access to the garden but not outside properly so on the same routine/access) but he can be very rough when he plays and don't have any experience introducing cats so not sure if it's a good idea really?
Did wonder if having a kitten to play with would be good for him though.

We definitely wouldn't have 3 cats here, absolutely not.

Need to get the garden sorted asap really, and see how he gets on there and what kittens arrive

 

[Shady]

I think if he was going to do lap cuddles he would have by now. Some cats are just nice to have around and like you to interact with them but just don't 'do' laps.

The Rex's will be kittens and unless there are some very iffy genes the chances of them being typical of their breed is pretty high. Indoor cats almost stay as kittens and have a greater need for attention in my experience.

That is the big question here regarding keeping him.
He MAY be happy just with the patio and he MAY like a companion .You will soon know the first if you cat proof the patio! Depending on his reaction will determine whether you get a kitten and then if you get a kitten, will he accept it .He will then either hate the kitten to the point of wanting out of the patio and be stressed that he can't , or he will grumble a bit at first and then live happily with said kitten. He's young so the chances are high that he will accept it.

But let's say you keep him and he's ok with the patio. You then pay a lot of money for the Rex kitten that you have set your heart on and it doesn't work out.....

I don't want this to sound heartless but if he doesn't like just having the flat and patio I would either re home him or give him total freedom whilst accepting that he may get killed on the roads or train track.

You had/have your hearts set on two Rex kittens to live as indoor cats with access to a patio. This is very doable and you would all be happy.

As lovely as this cat is, he has come along and changed everything.

 

[chaps89]

Thankyou @Shady
I do really miss having a lap cat, I love giving him scratches and cuddles but I so miss curling up on the sofa with them buried into some nook or cranny beside you having a fuss.
It would be unfair to force that onto him and so along with possibly not having enough outdoor space, I do think we need to look at finding him the right long term home given as no owner has been in touch.
I'm really sad though, I feel really horrible about it all and will really miss him, I wish I was able to accept him for who he is as it's not his fault
He's not itchy or grooming half so much now so we seem to be on top of the fleas, and his coat quality is so much better - it was gritty, dusty and smelly when he arrived. Now it's soft and silky and he smells like a kitty cat should! We also seem to have cracked the litter training, he goes straight in either tray now and seems less freaked out by it all.

Apparently he heard all about me saying he's an outdoor cat and I came home earlier to find this, almost like he was proving a point. It's a hard life eh!

 

[Meredith Brouillette]

Once you go cat you never come back I have 3..but 5 y earlier I would never consider myself a catperson.

 

[Bradsmum]

If I was still in Surrey I would offer to rehome him for you if that's the way you decide to go but sadly we moved to Wales, though this would be a perfect cat home with lots of safe outdoor space. He just looks such a beautiful cat and I love his unusual markings.

 

[chaps89]

So I should probably update.
He's currently still here.
He's been microchipped and the garden has been cat proofed and turned into a cat playground with shelves, a bridge, tree trunks etc for him to climb on.
He doesn't go out when it's raining though ? not through lack of trying, he just wants to stay indoors ?
He does seem to have a bit of a skin allergy which we are monitoring for now, but he seems much more settled.
I had forgotten about feline alarm calls. His favourite is to lick your feet ? or climb onto the headboard and jump down onto you.
He does seem alot more settled, skin issues aside, we are now just trying to work out what we do regarding him and kittens :-/

And of course photos!
Seems the penny dropped with being a lap cat. Only with my OH mind you.


Exploring the garden


His absolutely favourite toy

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I am glad you still have him and that he is in such a safe environment. My house cats were so dense they didn’t even think about climbing out of their unroofed not very secure den ?

 

[chaps89]

My old cat would never have dreamed of such things either, he was happy to just go out and sunbathe.
Stanley however likes to stick his nose into everything, everywhere! So we fully enclosed it to be on the safe side, figuring if he doesn't settle then it's done for the kittens anyway.

 

[Surbie]

He's adorable! Love the face-plant lap pose.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

What a lovely update!

 

[honetpot]

My ginger cat kept disappearing and so I thought he may be visiting someone else. I bought some cheap collars and wrote a note and my number on it. I got a call the next day from an old lady who he’d been spending a lot of time with. He is microchipped. Sadly she kept encouraging him in despite me asking her not to and feeding him and now basically he lives with her. I’m gutted about it he was the cuddliest cat I’ve ever had. I think getting the dog was a nail in the coffin although my other cat is totally fine with him.

Now I retain ownership as she’s 85 and he’s only 4 but he mostly lives with her. I do feel sorry for her as she loves him and is lonely although she has family she was widowed only a couple of years ago. He occasionally turns up for food in the middle of the night. I call her regularly and visited prior to Covid. He’s certainly never been anything but loved and cared for.

This has happened three times to our family, when the children were small it was very upsetting for them, and you get to get them back when they need the vet, even knocking on the door, telling you the cat is sick. They get the pleasure and you get the bills.
The last one to up sticks just preferred being the only cat, he got on with the others, but our neighbours he just loved, and he would spend hours in their sheds while the husband worked. When we moved they asked if they could keep him, and since the husband has since died he truly is light in someone's life.

I think the problem is some just like to wander, one of our ferals was killed on the road five miles away, and another was killed about a mile down the road. They are neutered and chipped so if we are 'lucky' we get a call from the vets. I know we have at least two cats that come to visit that belong to someone else, there is dried cat food always left out in the feed room, I know they have homes where they are fed and well looked after. One has already been journey that took him ten miles away, he ended up in a feral troupe on a farm. The farmer took him to the vets as he is a very striking chocolate brown, with blue eyes and thought he was too friendly to be a feral. He had been gone eighteen months, when he went missing it was posted on local FB, and his owner thought he was dead.
Our part bred Siamese loves to go out, but she only goes in to the paddocks around the house, and definitely a fair weather cat, to wet and windy, and she stays in.

 

[chaps89]

This has happened three times to our family, when the children were small it was very upsetting for them, and you get to get them back when they need the vet, even knocking on the door, telling you the cat is sick. They get the pleasure and you get the bills.

That's awful
If anyone came forwards for him we wouldn't expect them to pay for the vet bills he's had, nor would we try and hand him back if he got sick (not that we know where he came from to do that anyway, if we did we'd have taken him there in the first place)

Given his coat condition and just how clingy he was when he turned up and how independent he's been since, I suspect he's perhaps been missing from his home for a while. Just a shame whoever had him before never chipped him and I guess we may never know what his history is.