'Stray' is playing on my mind...

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

So we moved into our current house last year and we have two cats for which we always ensure they have free access to biscuits - always have, always will. For a while a ginger tom cat has been coming into the house and polishing off both bowls of biscuits manically, like he's absolutely starving. He was real skinny and really dirty and had an old wound too above his eye, I thought perhaps he was a stray and just let him eat, I can't stop him anyway as he lets himself in and the resident cats don't stop him.

I asked next door who have lived here for 15 years if they knew if he was owned and they both said he'd been around for a while but not sure if owned or not, so I thought next time I'm off work I'll see if I can get him to the vets and see if he has a microchip, as he was scared but is now fairly friendly so was owned at one point I was thinking. I haven't gotten around to doing that but he's looking much healthier and put on lots of weight since he has been appearing at my house, maybe over the last couple months.

Well a couple days ago he appeared with a red 'do not feed me' collar on which surprised me, so I wrote a note to his owner explaining he has been coming in, apologising if I caused any problems by letting him eat and asking if he's alright kind of thing, and tucked it in his collar. Well he came back over 18 hours later with that still in his collar, so clearly whoever collared him isn't checking on him as it was rather obvious it was there if you saw him.

So now I'm not sure what to do and it's been really playing on my mind, he looked so awful when he first started coming and I'd hate to think he's hungry, but also if he has allergies or needs kidney food or similar then I'd hate to hurt him so would have to look at getting a microchip catflap or similar.. thoughts on a postcard?

He came and found me on the sofa - excuse the mess, he knocked over my drink and the house is a building site and we are restricted to one room right now.

 

[SpeedyPony]

If you know someone with a microchip scanner (sheep tag readers will read pet microchips as well, if you have farming friends) could you borrow one and scan him the next time he pops round, that might give you an idea of who to contact? Although if they've not checked his collar, it's possible he isn't chipped either.

 

[SilverLinings]

Could he have looked so awful because he'd been away straying or got lost for a while? And once he found your nice food he just kept returning as well as going home. It seems odd that someone would neglect a cat to that degree but a) care if someone else fed it and b) pay for and organise a 'don't feed me' collar. He *could* be a much loved cat who is just very independent and unfortunately (for his owner) strays a lot.

Another possibility is that he has changed hands (for example, if he had an elderly owner who dies) and the new owner is more responsible.

I can see why you were concerned though as it sounds as though he was in quite a state when you first met him.

We had an ex-stray pet cat when I was a teenager, and although he loved home comforts it wasn't unusual for him to disappear for 24hrs so I wouldn't be surprised that the owner hadn't seen your note at this point.

 

[SEL]

Can you pop a post up on a local FB page? We have a couple of local feline characters who go walkabout and their owners have asked on there that they aren't fed.

 

[AmyMay]

Keep on doing what you’re doing until you get a response from his ‘owners’.

 

[ycbm]

Well he's definitely not a stray if someone put a do not feed me collar on him so I would let him eat his fill until the owner contacts you. Especially since they aren't seeing him themselves for 18 hours.


ETA if he is the only cat who ever comes into the house I would also ask them to pay for the cat flap installation if they want one rather that keep him in at home.
.

 

[Archangel]

He doesn't look quite right does he.
Just in case there is a kidney/other issue I would probably play it safe and feed chicken/salmon rather than biscuits.
He may have gorged on the biscuits because he normally isn't allowed them.

Is he an actual tom?
If he is then any benefit of doubt about standard of care would be out the window.

Local facebook is a good idea.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

He is definitely a Tom, he has rather sizeable assets!

Popping a notice on the local Facebook page isn't a bad idea, he comes to our house every day without fail so I don't think he'd be the type that would stray for multiple days at a time.

He also relaxes in the garden and doesnt vomit or anything, so I would have thought that if the food was the wrong type or making him ill that he would look worse, not start to feel better. Perhaps I should just let him continue until someone makes more of an effort to reach out.

 

[webble]

Sometimes male cats still look like Toms after being neutered so it's possible he's been snipped. I take it he's not spraying?

 

[PurBee]

My castrated male cat still has his testicles showing - when i queried the vet if they actually did the right procedure (!) they assured me yes, and that they do a more ‘keyhole vasectomy’ type of surgery now.
Makes it difficult to tell an entire from not when the jewels are still showing!

My younger male cats would often wander - sometimes gone for 24-48 hours. It seems no matter how much they gobble, when under 5 yrs old they tend to be slimmer due to all their roaming. They can get into fights easily with other neighbouring male cats too and look a state afterwards.

At least you know your guy does go ‘home’ at times for the collar to have been put on, as someone who had no care at all for the cat wouldnt have gone to the effort of even collaring it.
If a cat knows of several food sources, he’ll use them all. The owners will wonder where he’s going, and will remain semi-wandering if others feed him.
For the owners sake id say try to resist feeding him so he’s forced home more regularly for food, unless he truly is in a sad skinny state. If he seems to get skinny quickly worms could be an issue.
He might be an older cat with health issues hence slimmer with dull coat, and grain based dried kibble is disastrous for some, which might be which prompted the collar to be put on.
From your picture he looks like an older cat thats prone to slimming…maybe thyroid or kidneys? Dull coat, ragged fight ears from neighbourhood scuffles with other toms. But he might be young and neglected, looking old. Hard to tell for sure.

If you put the boot on the other foot there might be a justifiable reason for his condition, and i admire your efforts to trace the owners for discussion. Its good youve got your eyes on his health, just in case the owner is part-time for him.

Commercial kibble seems like crack for cats - all mine would gobble the stuff, and bloat afterwards, even if theyve had a good meat meal - i have no idea what taste enhancers are put in it, but if you offer pure quality meat kibble compared with commercial grain kibble, they’ll go for the commercial grain. Thats like a horse going for a mock grass-smelling pork sausage, than eating the real grass its standing on!

If you keep trying to find out who the owners are and keep an eye on him, he’s a lucky boy to have the attentive concern. His teeth could help age him, if you can subtley while fussing him manage to pull up his lip to see teeth and gums.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Definitely a Tom as I have had hands on (just wanted to make sure myself) and have seen him spraying in the garden, thankfully not done it in the house!
I do think he's on the older side, but having had many cats to old age, including a couple to 20+ who were only PTS last year, they certainly looked a huge amount better than this chap.
We feed Edgard Cooper so certainly not the crack-like cheap stuff, it's 50% chicken and grain free - but perhaps that's what he likes if he gets cheap stuff at home?

I think I'm going to just not stop him from coming in but not actively feed him and see how he looks, if he starts to look any worse then I msy continue and if it's a real issue then perhaps his owners will make an effort to reach out. I am also still seeing if there's a page I can post his photo on on FB.

 

[teacups]

It might be that you’re not the only one who has felt sorry for him and started feeding him…and also felt like adopting him. If so they might be trying to stop him from wandering by making sure they are the only ones now feeding him?
Just another potential scenario <g> it might be interesting to check at the vet’s for a microchip.

 

[PurBee]

Hopefully fb efforts will glean more info.

My boy cat, castrated as a 18month old, still sprays marks territory as a 6yr old. He follows me round the land doing it, and also has a fetish for public pis*ing!
It might be because here in the wilds theres lots of wild animal smells so he’s marking to make them aware. He’s very territorial, even attacked a young fox walking through our land by the house, and i had to haul him off the wee thing.
His behaviour screams entire Tom, but the vets assured me they’d done the chop when i saw jewels still proudly displayed!