A feline dilemma

[BrenD]

Apologies to anyone who has been following my Facebook posts about my little friend, you'll have read a lot of this already.

A few days ago a friendly and incredibly vocal little grey tabby who I hadn't seen around before approached me at the station and wasted no time in making friends. The brushing against my legs lasted a second or two before it jumped into my lap and snuggled up for cuddles. Within a minute or so it rolled over for a tummy rub, which obviously isn't normal behaviour. Why would a cat submit to a complete stranger like that?

The next day it appeared from its hiding place under the foot bridge and started to brush against the legs of other passengers before smelling/spotting me, headbutting my shins a bit and settling down for a kneading session so vigorous I thought it was going to go through my jeans. I had been claimed despite the fact that I must smell of collie dog.

It took a little while for the cat my ex-housemate couldn't be arsed to look after to trust me that much and even longer for my much missed pusscat to demand a tummy rub.

A cat that friendly and used to being handled must have an owner, right? But the poor thing probably has fleas due to the amount it scratches and what feels like the odd flea bite (so as much as I love the cuddles, I'm not massively keen for it to spend as much time on my lap as it does) and looks like it hasn't been fed in a while.

This evening it came over to say hello (it never comes out after dark) and was a little more vocal than usual and the meow was one I recognised, feed me. Not quite the feed me meow of a cat that expects to be fed and is pissed off at having to ask, but one of a cat hoping to be fed.

One inhaled pouch of food later (how did it know I was going to be a source of food?) and I had a very happy little cat purring in my lap.

I'm at a loss about what to do. It is more than happy enough in my lap for me to check for fleas and probably have a better attempt to sex it (queen, I think) but I'd like to make sure she (for the purposes of the rest of the post) has somewhere to live before things get too cold.

That she is so friendly makes me think she has a home or had one, although I know the people who live at the station and don't think it is one of theirs, but she is almost too friendly. The meows give me the impression that she was desperate for any human to look after her and I was the first to pay enough attention. But the fleas and the fact that she appears to be desperate for food make me think she's a stray or that someone isn't looking after her properly.

I'm thinking of going down the route of putting a paper collar on her with my contact details to see if someone owns her, but how long should I wait to see if someone makes contact? Getting her into a cat carrier and down to the vets won't be an issue as I've gained her trust, but I'm not expecting her to be chipped.

Nor have I really thought about what to do after that, but she has made herself my problem.

I must sound like a mad cat man. Feeding a cat that doesn't belong to me puts me well on the way!

Thoughts folks?

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[Q]

Sounds to me like you have already given yourself the answers, paper collar is an excellent idea (I know of another person who keeps a stock of them because his cat keeps bringing home 'friends'), give it a few days to be sure that the owner (if there is one) has time to read it and then get the young lady down to the vets for a chipcheck.
Feed her if you think it is necessary in the meantime, good luck

[BrenD]

I'll probably find she is a he

Best case scenario she'll be chipped and reunited with her humans. But I'm worried that won't be the case. I can't have another cat at the moment, but I'm not going to be happy about leaving her with a shelter having been chosen to be her temporary human.

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[Q]

That is your dilemma, you have a cats protection in Torpoint so that would be an option, but there is NEVER a scenario where you CANT have another cat Tease-smiley

[BrenD]

They would be my first port of call, but I'd have a few options. Of course if nowhere could take her in for a while..

As long as I make sure she has somewhere safe to live, I've done my bit. If she hasn't found her forever slaves yet, she'll make someone very happy.

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[Deleted]

First of all let me say thank you for being there for what to me is a lost/missing pet. If you are unable to give her a temporary home please get this defensless little creature to your local animal shelter asap. They have the resources to care for her properly until her current owner or a lucky new owner can be found. While she remains a stray, she faces all sorts of dangers from other animals and, I am sorry to say, more and more often these days, from cruel humans. Her health is also at risk while she is on the streets particularly if she already has fleas and also if she has not been spayed.

[BrenD]

Sept 6, 2015 6:12:02 GMT @yinyang said:

First of all let me say thank you for being there for what to me is a lost/missing pet. If you are unable to give her a temporary home please get this defensless little creature to your local animal shelter asap. They have the resources to care for her properly until her current owner or a lucky new owner can be found. While she remains a stray, she faces all sorts of dangers from other animals and, I am sorry to say, more and more often these days, from cruel humans. Her health is also at risk while she is on the streets particularly if she already has fleas and also if she has not been spayed.

If it does come to me taking her to the vets and she isn't chipped, I know of an excellent cattery who will take care of her if the shelters can't for a while. That's if I can't convince any of my cat loving friends to take her in of course, but I'll look pretty silly if she's a he. Cost doesn't come in to it for me.

Fortunately she's in just about as safe a place as can be at the moment, a sleepy little village that doesn't have too many children or idiots and she's petrified of the trains so doesn't go anywhere near the tracks, but as you say other animals could be an issue.

I'd like to think if one of my pets ever went missing someone would do the same for them and as an animal lover it wouldn't be right to sit back and do nothing to help.

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[Deleted]

I'd like to think if one of my pets ever went missing someone would do the same for them and as an animal lover it wouldn't be right to sit back and do nothing to help.

My thoughts entirely BrenD ... You are good person mate.

[Chrissie]

Just a couple of thoughts BrenD ...

"She" may be in season - hence why she wants to be fussed so much.

Ring round any local vets to see if anyone has reported their cat as missing.

[vectis]

Cats seem to pick their own homes at times, a while ago my sister had two cats when she had two young children and both cats left home and went to live with near neighbours, one of which was our grandparents, when they died about 15 years later that cat just walked back into my sisters and made himself at home once more.

[Perpetua]

Sept 6, 2015 7:19:07 GMT @yinyang said:

I'd like to think if one of my pets ever went missing someone would do the same for them and as an animal lover it wouldn't be right to sit back and do nothing to help.

My thoughts entirely BrenD ... You are good person mate.

Couldn't have put it better . . . . thank you so much for looking out for this little kitty BrenD.


Amazingly I've been adopted by 2 cats, which on both occasions caused some organising having always had cat unfriendly dogs! One was at my shop, she simply turned up in the yard rummaging through the rubbish bags. One thing lead to another and by the time I got her re-homed, she had her own little igloo with a heating pad all under cover in the yard. She now lives in France.

The other was at home and I installed a similar set up in the shed for the sweetest Tortie kitty ever . . . . both occasions much to Sammy's disgust, it got a bit tricky come the finish having to have a cat/dog shuttle service, so I called The Cats Protection League. They were incredibly helpful - collected her and got her rehomed.

I could never ignore an animal in need, whatever their species.

[Deleted]

Reminds me of the movie Hachi a dog's tale.(great film) but obviously this time its a cat. I think the cat is telling you she has seen the movie too and wants a statue made in her honour.

[kittyvape]

BrenD you don't sound mad at all. Very caring and responsible indeed. The cat's very lucky he/she has got you looking out for them.

[BrenD]

Sept 6, 2015 14:46:33 GMT stamina said:

Reminds me of the movie Hachi a dog's tale.(great film) but obviously this time its a cat. I think the cat is telling you she has seen the movie too and wants a statue made in her honour.

ALL cats want statues made in their honour

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[beedee]

Whatever you decide to do, good on you BrenD for caring...

Heard it said that dogs have owners but cats have servants, and it sounds like you've been appointed! (unless you can find the real owner of course)

(p.s. We have found Frontline to be incredibly good at getting rid of fleas...)