yard kitty

Nebb

What would you do in this situation?

We have noticed a cat hanging around, he is very friendly and brave - the first time we saw him he tried jumping on our deck from the drive way side and couldnt make it, and then ran away when I tried to throw him some meat. Today I just saw him again so I went outside with a bowl of milk and played with him for a bit. I tried looking through his hair for fleas and while I couldnt SEE anything, he kept scratching (4 or 5 times?) below his ear on his neck. He is a really sweet cat though. He doesnt have a collar so he is obviously a stray and he seems so lonely.

I dont know if its a good idea to bring him into the house, just because I dont know his health or how he will interact with my dog so I dont think thats really an option. I feel bad about him wandering around the neighborhood all hungry and sad though. Should I call the humane society?

stella218

Do you have a no-kill shelter in your area that you could bring him to?  They could scan him for a microchip to see if he's missing from somewhere, and if he doesn't have a family you'd at least know the shelter could take him and he wouldn't be put down.

katiewhompus

I would say call a no kill shelter and put out some shelter for him. Maybe a small dog crate (plastic kind) but without the door on it. It might run around $40 at the store. That way he could have some shelter but you won't have to worry about him bringing anything into your home.
You could also call local vets. Sometimes they will test animals for free and then place them with a shelter/home.

sarah0725

There's a chance he's not a stray. Does he look well-fed? When I was a kid, we "had" a cat named Gizmo, who was an outside cat who actually belonged to our neighbors, but he decided he liked us better since it was too crowded over there with all the other cats and dogs. We fed him most of the time, and he even had a bed in our mudroom, so eventually he sort of adopted us, and my mom and the neighbor used to have amused conversations about it over the fence. So, you never know. Your yard kitty might be shaking down several families in the neighborhood for food with his cuteness.

katiewhompus

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_yard-kitty?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:606b5d45-761c-4da4-a938-4642ebdf1931Post:566f7e4d-8365-4902-b26e-971842e7905c">Re: yard kitty</a>:
[QUOTE]There's a chance he's not a stray. Does he look well-fed? When I was a kid, we "had" a cat named Gizmo, who was an outside cat who actually belonged to our neighbors, but he decided he liked us better since it was too crowded over there with all the other cats and dogs. We fed him most of the time, and he even had a bed in our mudroom, so eventually he sort of adopted us, and my mom and the neighbor used to have amused conversations about it over the fence. So, you never know. Your yard kitty might be shaking down several families in the neighborhood for food with his cuteness. :)
Posted by sarah0725[/QUOTE]

My parents' cat does this. She wanders the neighborhood and everyone gives her little tidbits. Everyone knows that she belongs to my parents though.

Nebb

he SEEMED healthy, he isnt overly skinny. He did seem like this was the first time he has had human interaction in a while though, just by how willing he was to start playing and climbing all over a stranger.

katiewhompus

I think he wants to be your kitty

stella218

Would you want to keep him if you determined he didn't have an owner?

andy71781

Are you in the market for a new kitty?  This is exactly how we found our family cat who lived a wonderful life with us for the next 15 years.  I agree with Katie - he wants to be your kitty.

Nebb

We have been discussing getting a cat but I dont want a male cat and I just dont know. He is pretty and friendly but I dont know if I want HIM. We also didnt want to get a cat until the new year.

beatlesgirl25

Aww, I think he wants to be your kitty too. Just curious, why don't you want a male kitty? I felt the same way when I was kitten-searching, and then we found Monkey and he was too young for us to tell what sex he was. But it worked out great! He's a really even-tempered and affectionate kitty, and I hear that about tomcats a lot.

NatesGirl16

Ew, the dog's penis is gross.

I feel bad for yard kitty, but the right thing to do is send him to a no kill shelter (if you're sure you don't want to take him in).  He seems pretty friendly, so hopefully he'll find a home soon.  He might even be micro-chipped and just not located yet by his real family. 

katiewhompus

When I got rats I had to debate between girls and boys. The girls had more health risks (and 2 died from those risks) but I just couldn't handle the rodent balls.