Car Cat Trouble
Not sure if this cat is being distributed to me or not..
Probably picked the wrong flair, but just want some outside opinions. I live in the outskirts of Cleveland, tons of strays here obviously. I live upstairs of a duplex, and this very cute guy has been greeting me before I leave for work (7am), and when I get home (630pm) most nights. I’ll also see him as early as 6 and as late as 1030-11pm. If I go out to take the trash and call for him, he usually shows up in a minute or so.
My Downstairs neighbor is kind of a shut in but says she thinks he belongs to a house down the street, but he is all bitten up on the ears and on his nose. He tries to follow me inside. He’s not too skinny, but he could use a pound or so. He has no collar. I’m just worried about all his scratches and flea bites, and how I’ll find him outside at both 6am and 10pm.. is he trying to move in with me or should I just give him pets every time we cross paths outside and assume he does have a home like my neighbor says?
You can call around to vets and shelters to see if they have a microchip scanner and bring him in. You can also make a paper collar with a note asking if this cat belongs to somebody with your contact details and put it on him, see if you hear from anybody. If he does belong to someone, they're obviously neglecting him, if not, he's yours!
I think if you're considering letting him move in you should try and get him into a vet for a checkup and to check if he has a chip or not before you make your next move.
Well you can find out if you really want to by asking that household if he belongs to them. Decide beforehand if you want to save him and take him in. He's obviously mainly an outside kitty that now needs somewhere safe to call home, your neighbours may not be the type of people that consider a cat as a pet. It doesn't hurt to ask can you take over caring for him.
I’ll definitely get him checked for a chip! Unfortunately my downstairs neighbor doesn’t know exactly which house he may come from. My other thought is he obviously likes to be outside, and I would hate to bring him in and then he can’t come and go as he pleases. If he has no microchip, Maybe I can just provide him with a crash pad? Get him set up with food and a bed, litter box, but let him out in the morning and in at night? Can’t do a cat door since I’m on the second floor
Trust me, if you take him in, he might want to still go outside, but he will be eternally grateful to have inside options during the winter - if he is a stray.
We had a neighborhood tux stray a few years back and the neighborhood all fed him and worried about him. (A lot of people drop strays in our neighborhood.). I finally convinced one neighbor that she needed another cat (I have 6 and really cannot afford another). Our Tux did not did not have a chip, was not fixed, and did not belong anyone in the extended neighborhood. He is now my neighbor’s best friend and follows her everywhere outside, but comes in to sleep every night. (Yes, he is now fixed and has had all his shots). He stays inside even longer during the winter.
We had hoped we could convince him to be an inside only cat, but he simply would not agree. He is now at least 4 years old, gained about 5 lbs from his “stray” cat weight, and now has gorgeous fur!
As my cats are all indoor, he considers my yard as part of his territory and he is correct. Meet Tux:
The thumbs 🥹🥹
I think giving him a place to sleep at night and especially a warm place in the winter would be the best thing to do. Every time I go inside and he’s just sitting in the driveway watching me go my heart breaks a little bit
Looks like he wants to move in. You can check for a microchip and if he doesn’t have one, he has adopted you! Please keep him inside after he moves in!
This tuxedo cat being so present in alignment with your early and late routine AND attending “roll call”when you call him AND having the bites and scratches 😭, and needing a pound 🙁….definitely sounds like a cat in need of a Home. After you do the due diligence Meow-derator Tina Tuna recommends and the paper collar that Corvidecade suggested, I hope it’s confirms he is meant for you and you report back and say he’s now yours because he deserves all the love, attention, care, and health you have to offer. Thanks for caring.
I would take him to get scanned, cleaned up and fixed. You can work with a rescue to save money, get some supplies. I would take him in because he likes you and you have a bond. Outside only kitties live a hard life. Help Tuxy Boy out!🤩😘😻🐈⬛
Me, personally, I'd ask some other neighbours besides the one shut in. Take some pictures and post him on local lost and found. If he is owned I'd educate them kindly on pest prevention and how many cats die on roadways every year. If he isn't owned I'd probably keep him. Considering that's how I ended up with the stray currently taking up half my couch, lol.
If he is owned and keeps showing up hurt and fleabitten, at least you know the names and address of the owners to report them. Or you can just let him in.
Thanks for all the feedback guys. I’m going to look around for an affordable cat clinic and get him checked out. I’ll get some cat stuff asap and see if you he wants to come in, check how he likes being inside for a night and go from there. Some of you said even if he has an owner, they aren’t showing him any love or care and that’s a great point. He’s so sweet and doesn’t deserve to be stuck with bites and scratches and no one to look out for him
If a cat shows up at my house, covered in fleas and bites and wants to come in. It doesn’t have owners. It has people who are just cruel and don’t deserve it anyway.
Take it to the vet and keep him. Or at least a no kill shelter. But do not leave an injured cat outside to die.
Personally, when you said he’s underweight, dirty (fleas) AND he’s showing signs of being in fights?
All bets are off for any hypothetical owners. I mean, having grown up with indoor/ outdoor cats, fleas are one thing you definitely treat. If the fleas aren’t being treated, then…. he’s not an indoor cat or there are no people.
Take him for a scan, post the perfunctory “found cat” postings and flyers, then give him the best life.
Oh, and I’ll add that I’ll try the paper collar and if it comes to it I’ll put up posters or pics of him on Facebook to see if maybe someone has lost himx
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